CaptainScarlettJai

Huzzah to 20!!!!

On behalf of Fort Taylor Pirate Invasion, Ahoy, Mates!! I know ye all been waitin’ an’ wonderin’ an’ wantin’ to hear from us about the planning of this year’s FTPI, but as ye got the gist from readin’ Fayma’s post, there’s been a bunch o’ us waitin’ an’ wonderin’ an’ figurin’ out down here as well. First it was not havin’ a Park Manager, then Mike come in an’ he’s getting’ into his new role, then it was waitin’ on District’s approval an’ getting the dates, an’ on an’ on, an’ on top o’ that, come to find out that Poppa’s not feelin’ so well an’ long story short, we was, aye an’ in fact actually discussin’ the possibility o’ not bein’ able to have the Fort Taylor Pirate Invasion this year! But… me an’ Momma talks an’ I tells her ‘bout how I been waitin’ fer pirate season to kick in ALL year, an’ ‘bout how anxious I am to see e’eryone again (especially cause I haven’t made it to one single pirate festival since the Invasion last year cuz I either been broke er busy er both each time one comes ‘round), an’ ‘bout how good she always takes care o’ all o’ us an’ how I understands how important it be that now she takes care o’ Poppa, but mostly we talks ‘bout how I be willin’ to do whate’er I can to step up an’ to fill in them big ol’ Momma shoes to not only make sure we has us a Fort Taylor Pirate Invasion, but that it be a big, huge success as we all knows it can be. After all an’ bottom line really be that this is an important fundraising event fer Friends o’ Fort Taylor and all o’ this hard pirate work goes toward benefittin’ an’ maintainin’ our beloved Fort Zach! An’ all o’ that be to say… Bloody hell an’ huzzah (I am soooo excited!), very sorry ye had to wait, but finally… We’re on! An’ here we go. I be sure yer all gonna have a hundred questions, but a few things first an’ I’ll say ‘em as an Englishman so as not to confuse ye’s. Yes, we’re late in the game and don’t have much time before the Invasion is on us. (But I will remind everyone that where we are today is about where we were in 3 weeks from now when it was last year which is really to point out that we’re ahead of ourselves for once if you just look at things in a positive sort of way.) More good news… that, due to the insane amount of hard work Fayma, Lily, and all the other planners put into organizing this event last year, we have a huge head start and a ton of the groundwork is already in place. This year’s Invasion will be very much like last year’s in general with a few minor changes which will be communicated as they get ironed out. Our Park Manager has been awesome so far and he’s working with us to figure out some improvements based on feedback and suggestions at the end of last year’s event. The basics… The dates of the event will be Dec. 2, 3, & 4, 2011. All reenactors, those camping and those not, must register for the event. Lily will be handling this again and will soon post links to the registration forms and pre-event info. The encampment will be limited to 100 participants only. Non-camping reenactors will be required to vacate the Park by 11pm. Those camping must be in the park by 3am each night. (If I have to wake up to let ye in after that, there’ll be hell to pay an’ yer goin’ straight to the Brig!) Registered re-enactors and vendors will be allowed to begin set-up Thursday, Dec. 1 from 8am-5pm. Lilly and I will be handling registration upon your arrival and coordinating set-up. (Please have your photo ID with you for check-in.) We will NOT be registering at the front gate this year. Instead, we will be stationed at the top of the Service Roadway which is that gravel drive that leads down to the Fort. If you cannot arrive during the scheduled time, you must call and make arrangements prior to your arrival. Set-up will continue after 5pm, but anyone arriving after 5pm will have to complete registration with a Park Representative the next morning. All set-up must be absolutely complete before we open to the public on Friday at 10am with no exceptions. All breakdown and moving out must be finished by 5pm Monday, Dec 5. All reenactors will have to be aligned with a Crewe like we did last year. All Crewes will be required to identify and portray a specific period of maritime history (Buccaneer Era, GAoP, Wreckers) and must do related living history presentations. Reenactors will be asked to pitch in one way or another toward the success of the event beyond that. (Any o’ ye’s remember how fun guard duty was last year?) What’s next… Lily and I will be posting here as we have updates and news. Look here for the registration forms. Lily will have them up as soon as we’ve finished updating them. As soon as we have a “roll call” concept we can really work out the camp layout, schedule of events, battle scenarios, etc. I will be meeting with Mike and working on me multi-paged to-do list that I am soooo grateful Fayma put together for me. If you have any questions, feel free to post them here, or send me an email at jaisomers@yahoo.com. In closing, I just want to say how very much I look forward to seeing you at Fort Taylor Pirate Invasion! Cheers to you all! At yer service, Captain Scarlett Jai