THIRD TRUMPETS--MARIETTA AND FORT WASHINGTON
On September 25-26 the Legion
will be encamped at Marietta Mansion in Glenn Dale, MD, alongside our
14th
century friends of La Belle Compagnie. Admission for the general
public will be a mere $1, and hours are from 11 AM to 4 PM. This
is a good event for newer members--even if you lack equipment you can
still
come out and learn the drill. There may be gear to loan, but ASK
SOON! Unfortunately, our herb-sellers will not be able to attend
this weekend.
I completely neglected to pass
around registration forms for the Fort Washington event scheduled for
October
2-3, so I'll send those around as soon as possible to all potential
participants.
Send them in to the Fort right away if you think you'll be attending,
and
hopefully they'll let us play. Mea culpa for dropping the ball on
that one! The event is called "Preserving Our Military Heritage",
celebrating the 175th aniversary of the completion of the fort.
Public
hours are from 10 to 5 on Saturday, 10 to 3 on Sunday, and
non-participants
will have to pay admission at the park entrance.
ALBION UPDATE
The first few prototypes from
International Steelcrafts in India have arrived. Not all good
news,
unfortunately, but it's a start.
PILUM HEAD--Not good. The
tang is fine and the point is pretty good, and it is black rather than
polished. But the shank is square-sectioned and untapered for
half
its length, c. 1/2" diameter, then abruptly changes to round-section,
still
untapered, from there to the point. It's not "good enough" yet
for
Legio XX approval, but still better than anything sold by Museum
Replicas.
Might make a good "cheapy chucker" or forge-work excercise, if you can
get Howard to sell you one. He'll be sending the head from
my good hand-forged pilum to India to serve as a model.
SCUTUM RIM CORNERS--Good!
U-section brass with a pair of semicircular tabs at each end, and NO
PUCKERS!
The only flaw is that they are not quite a 90 degree angle, but they
should
still be usable--either bend the thing a little sharper (which
admittedly
might make a pucker), or rasp down the wood to fit the corner
piece.
Albion will tell International to make them 90 degrees from now on.
SCUTUM RIM SIDES--Not good.
Just a brass gutter (half a tube) with no tabs. I managed to trim
a set down to form tabs along the edges, but they end up a little too
narrow
and it's no easier than cutting them from strip. We'll tell
the Indians to make them with tabs...
The first of the "Dan Peterson"
line of helmets are due at the end of September. I will zip up to
Albion HQ to check them out and give a full report at that time.
KIRBY HALL REPORT by Derek Forrest, Ermine Street Guard
I am just back from this years
beanfeast at Kirby hall where over 2 days thousands of spectators were
treated to everything from Spitfires and SE 5as to processions by
Queen Victoria and Good Queen Bess. and talks by Bernard Cornwall and
Peter
Connolly.
On the Roman side there were fewer
numbers than before but mainly made up of our XXth and XIV
Gemina,
with some Dutch and a few from the VIII Augusta in Toulouse.
There
were about 50 legionaries and 15 auxiliaries. Saturday was not
good
with confusion, injuries and a large amount of mutual incomprehension.
(The French and English do not speak each others languages despite
years
of school teaching). We had a broken leg jumping over a ditch and
a Testudo with a hole in the roof! Sunday went much better as we
had back our regular Optio and a proper rehearsal. So I think we
gave a good account of ourselves. The Cavalry are especially good
at the moment with the two riders now expert in handling their weapons
and horses. Cabbages were sent flying and auxiliaries
squashed.
One splendid exhibit was 2 model Biremes with real rowing action and
radio
controls.
We are now promised a History
in Action 2000 with another 40 acres of land on the 12-13 August.
How about a US contribution?
CALENDAR
Sept. 25-26 --Legio XX encampment
at Marietta with La Belle Compagnie (14th century), open to public 11
to
4.
Sept. 24-26 --Roman Military
Equipment
Conference, South Shields, Eng. See the ROMEC website for
details,
http://pobox.com/~jrmes/romec.htm
Fall, 1999? --Possible display
at Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, as part of a classics
fair. Still in the planning stages.
Oct. 2-3 --"Preserving our
Military
Heritage" at Fort Washington, MD, another timeline event.
Oct. 23-24 --Legio III Gallica
encampment, New Orleans, Louisiana. Contact Darren Nunez for more
information
Oct. 30-31 --Dionysia of
Massilia.
Games and rites in honor of the god Dionysos, Australia. Contact
Mark Kelly
Spring 2000 --Demo/encampment
at Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA. Details still
being
hashed out.
CONGRATULATIONS to Darren and Julie Nunez of Legio III
Gallica
on the birth of their twins, Gaius and Claudia (okay, Ross and Laura)
on
August 18. The whole family is apparently doing well.
--------------------------
ADLOCVTIO is the official monthly newsletter of the Twentieth Legion,
and since the Ides was yesterday, let's get this bad boy in the
mail.
For any kind of information about the Legion, Adlocvtio, or the cosmos
in general, contact the Commander and Editor: Matthew Amt
(Quintus).
Valete!