Notices and Memories

Erin was a Chirurgeon at River Marche. I've known her around 17 years.

She was the actual originator of 'Smerfing' some 15 years ago. This came about at a River March event at Pine Mountain at which Erin was the Feast-a-crat.

Around 2 am Sun. morn. Hastar and I were awake and looking for company to be 'awake' with. We headed for the main hall.

At first it appeared to be deserted until we heard delighted laughter coming from the kitchen area. So we headed off to investigate (well, it wasn't a private cabin...)

When we entered, there were around 17 folks crowded in the kitchen, the stainless counters covered with left-overs from the earlier feast (which had been excellent...Erin was a GOOD cook!)(and had made aplenty to feed us all, and then some...)

As we entered the kitchen, happy faces (full of food) turned in our direction, offering chicken legs and other delicasies.....I'd looked around the crowd, and my jaw had dropped. The counters that had so carefully been cleaned after feast, were now covered in food, foil and remnants.......all I could think to say was "Erin...is...gonna.....KILL!!!"

And then, the sea of folks parted like the Sea of Galalee (sp) as someone at the far wall stove, raised a hand above the crowd and said "No, I'm not....this was MY idea !!!" (the crowd parted to reveal Erin) She went on to add (laughing at my stunned expression) "We were just sitting around, and I suddenly realized I was 'Hungry' and I thought 'there's PLENTY of food in the kitchen!' so I found out who all wanted to join me, and here we are!!! So grab some food and join the party!!!" And we did...the rest being history, as it's since become a Meridian tradition.

The following morn, my mate and I being honorary River Marchers, we were included in on the idea/plan of making this become more than just an isolated mid-night snack raid. The kitchen and the rest of the camp pretty much cleaned, we were lingering with friends, as the last few duties to the camp were completed off around the cabins, checking for anything lost or forgotten.

Someone announced that we 'Really need a 'name' for what we 'did' last night' Ideas were tossed around the table. The end result, by vote, was that it be called:

'Smerf'-ing
S-(ecret)
M-(id-night)
E-(ating)
R-(aiders)
F-(orce)

A coat-of-arms was decided upon:
Azure (smurf blue)
a crossed fork/knife and drumstick, argent
In chief,a wine goblet, argent.

And 'Rules':
(1) after mid-night
(2) sneakily....all witnesses must be persuaded to become accomplises
(3) NOTHING that was not served, at the feast proper, may be raided. i.e. this includes soft drinks, M-n-Ms, alcohol, clearly breakfast items and anything else we didn't eat. (these things clearly being private stock of feast-a-crat and helpers or royalty stash) It also includes anything that there is clearly only a small amount of, even if it Was served at feast, as this is most likely something the feast-a-crat has set aside to take home on Sunday. Anything there's plenty of, is open season on.

One exception to all the okay on the above:
If the feast-a-crat has clearly stated "No Smerfing, please"
Or has left a note on the cooler doors to that effect.
Then that is to be respected.

This has only happened a few times over the years, to my personal knowledge. (Mistress Amalynn of Iron Mountain clearly announced that she'd hunt down anyone who raided her kitchen....sighs went up all around the feasthall.......there had been whole trays full of frozen pears with chocolate mousse that had gone back to the kitchen, we'd all been so well fed that most were planning to let their tummy's settle to raid their pears later....so we waited to have them for breakfast, not wanting to incure Amalynn's wrath....

Another time, a Tourney of the Foxes feast-a-crat (at a revel)nicely asked a gathering bunch of raiders, about to go Smerfing, to please not do so.......she sounded bone weary.......we sympathized with her, and promised not to, but in greatfulness, she gave us a small list of what we could have a bit of, but please, not all.

Only a few folks took her up on her kind offer, but even those, more out of token raiding, than any other reason.

The last Smerf rule:

(4) CLEAN UP!!! Leave the kitchen as clean as it was found. If the kitchen hasn't been properly cleaned, it wasn't Smerfs. It was dirty, Barbarian, wanna-bes.....NOT our good and honorable folks.

On that note, Erin will be missed.
She had a strong personality
A good sense of fun
and was a good chirurgeon, her mundane profession being that of a Registered Nurse.

Her lady Mother, Lady Gloria, died some few years back...a kind grand-motherly person who lived to herd the little ones at events and keep them occupied. Lady Gloria became bed-ridden there, at the end, and her Shire threw an event at her home one Saturday night, just a small local one. She was dressed in garb, and was made the guest-of-honor even though from her bed. She requested she be buried in her best garb, and that was done......she died just a few days after her party.

Anyway at the next Smerf Raid...please raise a glass of some of your own, to Lady Erin.......her contribution to our Meridian traditions, will long be remembered.....after mid-night...

Shara