The State of Utah updated its COVID Health guidelines this week. The moral of the story? Don’t try to make plans more than a week in advance, they will most likely have to change.

The short version of the new mandate is that Davis County is currently in the ‘moderate category’ for COVID risk. This means that groups over 10 are restricted, and groups under 10 must wear masks. By law, Order of the Rose can not hold practice.

This is lame. In a year where we have already missed so much, we add this on top of the growing pile of disappointment. It’s exhausting. We make plans, we work towards them, we dare to hope, and then things have to change. It’s truly tiring and frustrating. The isolation gnaws at us. And it seems like there is no end in sight.

While irksome beyond belief, we need to uphold the 4 Levels of Importance. We need to keep our group safe under the law, and we need to keep each other and all our loved ones safe from the virus. We need to do our small part in keeping the community safe as well. That is the Honorable thing to do. We can pitch a fit, or we can do it with a good and productive Attitude that builds us up, and those around us. This is an opportunity to be intentional in our actions, we can do this Skillfully. (I admit to pitching a little fit though.)

The good news is, that the mandate is only until the 29th. If Davis County can lower the infection rate by 3% in the next 2 weeks it will drop to the ‘low risk’ category and we could potentially meet on the 30th for Torchlight Tourney. By law, we will have to wear our masks even then though. If we are fortunate enough to move into the ‘low risk’ category, only groups of 25 are allowed to meet, all participants must wear masks and social distance. So we will need a headcount, and you’ll have to commit to wearing masks at the tourney.

In the meantime, let’s Discord chat this Friday and the 22nd. Come and go as you please, but we will begin at 7 PM. If you haven’t tried Discord yet we have a great article for how to get on.

This is not how we envisioned this season-ending, but we can make the best of it. Let’s work together towards the 30th for Tabard Fights, and Ceremonies and the Torchlight Tournament. We will cram it all in, with one giant end of season event! And if that doesn’t work then perhaps we will try for something in November. Stay tuned because plans change rapidly! But for now let’s strive to do the best we can, with masks, and sanitation, and social distancing, in the next 2 weeks to help the numbers come down. Let’s hope and pray (if that is your thing) that they will, for our sake, and that of the wider community. I believe in better days ahead. I believe we will survive this, and be stronger, and wiser for it. It is going to be alright. I love you all. Let’s be Terrasylvan, and let’s be SHASy.