Wednesday, August 24, 2011

St. Clair's Academy for Incorrigible Hoydens

My Fellow Aeronauts,

Recent travels on the Continent (the little European one) have led us to conclude that our Educational Horizons need broadening so we have established St Clair's Academy for Incorrigible Hoydens.

A Hoyden is defined as High-Spirited, Boisterous, and/or Saucy. We do not require that an Aspiring Hoyden be a Lady, or even Female, for that matter, just Incorrigible.

This Academy's purpose is to gather persons with Desirable Skills and set them to sharing said skills. We plan to meet at an Aspiring Hoyden's home for an afternoon to learn a trio of skills.
Students contribute a small tuition ($5 to cover materials and/or refreshments).

We will try to keep our Lesson Trios in line with our Steampunk values of Artifex, Soluta, Letalis (Creative, Independent, Lethal).

Topics currently planned are:

Soap-milling (How to Make "Anything" Soap, creative), Cold Process Soap-making (or Fun with Oils and Caustic Lye, independent), and Bath Bombs (lethal) in San Jose on September 25.

Some sort of Mod skills so that my Nook Color doesn't stick out at Nova Albion for October 23 (details are vague at present; suggestions or volunteers are welcome/desperately needed!)

Paper Gift Boxes (creative), Candied Citrus and Ginger (independent), and Chocolate Truffles (lethal) on November 20
The Hoyden Academy Team
Artifex, Soluta, Letalis

9 comments:

Laurie said...

Brilliant! This is Exactly what we need to enable us all to advance our Skills and Knowledge.

As your Quartermaster, I can teach the following:

Basic Tool Use for Primates

Elaborate Decoration of Cakes, Cookies, and Sweetmeats

Pen-flourishes for the proper conclusion of letters

Why brass? - Metal Properties and Patinas

How to MacGuyver Useful things out of Wire

and other topics I'm sure will occur to me shortly. I would be interested in the following lessons, among others:

How to Make things Light up without setting the House afire

What are all those Sails for and how can you sail Into the Wind, anyway?

Advanced Victorian Slang

How to encourage Gentlemen to take up Dance

Rope Splicing

Lock-picking (these last two just for shipboard use, of course).

I eagerly look forward to these days of expanding our talents!

Magdalena said...

This is an Excellent Idea! As Chief Engineer (I think), I have no engineering skills, but I can teach the following:

Knitting
Tatting
Bobbin Lace
Soap-making and Soap-milling
Candle-making (dip, mold, and water balloon)
Chocolate Truffles
Drawing Celtic Knots
Hardanger embroidery (yet another kind of lace)

and other things that I can't think of off the top of my head (are friendship bracelets coming back?).

I know someone whose father (a physics professor) understood how to sail into the wind; perhaps research is possible.

I would be interested in developing skills with Things Not Thread, such as metals, so we'll talk!

Elizabeth said...

I am filled with Eager Anticipation! This is going to be Absolutely Splendid.

I do wonder what would be classified as suitable course topics, however. My skill set is rather scattered, after all, and my teaching experience largely revolves around death-defying stunts and molecular genetics. (I don't know what the interest would be in a course on how to maneuver while hanging from a rope, and the products of molecular genetics are generally speaking gooey messes or clear fluids.) Perhaps I could teach people to waltz?

Magdalena said...

And Felting! I forgot my skill for shrinking wool into goodies in the washer. Actually, a felted object is a good first knitting project because all of the mistakes magically disappear.

A Basic Tool Use for Primates class would be perfect for October, if Laurie is available. It could warm us up for more mischief with metallic materials and give us a chance to keep all of our fingers.

As for lessons in hanging from the ceiling or producing gooey biological materials, perhaps it best to not tempt the Diverse Interests of our Student Population because I'm pretty sure at least some of them would go for it.

Dancing and costuming (which, despite appearances, not everyone knows) are essential parts of a Steampunk Citizen's life, so I think you could attract students with a slightly less crazed, I'm-gonna-make-a-wall-crawling-Frankenstein gleam in their eyes.

Stardustsweeper said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Stardustsweeper said...

I'm game for it. I had actually was toying with a similar idea except my place is very-very small...maybe we can think of something.

Along with something to teach as I don't know what I know. Humm

How to repair a lath and plaster wall.

....

Refinishing furniture (been working on that)

Tess O'Riva said...

I know approximately Nothing, and am willing to share with All. And Mooch off everyone else.

Leila A. said...

Well, I may not a good Teacher, but here are some Things I May Be Able to Contribute:

Baking Sweet Deliciousness: Pies? Cookies? Cakes? Savories too???? yes!!

Needle Felting: Felting, without the Shrinkage and Getting Your Frock Wet.

Irish Penny Whistle : Just picked this Lovely instrument up, but I am getting better.

Draping: Don't like working with Sewing Patterns? I can help.

Writing Poetry/Short Stories: Want to Confess Your Undying Love in Romantic Prose?? Want Become the Next Big Author?

Archery: I'm not sure where we would do this, I know there are a couple Outdoor ranges in the San Jose area..

And Finally, Last But Not The Least...

How To Be Graceful As A Swan: Simple, Watch me, and do the exact opposite, For I will Never stop being A Clutz-o-Matic

BiolArtist said...

Elizabeth, if you'd like to teach people about molecular biology, BioCurious would be interested!

Our lab is finally opening in Sunnyvale. We will be having classes for curious people of all ages, and I think you can earn free membership by teaching.

--Kathryn