[MR] New World Arbalest - More Information

[Siegfried Sebastian Faust]

To those wishing to know more information, another version, etc. of the 
story of Master Iolo of New World Arbalest being ejected from Pennsic, I 
offer the following.  For the record, it is my accounting, of what was 
witnessed, and told to me, by a good friend of mine, and Iolo's.  Who was 
sitting in the New World Arbalest booth at the time of this incident.

My friend says that he was talking to Iolo, and, yes, as usual, Iolo was 
doing his regular sales pitch: "Try the bows, try the bows, come shoot my 
tent."  Which he has done for all the time that I have known him and 
attended pennsic.

As a young child was shooting (8-11ish), the Cooper lady came over, and 
said she wished to speak with Iolo.  Who got up to talk to her.  At this 
point, my friend was left in the booth, and due to volume levels, could 
only hear Iolo's side of the conversation.

The first words were: "Oh, so I should stop doing that?".   After a 
response from the lady, Iolo's response was: "WHAT!?"

Iolo then walked back to my friend, and told him that he had been kicked 
off site.  And started packing up.

-- Now, for my own editorial, I will add the following points.  For one, 
that he was kicked off due to 'holding a martial activity in a non-martial 
zone'.  This point, is a grey area at best.  Shooting a combat blunt at a 
Tent wall, is really no different than a fighter sinking a pell in his camp 
and hitting it (which I have seen done often).  It is not a martial 
activity per se.  Again, I admit this is a grey area.  Which is why a 
warning, or a reminder, would have been much more in-line than ejection 
from site.
   Now, some people have claimed that Iolo was previously warned and told 
to stop this at Pennsics past.  This, I do not know nor can answer 
on.  However, I can say that from my own knowledge of Iolo, that he is an 
honorable man, and that if told to stop such an activity by the 'powers 
that be', that he would do so.  Not that he would blatantly continue to 
break a rule that he knew he was breaking.
   In Iolo's own account, which I am including below, he acknowledges that 
it was a grey area, and he claims that he was not warned in previous years, 
at least in any official manner.
   And on that note, that is all that I can say

>----- Original Message -----
>From: "David Watson" <info at c...>
>To: "WSA" <ansteorra-dons at a...>
>Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2003 12:17 PM
>Subject: [WSA] Re: Iolo's Kerfuffle
>
>
> > Hey Guys, Iolo here. I have just returned home from Pennsic to a
>pile of junk mail. Here is the lowdown on my adventures at Pennsic.
>You may post this anywhere you like, forward to anyone you like, SO
>LONG AS YOU DO SO UNEDITED.
>
> > I went to Pennsic. Set up Wednesday morning The weather was very
>nice. I sold some bows.
>
> > As usual, we tested bows with boffer (old combat) bolts against the
>tent, as we have for the last 17 years. No one complained to me. If
>they complained to others I was not told of it.
>
> > Thursday afternoon, Cindy Cooper Tracy, the merchant autocrat, came
>to me, said I was in violation of pennsic rules for shooting said
>padded bolts at the tent. This is quite true. The rules, at least for
>the last 10 years or so, if taken literally would prohibit such
>activity.
>
> > I offered to cease all such shooting immediately, Cindy replied
>that she would like me to leave.
>
> > Cindy apparently believes she has warnedme about the practice in the
>past. I recall no such warnings, Particularly no such warnings from
>the Merchant Autocrat's office. I have had no complaints from
>surrounding merchants.
>
> > This does not mean everybody was happy with the practice of shooting
>the tent. Some people just don't like personal confrontations. I
>certainly don't.
>
> > Cindy told me to leave, I packed up and left. Do I think she was
>fair? In my reasoning, no. Did she have the right to do what she did?
>Of course, The Cooper's own the park, and Cindy is the duly
>authorized Merchant Autocrat.
>
> > You can all discuss this question till the cows come home. I am
>certain that everyone will accuse everyone else of Lying,
>misrepresenting, or whatever. I will have nothing to do with it.
>
> > That's all I have to say. Iolo.


_________________________________________________________________________
THL Siegfried Sebastian Faust     Baronial Web Minister & Archery Marshal
Barony of Highland Foorde        http://highland-foorde.atlantia.sca.org/