Ahhh, where to begin? I guess at the beginning.
I joined ADF in October 1999 and immediately joined the Warriors Guild. My immediate draw was, hmmm, people like me. Maybe I could learn some skills and warrior spirituality. How disappointed I was when I found that there were no rituals, nor articles on Warrior Spirituality and no way to learn self defense except by going to some classes on my own. Woe was me.
The Warriors list was mostly quiet so I sat back and observed. I did learn some sword fighting within the Warriors Lodge with Triskele Rivers Grove. I surely was not going to walk down the street with a sword. I wanted to learn self defense so that if I am walking down the street I could defend myself. I attended Trillium and was able to meet other Warriors outside of my area and attended my very first National Warriors Championship Games. Woohoo!!!!
Next thing I know I’m helping to organize Warrior Games for the Summerland Gathering and Triskele River’s Lughnassadh. I became the Grove Warrior and was granted the Warrior part in our Rituals. I was absolutely fascinated. I thought finally, I’m going to learn and feel Warrior Spirituality.
Quite a few of us left Triskele and formed our own Grove. We didn’t have a lodge there but most of us were Warriors so we continued with our sword fighting. We, members of the Warriors Guild, continued to have games at our Lughnassadh and did security for Pagan Pride Day, Witch’s Ball and PCCO events, but I was still lacking the learning of Warrior Spirituality.
I left Ancient Path Grove and applied to form another Protogrove, but was denied. Through rumors, my bad temper and bluntness, I became known as a troublemaker. Okay, I thought, I know I’m not a troublemaker and sooner or later will realize this. And so I became a solitary. After about a year, Ancient Path Grove was falling apart, so folks who thought I was a troublemaker were finally coming to the conclusion that I wasn’t after all. I applied again for a Protogrove and this time it was granted.
I have participated in all of the Warrior Games that were held at events I have attended save for the year of 2005, when surgery kept me from competing. More and more women are starting to compete in the Games, which is absolutely wonderful. I say to the women, just because you are a woman or think you cannot win because you are a woman does not mean you shouldn’t compete. It’s not the winning that counts, it’s the accomplishments that you fulfill along the way. I am a 44 year old woman now and not in the best of shape, but this does not stop me from trying.
In 2002 I ran for the Council of Honor seat, and wow, I won. I thought I could really get some things done, get some of the Warrior Spirituality information I was so longing for, but it was not to be so. Organizing takes a lot of time, and I began organizing the Guild. For those who don’t know me personally, I am a HUGE organizational person. I became the Guild web-mistress and whipped our website into shape, I became the Guild Registrar and got that organized. While doing this, I and others were still organizing the National Games and games at other events and were paying for the awards. I thought, the Guild should really be paying for the National Games awards and we really should have our own equipment instead of borrowing all of the time. I knew the Guild had no monies and unless we instituted a membership fee, would never have any. So I asked the members what their opinions were about this and it was overwhelmingly positive. Hence the Guild would have a membership fee. Now we could start buying our equipment and event awards.
Then came the problem of folks thinking, Okay, I’m paying membership dues but for what? Non-paying members have the same access and/or privileges that paying members have. I asked the members what their opinion was as to what privileges that thought they should have over the non-paying members. We made it so that only paying members or Active Members as we call them, have access to the full Study Program. I thought, that there should be more incentive for the folk to become Active Members, so I designed our Guild Badge, asked a member if he could manipulate the image to what I wanted, posted it to the members to find out if they liked it, they did. Now we have a Guild Badge that only Active Members receive.
When it came time for a new Guild Chief, I asked that I have that pleasure and my wish was granted. I set goals for myself:
1. Form a group to go over the bylaws and get them whipped into shape once and for all.
–While we have tweaked certain sections of the bylaws, they have not been whipped completely into shape yet.
2. Form a group to get together some spiritual stuff, like rituals, meditations, etc.
–We have not formed a group but some action can be seen in this direction. 3. Buy books for the Study Program and then ask for volunteers to type them up so that we may put them on the web for our Active Members to use.
–I have bought the books for first circle and have typed some of them up but alas I am but one person, but there has been progress in this direction.
4. Get appointed advisors for all regions for students that wish to test out for the Study Program.
–This has not yet happened.
5. Tweak the Study Program
–This has not yet happened.
6. Form a group to put together a Policy and Procedures Manual that will replace the FAQ.
–This has been completed. While we did not rename the FAQ, it has been tweaked and updated.
As you can see, I didn’t quite get done what I wanted to get done but we are getting there.
When I began my crusade of helping to run the Guild we had around 13 members, as of May 2006 we now have 39 members with 28 of them as Active Members.
To follow are events that have taken place since I started my crusade:
The Guild has its own domain name and website
We are able to purchase event awards
We purchased a Champion Torc for the National Champion, this torc gets passed on to the next National Champion
We have purchased 2 bows and some arrows
We have designed our Guild Sigil
We have purchased badges for Active Members
We have a joining form for those who wish to join the Guild, which gets sent to the Guild Registrar
All positions in the Guild have their own email addresses
Per our members input, we have an article that can be worn to show that they are members of the Guild
We have something to recognize those that have completed the circles in our Study Program
We give certificates to past Champions and past positions held in the Guild.
A lot has happened these past 3 years and I hope it shall continue to happen.
As to the Warrior Spirituality I have long been searching for, I’ve had it all along, I just didn’t realize it.
A Warrior strives for balance in mind, body and spirit.
I have learned through maturity, balance of mind and spirit, the body still needs some work though.
A Warrior is true to herself/himself and others.
I have had no problem being true to others, its being true to myself which is difficult sometimes.
A Warrior does what is right, no matter what the cost.
This I have done throughout my entire life, though it may be easier to take the path of least resistance I have never been one to back down from what is right.
A Warrior faces her/his fears.
There are some fears that I have not faced like heights and death, but I believe I have faced most of the fears that I have.
A Warrior shows respect for herself/himself and others.
I always show respect for others, sometimes I am a bit blunt and folk think I am being disrespectful, but I’m not, I believe that I am showing you respect by telling you what I think, not what you want to hear. As for showing respect to myself, this I do most of the time but sometimes it’s difficult.
A Warrior is responsible for her/his actions.
I believe this goes hand and hand with being true, if you are true then you will accept responsibility for your actions.
A Warrior places others and their welfare above his own.
I believe I have done this throughout my whole life, more so as I have matured. Yes there were times when I was young that I did not but alas these are virtues that I believe grow as we grow. A Warrior strives to continually improve in all aspects of mind, body and spirit.
I don’t believe there will ever come a day when I will not strive to improve.
I have enjoyed being in the Warriors Guild and being able to help improve the Guild. I am deeply honored that I was chosen to be on the Council of Honor and the Chief. I am extremely grateful for all of our members.
