Spring is here. A number of events are coming up: The Actions of the Low Countries is in April, Armed Forces Day at JBLM is in May, and a nebulous June event is threatening to assume solid form. It is time to rouse ourselves from our annual hibernation and admit that the campaigning season will soon be upon us.

To that end, we will be day-tripping to Tilbury Camp on Saturday March 16th for Pike and Shot Drill Practice. Musketeers, please make an effort to be there, since I plan for you to be doing a lot of drill and shooting in preparation for the ALC. For the pikemen, I have been digging through a fascinating new manuscript that discusses some new things, which we will cover once everyone remembers right from left.

Dress to stay dry and warm, in period clothes as much as you can because I’d like to get an idea of our clothing situation.

The next drill training for Goode’s Company will be held at the Snohomish Pumpkin Hurl in Everett, WA on Sept. 15th & 16th. If you are interested in what we do and would like to come check us out, this is a great opportunity.

Goode’s Company and Academia della Spada are demonstrating sixteenth-century pike, shot, and sword techniques at the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire in Bonney Lake, Washington on August 4th & 5th, 11th & 12th, and 18th & 19th.

Come let us drag you from the audience, put a pike into your hand, and teach you how to trounce the enemies of Good Queen Bess!

Turnout was good—though we missed some old hands who couldn’t make it—and we covered a lot of ground. We had three new folks, who caught on quickly and who maintained their aplomb in the face of my questionable sense of humor. We covered the standard actions both at rest and on the march, wheeling, and alternate forms of charging the pike.

As always, the more folks we have in formation, the more nifty actions we can work on. So kidnap blackmail invite your friends.

Sergeant Elder will be teaching “16th Century Pike Actions & Maneuvers” at an SCA event, A Day At the Manor, in Kent at the Weber Ranch. While shot—even sans powder—is strictly verboten at this event, we do plan to work at least a bit with Gordon Frye and his cavalry. Goode’s Company folk are welcome and encouraged to attend as ringers, but it is certainly not required. The event as a whole costs $15.

Come to Cowen Park in Seattle and take up the pike for Queen and country. We’ll work on actions on the march, especially wheeling, which we seem to have gotten rusty on. See the calendar for times and map.

Thanks to everyone who came out to Armed Forces Day at JBLM on Saturday. It was a grand time and, as usual, we played harder and engaged the public more than pretty much any other group there. We got in some pike practice, shot in folks’ general direction, and drove the (admittedly laconic) Union forces from the field and quietly claimed Joint Base Lewis-McChord in the name of Her Majesty Elizabeth, Queen of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Let’s hope they don’t notice.

We had a couple inquiries from folks who liked what we do, and one of the Romans has invited us to an event in September. I’ll look into it. Speaking of Romans, they marched with us as a first rank during the Grand Melee, deflecting Union cannonballs with their scuta and dying gallantly with the rest of us when ordered.

All in all, quite a successful outing. Thanks to Brian Houdyshell & Sendi Houdyshell for transporting pikes and pavilion, John Clough and Emily Bullard for bringing their table, Gordon Frye for targeteering with us in spite of the lamentable dearth of horses, and to everyone else for making the early morning trek.