The Charter of the
Company of the Lynx Argent

Introduction

To all and sundry whom these presents do or may concern, this Charter hereby establishes the Company of the Lynx Argent, an organization of like-minded martial artists and living historians who seek to study the martial & material culture of Knighthood during the Middle Ages, and that the undersigned do hereby declare and affirm their membership (and, as these persons have all achieved such rank within the organization, their “Knighthood”) in accordance with the following Charter. The Company reserves the right to amend or revise statements made herein in the event such need arises. Unless expressly stated herein to the contrary, only agreements in writing signed by an authorized officer of the Company may be enforced against it. Therefore, let the following persons be recognized as Knights of the Company of the Lynx Argent.

Sir Jon Eppler, Founder, Captain, Knight Banneret
Sir Ryan Hetchler, Founder, Herald, Knight Banneret
Sir Kevin Franklin, Founder, Knight Banneret
Sir Robert Trudeau, Founder, Knight Errant, Inactive
Sir Garrett Baker, Knight Errant
Sir Paul Treece, Knight Errant, Inactive
Sir Logan Treece, Knight Errant, Inactive
Sir Matthew Gilliland, Knight Bachelor
Sir Brett Alexander, Knight Errant
Dame Caelyn Hamilton, Knight Bachelorette
Sir Brian Owens, Knight Bachelor
Sir Heath Sutherland, Knight Errant, Inactive
Sir Caleb Hallgren, Knight Errant
Sir Austin Smithey, Knight Bachelor
Sir Paul Mitchell, Knight Errant
Sir Daniel Martin, Knight Bachelor
Sir Caleb Hetchler, Knight Bachelor, Inactive
Sir Clay Bryant, Knight Bachelor
Sir Jacob Carlson, Knight Errant
Sir Khalid Abdallah, Knight Bachelor
Sir Joshua Everett, Knight Errant
Sir Michael Hakes, Knight Errant
Sir Will Arnett, Knight Errant
Sir Jamie Brown, Knight Errant

About

We are a group of likeminded martial artists and living historians who seek to study the culture of Knighthood between 1350-1500. We are focused on single combat and melees as were common through the late Middle Ages. We are establishing this company based on our cumulative experience to provide a structure for mentorship and collective development in these pursuits.

Motto

"Audentes Fortuna Iuvat" - Virgil ("Fortune favors the bold")

Organizational Structure

Membership is not mutually exclusive with other organizations. What members do outside of the Company is their own business, so long as it does not reflect badly on the Company or come in conflict with the Company’s ideals or the ideals of Chivalry.

Knighted Members are all equal to one another in voting power. The “Captain” is the central organizer for the Company. This does not mean that he or she is solely responsible for events, activities, and decisions. Quite the contrary, all member knights are encouraged to take up roles or activities, and major decisions are by vote. The position of Captain exists to prevent an impasse of voting decisions and keeps Company business and affairs moving forward.

Membership

General Requirements

Members must have a desire to live by a code of conduct that is defined by Chivalry. Members must be dedicated to pursuing the chivalric fighting arts as close to the original sources as possible.

Personal freedom and responsibility are highly valued by the Company, and as such the Company does not seek to restrict its members, except to ensure they do not act in a manner that is in conflict with the Company’s ideals.

New candidates must be squired by a Knight of the Company, and must have been known by the Company for at least a year’s time. A vote will be held among the current members before a new member will be added and their accolade awarded.

New candidates must have participated and conducted themselves well in a deed of arms, under the observation of the sponsoring Knight and at least one additional Knight of the Company before consideration will be given.

New candidates must be honorable, drawn to the knightly arts by a force within themselves. They must have a desire for self-improvement, for growth in the art, and for knowledge of history.

A candidate must also show a dedicated interest in the Company and its activities. They will be expected to understand what the Company is about, and what its ideals are.

To be knighted, a candidate must have heraldry, soft kit, and a full harness that is contemporary to the time period and region that the company focuses on.

Persons who do not yet possess a full kit but show dedication to the art can be taken on as a squire to a Knight of the Company, it becomes that Knight's duty to train in the art, and assist the prospective member in choosing and acquiring a correct harness and soft kit.

Membership Rules & Benefits

Members who do not live up to the Company’s ideals, whose actions reflect badly on the Company, can be voted out and removed.

Members may also resign at any time, or request to be made temporarily “inactive”. Inactive members do not vote, but may return at a time of their choosing. The Captain can also place members into inactive status if they have been unreachable for some time or have shown no interest in participating in votes.

Members who are inactive for 6 months or more without being voluntarily inactive will be automatically considered for removal from the Company by vote.

Voluntary Inactivation does not mean the member is kicked out, or barred from participation, or anything of the sort. It merely means they will be removed from the voting totals, and will be sorted to the bottom of the roster. The member may ask to be reactivated at any time. Voluntary inactivity may be done for personal, medical, or reasons uncontrollable by the member. Voluntary inactivity must be requested and acknowledged to avoid a removal vote.

Member Knights should adhere to the martial standards and rules of the current version of the Lynx Accords or other conventions of combat as necessary.

An annual membership fee may be required to help cover company expenses, such as insurance, events, website & business fees, to be voted on at a later date.

First Steps

A prospective member (or “applicant”) will need two sponsors in the Company to join. One of the sponsors will act on the applicant’s behalf, and assemble a petition for the applicant, which will be made available to the active Knights where it will be discussed and voted on, requiring a 2/3 majority to pass (with the understanding that if a full third of the voting members have a problem with the applicant, that’s a good sign that there’s a problem). The voting period is between 7 and 14 days (discretion at the start of the vote), and those who fail to participate in the vote during this time are considered abstentions that do not count toward the voting total. A minimum of 1/3 of the eligible voters must participate, or else the vote cannot pass. If it fails due to lack of participation, a second vote will be held later.
In the event that the applicant is rejected, they must wait at least 30 days before applying again. If the vote succeeds, the applicant will be added to the roster and scheduled to receive the Accolade ceremony.

Attendant

Unofficial members not granted any title or voting rights within the Company, but recognized for their contributions. May wear a lozenge of the Company insignia
Requirements:

Attend company events as able
Have their own basic soft kit
Be interested in medieval history

Sergeant

A fighting member of the Company not pursuing knighthood or is training with the Company pending the availability of a knight to take a squire.

Requirements:

Learn about the Company and its ideals.
Embrace the Pursuit of Knightly Arts and period historical combat.
Begin a partial harness suitable for “Squire’s Lists” and Melee combat to support the knights of the Company.
Attend regular training of the Company.
Has priority to be taken as a Squire over outside applicants.

Squire

A prospective member that does not yet meet the requirements to join the Company and receive the accolade. A sponsoring Knight of the Company is required and responsible for aiding in their training and assisting in choosing appropriate heraldry, soft kit, and harness. Squires will be allowed to wear a supporting badge of the Company.
Requirements:

Outward display of dedication to the art, staying true to sources. Possessing the start of a harness, and soft-kit that is appropriate to the Lynx Argent’s chosen time period.
Sponsorship from a Knight of the Company. There is no minimum or maximum time limit on the Squire. Squires must simply show dedication to the art, show personal improvement, working a harness and soft kit fitting for a Knight.
They must also participate in a deed of arms and conduct themselves in a manner that reflects well on the Company.
This must be witnessed by their sponsor Knight and an additional Knight of the Company. After the completion of their kit and the witnessed deed, a vote to award their Accolade ceremony will be held.

Man-at-Arms

A candidate who meets some of the requirements to be knighted but is waiting for an opening, a vote, or an accolade.

Requirements:

Complete a full harness appropriate for deeds of arms and melees, and must fight in a knights’ lyst. This armor need not be finalized but it should be comprehensive.
Must be familiar with basic kit maintenance and repair.
May or may not be already Squired to a knight of the company.

Knight Errant

A member of the Company that has been knighted. Full voting rights.
Requirements:

Learn about the Company and its ideals
Embraced the path of the Chivalric Arts, and the path of Chivalry
Complete armor kit appropriate to a knight within the medieval period (1350-1495)
Complete soft kit appropriate to the portrayal they are trying to replicate, in both a general working/arming outfit and a high-status feast outfit. A knight should dress like a knight at all times, but formal and informal clothing are both required.
Must provide documentation for their chosen harness and soft kit.
Participate in a Deed of Arms and conduct themselves in a manner that reflects well on the Company, and shows the proper use of the art.
Three Knights to perform the accolade (can be the 3 sponsor Knights)
Once a Squire has progressed beyond the introductory period and has learned about the Company and its ideals, and is satisfied that he or she wishes to continue, and has looked inside and decided that the time has come, and has met the requirements outlined above, the Squire can seek to be knighted.
Must attend regular classes of the knightly arts including harness practices.
Must attend meetings of the Company as possible.
Must be available to cast votes on matters pertinent to the Company.
Must submit their own heraldry for the roll of arms. Personal arms must be sufficiently different from existing arms in the Company, and may be updated as needed. The Captain, or a designated Herald, will have final discretion.

Knight Bachelor

An established member of the Company. Full voting rights, same as Knights Errant or Banneret.
Requirements:

Must have been a Knight for at least 6 months
Must have taken at least one squire into the company and begun their own lance
Must possess their own knightly weapons (pollaxe, spear, sword, dagger)
Must maintain and be responsible for an element of a period encampment which adds to the atmosphere or logistics of an event and helps portray their retinue on the field (a tent, a bench, a weapon rack, a table or chairs, a cauldron, a handcart, a bridge, lyst field, etc.)

Knight Banneret

A senior knight of the company. Equal voting rights to Knights Errant or Bachelor.
Requirements:

Must have been a Knight for at least a year
Must have mentored two squires to knighthood or have fully formed a lance of their own (this may be a sub-lance rather than an independent local group)
Must have heraldic representation in the form of a banner (not exclusive to the rank, but required for it)
Must have taken a leadership role in their lance or local group
Must have a leadership or staff role in hosting a Lynx Argent event. This event need not be grand in scope nor annual, and this knight need not be its sole host, but it must be considered a Company event. This can be as simple as volunteering at an event, or it can be an organizational role.

Knight Captain

The Captain is the highest position in the Company. It is an elected position. Duties of the Captain include handling tied votes (Captain vote is doubled in the event of a tie), and in some cases, handling arrangements for Company demonstrations.
Requirements:

Must be consistently active, if the captain goes into inactive status they can step down and a new captain be elected.
A new captain can be elected after two years in the position, but a motion to have an election must be made first. If no motion is made, no election happens, and the incumbent captain remains in the role until an election is decided. The motion for election can be made anytime after the captain's two year minimum term.

The Accolade

The ‘standard’ accolade for the Company is based on historical knighting traditions. Partially of those outlined by Sir Geoffrey De Charney.

The Accolade ceremony may take up to two days. The first a ritual bath will be required to symbolize purification and washing away the sins of your past. After bathing white “robes” will be worn till the ceremony the following day.
This night before you shall have a vigil, to reflect on your commitment to the art, and prepare yourself to accept the responsibility to remain true to yourself and the art while adhering to the ideals of chivalry. (All outside distractions must be removed, you must focus on the art, review the manuscripts, the rules of the Company.)

A shortened process may be followed by performing a dawn vigil before the ceremony. This vigil and ritual washing are both optional, and the format of the ceremony is otherwise up to the knights involved, particularly the one receiving the accolade

Regardless of how it is preceded, the ceremony will be held with all available members in attendance, usually before a Feast or after a Deed of Arms. A short service will be held, you will be asked to outwardly state your commitment to the art and the Company. Then, in the name of God, St. George, and St. Michael, you will receive the last blow you are expected to receive without returning one. You will be awarded your spurs, and be embraced by your brothers at arms with a short vigil or feast afterwards to reflect upon the events that just transpired.

The Code

TRUTH is the foundation of Chivalry, and must be sought above personal agendas and gains. Truth is necessary for knowledge and wisdom. One must speak the truth and seek it before making judgments.

HONOR: A knight must be true to his word, and maintain a high standard of moral conduct. He must be graceful and maintain dignity in both success and defeat.

JUSTICE: Defense of the weak, aiding those who need it, reverence to the law, measured responses without malice, and combating evil, prejudice, ignorance, and injustice in all their guises is the calling of a knight.

VALOR: Not a lack of fear, valor is the ability to do what must be done despite one’s fears. To stand tall and face a challenge, to stand up for what is right despite what people may think of you, and to put aside personal interests to uphold what is right and good.

STRENGTH of body, mind, and spirit, to accomplish what needs to be done, is important for a knight to succeed in his endeavors. One must have the discipline to maintain one’s health and prowess to be of service to the greater good.

GENEROSITY: Largesse and charity are important for a knight. Generosity of thought, material, and action must be given when the situation calls for it.

LOYALTY: Protecting, aiding, and serving friends and family who deserve your respect and service. A knight should never mistreat friends and family.

HUMILITY: One must always be honest and truthful about oneself. Refraining from self-destructiveness is as important as refraining from boastful behavior. It is important for the knight to seek and find his place in the world, and the role he plays within it. Bearing responsibility without complaint, yet accepting and identifying his own strengths and weaknesses so that he may continue to grow the former, and learn from the latter. Do not boast of your deeds; let others do that for you. Tell of the deeds of others before your own, to be both humble and courteous.

COURTESY: A knight should always be polite and mannerly, in speaking and conduct, even to those with whom one is angry, or in disagreement. Speak of others before yourself, hold doors open for others, and speak well of everyone unless they have earned otherwise.

COMPASSION is the cornerstone of Chivalry. A knight who does not show caring and consideration for those around him is not a knight after all. One must value the life, happiness, safety, and freedom of those around him at all times.

NOBILITY: Although this word is sometimes confused with entitlement or snobbishness, in the code of chivalry it conveys the importance of upholding one’s convictions and maintaining a sense of honor and dignity at all times, especially when no one else is watching.

FRANCHISE: Practicing what you preach, living up to your own standards, embodying your own ideals as best you can. Presenting yourself with integrity and dignity, and maintaining grace.

The Charter of the Company of the Lynx Argent

​Introduction