Mayor and Executive Staff

News and Updates

Pennsic Mentorship Program Updates for PW53!

Greetings to all far and wide!
The staff for the Pennsic Mentorship Program are so excited to welcome you to
the Pennsic War and share what we have been working on during our time apart! The
YAMP (Young Adult Mentorship Program) is being expanded to welcome everyone,
regardless of age group, who is interested in learning directly from Pennsic staff to gain
valuable service experience and skills for the SCA and beyond!

Starting for Pennsic War 53, the Pennsic Mentorship Program will now be open
for all those who are interested to apply. Previously, our goal was to focus on providing
opportunities for our younger generation members. However, after much consideration,
we feel it is for the best to expand our horizons and provide opportunities for any
individual who may be interested. To stay updated on all information for the Pennsic
Mentorship Program, please follow the program on Instagram at PWmentorship.sca
and look out for updates on the official Pennsic War website and Facebook page!

The Pennsic Mentorship Program is designed to give individuals opportunities to
learn from Pennsic staff and develop leadership skills to facilitate the growth of the SCA
for future generations. We strive to provide better access to opportunities for individuals
who are interested, regardless of experience level, age, status, or kingdom of origin.

The application form for the Pennsic War 53 Mentorship Program will open on
September 1, 2025 and close on February 1, 2026, to allow ample time for everyone
interested to prepare and apply. There are two informational sessions about the
mentorship program scheduled for Wednesdays, July 30 at 1 PM in Tent 13, and August
6 at 2 PM in Tent 12 at Pennsic University. These sessions will have an incredible
amount of information, including experiences from former participants and information
from the program coordinator for an all-around look at the program! Any questions or
interest should be forwarded to our email at mentorship@pennsicwar.org. We look
forward to another great year of the Pennsic Mentorship Program and hope to see many
new faces participating next year!

Yours in Service,
The Pennsic Mentorship Program

Young Adult Mentorship Program

YAMP stands for the Young Adult Mentorship Program.

Our program is designed to give young adults, 18 to 24(ish), opportunities to learn from Pennsic staff and develop leadership skills to facilitate the growth of the SCA for future generations!

How do I get involved?

The program will be on its third cycle for Pennsic 52 and we are looking to expand and offer more mentorships for more candidates.

Applications opened on September 1, 2024 and will be accepted until April 1, 2025. We try to give everyone ample time to apply to make sure that every individual has an opportunity to learn. As this is an educational commitment, applicants must be able to attend Pennsic 52; further details can be discussed with the mentors. The available mentorships for Pennsic 52 will be posted on our webpage and IG.

How do I apply?

Please follow the link to our application which is a simple Google form. Some of the information that we ask for includes:

Any SCA or relevant modern experience such as work, volunteering, or internships
References (modern or SCA) and their email addresses
A brief explanation why you would like to participate in the program during Pennsic 52.

Any young adult between 18 and 24(ish) years old is welcome to apply to the Young Adult Mentorship Program regardless of kingdom of origin, status, and experience level. YAMP follows the SCA DEIB policies regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. We strive to allow all individuals to grow and ensure the continuation of the SCA for generations to come.

Cheers and best regards,
Baroness Nasira al-Zarqa bint Ivaz
YAMP Coordinator

From the Mayor

Greetings unto the attendees of Pennsic War LII. I, Syr Gunther Kegslayer, have the honor of serving as your Mayor.

Though I’ve been involved in the SCA for 28 years, my Pennsic War journey started at Pennsic 27. There I fought for the Middle Kingdom and camped at Vlad’s Pleasure Pavilions. For the next 25+ years I’ve volunteered in many different aspects to help give back to the SCA community that changed who I am as a human being.

I’ve also worked hard to make Pennsic better; to serve the people I call family. I’ve set up the barn, marshalled on the battlefield, put up road signs, served in Land, served in Tech service, served in Information, served drinks, and done my best to help Pennsic into its next evolution in technology.

In those 25 years I’ve lost friends to cancer, illness, and stroke. Pennsic has also given me some of the greatest moments of my life, I’ve learned about my wife being pregnant with my son at Pennsic, made some of my best friends in my life, 20 years ago I was Knighted on the battlefield of Pennsic, then ten years ago I was recognized as a Pelican, now I’ve been selected to be the Mayor. It seems every 10 years something major happens to me at Pennsic. Every Pennsic there is change, growth, and sadly, loss. In a dynamic universe, change is the only constant. Not all change is bad, nor is all change good, my hope for all of you is that you “Be the change you hope to see in the world”

Every year, Pennsic runs on the kindness of volunteers. While we are grateful for all those who volunteer when they arrive at Pennsic, there is also a large group of people donating time many months in advance. With that knowledge, please be kind to all of those who serve Pennsic. Without them, our collective Pennsic experience would suffer.

The Pennsic War is unique and special. It is many things to many people. Most importantly, it has room for everyone. It is my hope you can all find a home, a family, a place of your own. I encourage you to find your people, find your family and cherish them, just as I did so many years ago.

Syr Gunther KegSlayer
Pennsic Mayor 52

Office of the Mayor

The Mayor is the senior official responsible for running Pennsic in compliance with corporate policies of the SCA.^[1] The Mayor works with the SCA and the various Seneschals to affect the orderly running of the event and compliance with all appropriate rules of the SCA and Pennsic. The Mayor is also the primary on-site interface with CLC.

The Mayor for each Pennsic is chosen by a process requiring aspiring mayors to submit a bid containing: a proposed budget; demonstration of support from other prospective staff; and their modern and SCA qualifications demonstrating sufficient administrative experience to run the event. The bid is reviewed by the Seneschals of the primary kingdoms responsible for the event (The East, Middle, and Æthelmearc) and the mayor is then selected by the royalty of those kingdoms. The mayor is selected two years prior to the event and will serve their first year as a “deputy” of the mayor prior to their year as mayor.

The mayor also maintains an administrative staff to assist in daily tasks during the course of the year and during the event. Each mayor may also have additional staff responsible for the management of special projects for any particular Pennsic.

Royalty Liaison

The Royalty Liaison exists to ensure royalty at Pennsic are provided with a single point of interface with the staff. The Royalty Liaison coordinates transportation and other logistic functions of royalty at the event. As such, any request for Pennsic resources from royalty and their associated staff is the responsibility of the Royalty Liaison.

Bureau of Finance

The Bureau of Finance exists to provide financial oversight and management of Pennsic. The Pennsic Exchequer functions as the Deputy Mayor and is responsible for ensuring Pennsic operates within a budget and according to law and policy. The Exchequer is directly responsible for managing the division and reports directly to the Mayor. In addition to the financial compliance and reporting responsibilities, the Bureau of Finance provides support directly to the event by managing purchasing of goods and services as well as reimbursing authorized purchases made by staff.

Young Adult Mentorship Program

The Young Adult Mentorship Program, or YAMP, is a program designed to give young adults in the SCA opportunities to learn from and work with members of Pennsic War volunteer staff to develop leadership skills to facilitate the continuation and growth of the SCA and its members for future generations. The program coordinator works with Pennsic staff and mentorship participants to make appropriate mentor-mentee pairings and ensure program participants gain the fullest experience possible.

War Herald

The War Herald exists to support the ceremonial functions of the War itself. The War Herald is directly responsible for the coordination of Opening Ceremonies and Closing Ceremonies and reports directly to the Mayor. The War Herald manages all aspects of the Ceremonies, working with senior heraldic staff of the primary kingdoms as well as representatives from each group processing or participating in the Ceremonies. The War Herald coordinates with other War departments to ensure the smooth running of the Ceremonies, including Martial Activities, Event Safety, and Royalty Liaison.

Staff