History of Moorhaven
In 2006 a group of Hidden Mountain members created an interest group called “Leviahan Cove”. The purpose was to start a group closer to their homes in the Myrtle beach area that would allow their families to participate, and allow encourage other locals to join. Our first Acting Seneschal was Daniel Carpenter who worked diligently to grow the group.
Daniel moved out of state in 2008 at which time Alison McQuarrie took over as Acting Seneschal. At that time we proposed a name change to “Moorhaven” because the original name was not approved by the Heralds.
Late in 2008 Paul Morse became the Acting Seneschal. In 2009 the Heralds approve both the name “Moorhaven” and and our devise – sable, on a tower issuant from base argent a tree vert, in chief two laurel wreaths argent. The Ancient Group Canton of Moorhaven was official born.
Our first business meetings were held at Vern Black’s Comic book store in Socastee. At this site we also had dance, and sewing classes, as well as several pot luck dinners/get-togethers. In 2010 business meetings began to be held at Carolina Wing house, in Conway SC. Arts & science meetings were held at Paul & Kay’s house. In 2013 all meetings were moved to Frank and Ivy’s home in Carolina Forest.
To move from incipient status to full canon there are several requirements, one being a minimum number of members, and another being hosting events. Our numbers have fluxed over the years, but by the end of 2013 we have maintained the requisite membership. We also have hosted several events.
In 2010, Moorhaven attempted to host their first event, the Baronial Silver Chalice which had not been held in several years. Unfortunately for Moorhaven, it went to Tear Sea Shore, since their wedding day, and Silver Chalice, fell on the same date. Moorhaven took advantage of this as “practice” time, and worked in several functions for the weekend.
The site took some massive cleaning, prior to the event and Moorhaven people worked hard on the Kitchen, feast hall, and sleeping areas. Rob Normandin cut, trimmed and hauled away several truck loads of trees, shrubs and debris. The following year, 2011, we hosted the event ourselves and have continued to do so for the last three years, and will do so again, in 2014. In the years that we have hosted this event, we have turned a profit each time, while having different Autocrats, different reservationist/trolls, and different Feast-a-crats. By allowing different members the opportunity we have learned, as a group, what is needed to execute a successful event.
Moorhaven would be love to say that in the past years we have not made a single mistake, however, “that” would be untrue – we learned from our mistakes, and, most importantly attendees were never aware of our errors. (We think)
In 2012 we were lucky enough to be asked to participate in the first ever Myrtle Beach X-Con. Again we were assisted by members of the Marsh and the Shore and on one Saturday, Moorhaven presented the SCA to over 1000 people. Our fighters demonstrated their prowess in the middle of the MB Convention Center, in a raised wrestling ring. We were invited back again in 2013 but had a scheduling conflict with our own Baronial Birthday Celebration, but we are already in conversation with them to expand our role in May or 2014.
In 2013, we also hosted two Demos for the Horry County Public Library. One was a small one, with four Moorhaven folks in attendance. That Demo was mostly for advertisement for our larger one that was held in the fall. During that Demo, Moorhaven was aided by Shire of Sea Reach, and the Cantons of Tear Sea Shore and Misty Marsh. We also had members from the Barony of the Sun Dragon, and from the Kingdom of Atenveldt.
At this Demo, we hosted almost 100 guests, and we had set up both a Yurt as a typical Viking camp site. Various Arts & Sciences, from the making of Chain Mail to Kumihimo were displayed with lots of small “take home” items for the children to do. Marshaled fighting was demonstrated for the guests, at various times throughout the day.
Throughout the years, the people involved with Moorhaven, have traveled to Pennsic, and Gulf Wars, as well as War of the Wings and visited SCA groups internationally. We have hosted a Queen’s tea at a Crown tourney, and have displayed our Arts and Science projects in many, many competitions. We have traveled, as a group, to Twelfth Night Celebrations and to other Kingdom and Baronial events throughout the kingdom. Our folks have worked hard over the past years, in learning both Arts, and the Science of the SCA. Moorhaven members have filled in for various Baronial Officers, including Deputy Seneschal, Financial Committee members, Chronicler and our current Minister of Youth Activities. We have provided Hidden Mountain with several Baronial Champions, including Archery, and Arts & Sciences.
On September 6, 2014 we moved out of the “Incipient Status” into the full the “Canton Status” that we have worked so long to achieve. The proclamation was made at Silver Chalice, in Florence, SC. A general announcement was made by Paul Morse, our previous Seneschal and current Exchequer, to the Kingdom of Atlantia via FaceBook and is worth repeating here:
“My dearest Atlantia; today I witnessed, in court, the proclaiming that the Canton of Moorhaven has been released from it’s ties of incipiency, and been granted the full status of a Canton of Hidden Mountain, in this very Kingdom. It has been a long and winding road one that has had, several leaders and numerous supporters. I know that I will forget someone and for that slight, I am sorry, but if it were not for the work, in the early years, of Vern Black, Daniel A. Carpenter, and Michael Reid, we would not have withstood the first blows against us. Latter, Amy Dickens, Alison McQuarrie, and Stephen Pace, fanned the flames of the many group members who have came and went over the past years.
A huge thank you is extended to all of these, and the many, many more members and non member of the SCA that have helped us through these last 8 years. We hope to continue to be a very successful part of our Barony, and our Kingdom, as well as the Society as a whole. We would not be where we are today, at the threshold of a Bright Tomorrow, if not for the love we have, as a group, for each other and for all things SCA. We thank you for having the faith in us, as we have had in you”.
All external links are not part of the Barony of Hidden Mountain’s web site. Inclusion of a page or site here is neither implicit nor explicit endorsement of the site. Further, SCA. Inc. is not responsible for content outside of https://baronyofhiddenmountain.atlantia.sca.org/