Minutes of the Special Convocation of the Order of the Great Fifth Sea
Date: 9 September, 2025
Location: Rawley Chapter House, Map Room
Presiding: Alistar Corvus, Presiding Concordant and Keeper Emeritus
Recorder: Klara Nilsen, Deputy Archivist
1. Call to Order
At precisely 19:02 hours, the Presiding Concordant struck the ceremonial brass ship’s bell. Members assembled in the Map Room in near-full attendance, sensing the gravity of the summons. Lamps were trimmed low, the great wall chart of Lake Michigan unfurled, and the attendance ledger signed in waterproof ink. The air was described by the Recorder as “anticipatory, reverent, and tinged with pipe smoke.”
2. Presentation of the Briefcase and Reading of the Directive
Alistar Corvus rose, carrying with him a metallic briefcase of evident significance. Its clasps were opened with deliberate solemnity, and from within he produced a set of documents sealed with distinctive markings. He read aloud the directive in its entirety.
Contents of the Directive:
The guardians of heritage have entrusted the Order with a joint survey of Grand Traverse Bay.
The Great Lakes Research Consortium (GLRC) has been issued an identical directive.
The Order is specifically tasked with deploying the Little Concord for underwater observation.
The GLRC will provide surface operations aboard their advanced research vessel and will, by explicit instruction, convey the Order to the survey site.
The findings of this survey are to be presented jointly at a forthcoming national conference, to be featured in a documentary now in production, and advanced to prominent scholarly journals.
The Presiding Concordant stressed that the directive was not a summons but a selection, an act of trust by those who have safeguarded the submerged heritage of the bay for many years. The mandate, however, carried a condition: the work must be completed before the onset of the November gales.
Recorder’s Note: Audible consternation followed, mixed with enthusiasm and visible apprehension.
3. Discussion and Immediate Reactions
3.1 General Sentiment
Members expressed astonishment that both the Order and the GLRC were to cooperate in equal measure. Rivalries long held in check by polite distance erupted in whispers and asides. The sense of honor in being chosen was tempered by indignation at being yoked to “the Consortium and its clipboards.”
3.2 Gerald “Charts” Whitcomb
Declared that “redundancy is our bulwark” and proposed the maintenance of no fewer than three ledgers: one for internal Order use, one for archival purposes, and one to be “thrust under the noses of the GLRC to prevent revisionism.”
Motion carried after vigorous nodding and one abstention.
3.3 Mags Fielding
Raised concerns regarding insurance and liability for the Little Concord, specifically ballast tanks and crew oxygen.
Recommended establishing a standing Insurance and Liability Contingency Panel.
Motion carried by unanimous consent, though accompanied by sighs.
3.4 Eleanor Price
Proposed ceremonial logbooks drafted in waterproof ink, signed by all members prior to embarkation, and sealed in wax at the Chapter House.
Matter referred to the Ledger and Documentation Redundancy Subcommittee.
3.5 Tom Ashford
Reported anxieties over the Concord’s pumps, noting that “she wheezes like an old bullhead.”
Appointed Chair of the Ballast and Buoyancy Assurance Committee.
3.6 Edwin Barlow
Requested formal guidance on attire, warning of the risk of appearing “unkempt before GLRC technicians who iron their jackets as often as their data.”
The Wardrobe and Attire Advisory Group was established by unanimous vote.
3.7 Additional Motions
A motion was carried to establish an Etiquette on Shared Vessels Committee to codify acceptable conduct when boarding GLRC craft.
A motion to prepare a ceremonial address for the national conference was tabled for future discussion, pending identification of who will deliver it.
Recorder’s Note: The proliferation of committees was described by several members as “both breathtaking and inevitable.”
4. Formation of Committees
The following committees were formally constituted during the convocation:
Ballast and Buoyancy Assurance Committee – Chair: Tom Ashford
Ledger and Documentation Redundancy Subcommittee – Chair: Gerald “Charts” Whitcomb
Etiquette on Shared Vessels Committee – Chair: Eleanor Price (provisional)
Wardrobe and Attire Advisory Group – Chair: Edwin Barlow
Insurance and Liability Contingency Panel – Chair: Mags Fielding
Recorder’s Note: All committees are instructed to report preliminary findings within one week, a timetable described by several members as “borderline cruel” given the scope of preparation.
5. Project Naming Deliberations
The Presiding Concordant raised the matter of assigning an official name to the forthcoming joint expedition. He noted that the GLRC had already circulated a provisional designation, “Submerged Heritage Site Evaluation (SHSE-25),” which was received in the chamber with audible groans and one loud scoff from Edwin Barlow.
Discussion:
Gerald “Charts” Whitcomb insisted the Order must never defer to “an alphanumeric registry entry masquerading as nomenclature,” arguing that any record placed in the ledger required a name of gravitas.
Mags Fielding countered that, for insurance purposes, it might be wise to reference the Consortium’s title somewhere in the paperwork. This proposal was met with stony silence.
Eleanor Price suggested a ceremonial name drawn from the site’s aura, offering “The Survey of the Silent Circle,” which immediately drew a ripple of murmured approval.
Tom Ashford objected briefly, proposing “Operation Stone Business,” but withdrew after several members reminded him this would not look dignified in a national documentary.
Edwin Barlow argued for something more forceful, suggesting “The Great Traverse Stone Inquiry,” but consensus began to coalesce around Eleanor’s phrasing.
After further debate (during which two members argued over whether “Survey” or “Expedition” carried greater dignity), a motion was carried by majority vote to adopt the name:
The Survey of the Silent Circle
Recorder’s Note: The final vote was nearly unanimous, with one abstention (Charts, who maintained that all names are temporary until properly inked). Several members were observed smiling at the elegance of the chosen title, while others muttered about how infuriated the GLRC would be to see it used in public.
6. Closing Remarks
The Presiding Concordant reminded members that the guardians’ directive is bound by time: the survey must be completed before the November gales make operations impossible. He urged focus, discipline, and “a degree of dignity in the face of Consortium smugness.”
7. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 21:41 hours. Members lingered in the corridor for over an hour, forming impromptu factions debating the GLRC’s role, wardrobe guidelines, and whether the Concord’s lanterns should be polished to “museum standard.”
8. Next Actions
8.1 Ballast and Buoyancy Assurance Committee
Conduct a full inspection of the Little Concord’s pumps, ballast systems, and seals.
Report findings within seven days, including a recommendation on spare parts procurement.
8.2 Ledger and Documentation Redundancy Subcommittee
Draft three parallel ledger formats and propose a protocol for daily duplication.
Provide samples for review at the next convocation.
8.3 Etiquette on Shared Vessels Committee
Prepare a code of conduct for interactions with GLRC crew, including boarding protocols, document handoffs, and language to be avoided.
Submit preliminary draft within ten days.
8.4 Wardrobe and Attire Advisory Group
Propose formal attire suitable for joint operations, balancing dignity, safety, and comfort.
Deliver recommendations, complete with swatches and sketches, within fourteen days.
8.5 Insurance and Liability Contingency Panel
Investigate insurance options covering the Little Concord, its operators, and the Order as a whole.
Present options with cost analysis at the next full assembly.
8.6 General Order
All committees to submit progress reports by 15 October 2025 to allow time for consolidation before the November gales.
Conduct a full inspection of the Little Concord’s pumps, ballast systems, and seals.
Report findings within seven days, including a recommendation on spare parts procurement.
Draft three parallel ledger formats and propose a protocol for daily duplication.
Provide samples for review at the next convocation.
Prepare a code of conduct for interactions with GLRC crew, including boarding protocols, document handoffs, and language to be avoided.
Submit preliminary draft within ten days.
Propose formal attire suitable for joint operations, balancing dignity, safety, and comfort.
Deliver recommendations, complete with swatches and sketches, within fourteen days.
Investigate insurance options covering the Little Concord, its operators, and the Order as a whole.
Present options with cost analysis at the next full assembly.
All committees to submit progress reports by 15 October 2025 to allow time for consolidation before the November gales.