March
    •    3/31 North Carolina Leather Contest, Raleigh, NC - Judging

April
    •    6th & 7th Frolicon, Atlanta, GA
    •    7th Charlotte Woodshed's 10th Anniversary Party
    •    13th - 15th Atlanta Leather Pride Weekend featuring Mr. Atlanta Eagle & the reintroduction of Ms. Atlanta Eagle
    •    26th - 29th CLAW, Cleveland, OH - Presenting

May
    •    4th - 6th Trademark - Charlotte Tradesmen 26th Anniversary Run, Parliament House, Augusta,  GA - Dan
    •    4th - 6th Submissive Journey Weekend, TN - Mel Presenting
    •    18th - 20th Northwest Leather Celebration, San Jose, CA - Presenting

June
    •    1st - 3rd Women in Leather International, Dallas TX - Mel
    •    7th - 10th SELF, Atlanta, GA - Presenting and Step Aside Speeches

Master Dan's Speech

Well, we have been carrying the privilege of having 2 titles for the past 3 months and now we must step aside for the future, our up and coming southeast Master/slave representatives. Though we may not currently have a Master/slave couple to rise to the occasion at this time, I would encourage you to consider making the sacrifice at a future date. So on to the speech.

I really do not know where to begin as I write these words. We have so many people to thank and stories to tell.
So I will start with the thank you’s- As many of you know from my stage speech last year, I’m really good at thanking people…..even better now.
The day after we won the Southeast Master/ slave title, we received an email.
The title of the email “Now your work begins”.

There was someone other than us, who saw that special something in slave Melissa and myself and they were on a mission to see a couple of rough stones put through the grinder, polished and transformed. While she didn’t mince words, she and her slave opened their doors, fed us, guided us down the path, coached us, prepared us and made damn sure we were ready to face what ever should come….

She said “I have never coached a couple and lost……No pressure there. I could talk about her all day, but, to our leather bubby- Ms. Susan goes the first thank you. Thank you Ma’am and thank you slave Ed.
To all the Mast chapters who opened their doors, we thank you.
To NLA Atlanta , We thank you!
To Aurora of RSVP in Louisiana, who fed us the best Cajun food, oh my g-d, thank you for your hospitality. You were our favorite host home!

To Archer and Elegant, who opened their home and gave us home cooked meals while going from one part of the region to another, who offered us wise council, and polished the hell out of some boots for us. We thank you.
To boy dave, who suckered , let me rephrase that, (talked) us into running at SELF in the beginning, who made sure there was an ear to kvetch at, and all the help he provided us, we thank you, we love you, you are family. Without you, we would not be here today, without you, we would have never stepped out of our comfort zone.
Never underestimate the power and influence of a boy.

To everyone at MaST Atlanta, Mistress Kikih , Roger Curtman, slave jez, Boy Clifford, Wayne Brawner, and his boy Keith and everyone else, who critiqued us and told us, we can do better, who made Mel cry for 2 hours on the drive home from our International preparation, I thank you. Without your words of support, your critiques, encouragement and assistance in our preparation we would have not been ready for South Plains.
To slave Sonya and her Master John Junkins, thank you for taking care of Mel at southwest when she was ill….. And for the cookie.

To the best producer we could have wished for, Catherine Gross. Catherine was the most awesome and supportive producer. Though I was not always nice to Catherine, she over looked my brash attitude, and with a smile, did her duty to us. We never had to kiss her ass and we were never under her thumb. Catherine was always supportive in every aspect. She was amazing in her critiques and helped polish us up for the big time. She sent us back more than once and said it can be better. Thank you Lady Catherine Gross!
So, I am sure we missed people, but we needed to keep the thank you’s short, to get to the real meat of boring you to death, as now I have a soapbox.

So finally, Melissa and I are riding along to the Master / slave conference, last September with boy dave and we are discussing who the heck we could talk into being our handler (basically our working whore for the weekend of the International Master /slave contest.)

So boy dave goes, well I know this person who was like the den daddy for these really huge contests, like Drummer, and he has a ton of experience, and can make sure you look spot on, all the time and I said who….well Sir David Labriola… of course….um just our head judge last year.

I was like Yeah right. And dave says oh you should call him…. I don’t get nervous much, but to ask your head judge to come polish boots and fit your clothes, iron Mel’s shirts and stuff, is asking a bit much- don’t ya think…. Well, maybe not to some people in the car of course, but to me it was a little much.

Since I happened to have his number I called Sir David and asked him… and before I could finish he said yes.. I got off the phone and boy dave and mel start laughing… boy dave said, god almighty that took some balls…. I felt they set me up, once more he tricked me out of my comfort zone and it worked.

I could tell you all kinds of stories and the exhausting weekend we put Sir David through, but I won’t. We cannot thank you enough for the time you sacrificed for Melissa and I.
I am honored to call you family and we are blessed to have you.
Thank you to our leather daddy, Sir David Labriola.

So enough of the thank you’s.

Let us move to the ADHD portion of our step down speech, this should seem like a shot gun of information, as I did not want to stay to one topic and bore you to death. So I am going to keep this short and my slave who just will patiently await this speech to be over….as she keeps praying I leave the politics of our year out and they joy of our year in!

Having a title can be expensive, let us not kid ourselves, but if you do it right, there will be awesome people to put you up in their homes and provide you with a home cooked meal. So you can fellowship by breaking bread and really get to know the people in your region. This beats a hotel room and a restaurant any day.

But the great thing is, you can do as much or as little as you want with a title- it is yours to do with as you wish. Yes, being from the south, we may not be as blessed with huge travel funds, but the south is rich in history and influence and there are those who have shared that influence with us time and time again. So I encourage you, as Master /slave couples, if you decide take that step out of your comfort zone to represent the southeast region, you may find these unexpected blessings in your title year also.

During our title year we traveled all over the south, and yet it still seems that we could not adequately represent the region. Look, this place is huge, time and money are limited, so we want to let you know, we are not done, but are pulled away for a while. Once we attend to our newer duties and obligations, for all the people and groups we could not get to, we will be back, and so please be patient.

Politics- this is a great subject, as we did not know the community politics, the lay of the land, the past histories people had with one another, the past issues with other title holders that would directly affect how we were treated… it was an eye opening experience.
However, the greatest compliment we received over and over, ….we gave people a renewed faith about title holders in the south and what they represent, and I also expect that was said many times about our entire 2011 SELF title family.
But I’ll keep this positive, as we were treated extremely well by so many.

Fortunately we did not have preconceived notions of others, whom we had not met, we just went out with open hearts- We had the pleasure and opportunity to have been provided good council and the elders of our community who would provide us with the “lay of the land” per say. Those who counseled us, also opened doors and opportunities, I am not sure why, I never asked, but they did so and without them, our title year would not have been as fruitful or as much of a blessing.

But that’s all I’ll say about politics, because we did our duty, we provided an opportunity for others to make peace- and some did. Melissa and I built bridges and crossed boundaries in the het leather (that’s “pansexual” for the straight folks) and gay leather communities- We came home with the title and our integrity intact.
So moving right along, I could tell you all the places and people we met, but I will spare you, so we jump forward to our baby. You didn’t know we had a baby during our title year did you? Well our baby was not literally as Master Daniel and slave Pink’s but it was the birth our hard work.

So March 2012, was really the birth of the title year. 9 months after beginning our journey, our title year bore fruit, all this happened in 30 days:

First- Melissa was asked to be the Judges slave at women in leather. This was a great honor. For me as, well as Melissa…… Sometimes a Master stands in the shadow of his or her slave. I could not be more proud.
On March 3rd 2012, I had the honor to become the First Heterosexual Male to become A Tradesmen. My brothers have been a blast, and have been so supportive of Melissa and I.
I am honored to be a Tradesmen and slave Melissa as an associate member.

The next weekend we went to South Plains Leather Fest, which will be held next year March 8th -10th, and after a very stressful and exhausting weekend, on March 10th 2012, exactly 9 months to the day from being honored with the southeast Master slave title, we were awarded the International Master/ slave title. We made new acquaintances and new friends;
We competed against some really great master/ slave couples from every region in our country,
We were bestowed gifts for our service and assistance to others, which we, especially me, will cherish forever.
Finally, that weekend we became part of a leather family with a strong history of community and service.
And it did not end there. The last weekend of the month we were honored to be Judges for the North Carolina Leather contest. It was this weekend that I really became aware of how much I had personally grown.

So March was the pentacle and month of celebration of our SELF title year. And now we are in the home stretch.
In April we had the honor and pleasure of presenting at the Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend (CLAW for short). It being a gay male dominated event, slave Melissa had the honor of being the first woman ever on the stage strutting here wares for the Cleveland rocks vendor showcase. We had a blast.

In May, we, as in my brothers and I, had the 26th anniversary party for the Tradesmen- TradeMark 26, so I was off having a blast, while Mel was presenting at Submissive Journey weekend.
After going all over the country this year, I realized we have missed opportunities in our local community. So in our final opportunity before SELF we were able to attend our local Charlotte MaST group before heading off to Northwest Leather Celebration in San Jose, Ca.

My last event was just two weeks ago, I went to International Mr. Leather and was blessed to be of service to boy dave as he ran for International Mr. Bootblack, where he placed and made us all very proud. It was an amazing weekend and thanks to the leather brotherhood and members to the SECC, I understood what it meant to belong to such a large and diverse group of leather folk.

Melissa and I have stood alone many times over the years, because we do not fit into a mold. We find no spiritual woo side to the Master slave dynamic, we find structure, we find a way of life many cannot live within, but we love who we are and we love the life we live. We speak on topics others often overlook, we look to help others build those foundations for the longevity of having a Maser / slave relationships. But overall we find joy and beauty in living the life of being Master and slave and we are willing to share our joy as the opportunities are presented to us to do so.

But after all this being said, the most important event we saw our title year together was growth. Growth that our relationship has stood the test of time, growth in how we view the politics of others, growth in that we moved forward from issues of the past, growth that we see a bright future for the leather and M/s community, growth in our love of community and each other.

My property and slave, Melissa, and I believe we have done our duty to the title as best we could, you should never ask more of us, we should never do less. We thank you.


-- 
Dan, 
International Master 2012

 
Slave Melissa's Speech was off the cuff otherwise we would include it.

Now the Work Begins

First, thank you to Lady Catherine, Kyle, Nic, Ms. Bettie, and Joel for all of your help and support.  To Joel, especially, your sense of humor, knowledge and patience are so appreciated that we wanted to take you home with us.

Another huge thanks goes out to our judges, Sir David Labriola, Ms. Liza and Jody, Master Roy, Insatiable Amazon and slave elcca…you all rocked!  We had an awesome time meeting you and look forward to continuing to learn from all of you.  And we can’t forget boy Thomas, so calm, and yet so wickedly funny…Sir David, you are one lucky man.

So, this week…waking up to that many emails was an experience.  Sir handled a lot of the emails so that I could get back on a regular schedule with chores and pets.  The weekend before SELF, I had been at Women In Leather, and the week before that, Sir had been on the West Coast, so we have been concentrating on each other, either out white water rafting or around the house with the dog.  We’ve been joking that we don’t have time for any kind of drop…when we decided to run for this title it was with the intent of doing our duty to our southeast region.  While a lot of that is going to have to be around our base in the Carolinas, we feel that our platform is one that needs to get out to as many people as possible in the southeast.  So, feel free to email me at southeastslave2011@gmail.com or Sir at southeastmaster2011@gmail.com .

Thank you! And we really look forward to meeting as many of you as possible.
Master Dan
Southeast Master 2011
slave Melissa
Southeast Slave 2011

As another busy month dawns upon us we sat back today and reflected on how lucky we’ve been and how generous the community has been to us.  So far we’ve attended and participated in the following:
    •    T3 Annual Picnic, Columbia SC
    •    MAsT Monroe NC (our home MAsT group)
    •    Stonewall Commemoration and Wedding Celebration, Charlotte NC
    •    The Tradesmen, Charlotte NC
    •    NLA Atlanta GA
    •    MAsT Atlanta’s 8th Anniversary
    •    The Georgia Leather Contest Car Wash Fundraiser, Atlanta GA
    •    Mr. & Ms. Georgia Leather Contest, Atlanta GA
 
The community has fed us and given us places to sleep, donated time and items to fundraisers that we’re involved in, and just been so open and welcoming to us that we are in awe. We have met so many wonderful people, and we’re only two months into our year.

We have become associate members of the Tradesmen in Charlotte NC. These wonderful men have enthusiastically welcomed us into their group, asked questions, and have helped us without being asked.  We are humbled to be a part of their group and ask that everyone get our and support your local Leather / Levi groups!
We were also honored to be a part of a wedding celebration for 7 same sex couples.  The couples went to Washington DC in April and celebrated their marriages on Stonewall.  There was champagne and cake and very few dry eyes in the house as the pictures of their wedding weekend were shown on the big screen.

The Georgia Leather Contest was a wonderful weekend and we’re sure the winners will do great things for their state.  We had a great time with many of our SELF family being there and next year’s contest is on our calendar.
August is a really busy month for us.  Our next free weekend will be sometime in the middle of September, but we’re really looking forward to meeting and talking to as many people as possible.

Master Dan
Southeast Master 2011
slave Melissa
Southeast Slave 2011

Wow, the past six months have been so busy and so much fun.  And so much driving   after last weekend’s trip to MAsT Athens, we’ve put over 6,000 miles on the Prius thus far for our year.  In the past few months we’ve been to Indianapolis, IN for Great Lakes Leather Alliance, Washington DC for the Master / slave Conference, Baton Rouge LA for the RSVP Halloween Fundraiser, and many other places in between.  

I’m not sure how often sir and I can say how blessed we feel and how welcomed we are by the community, so as it is close to Thanksgiving, here are some thanks that we need to give:

 Boy Dave, thank you for keeping us sane and laughing (especially at ourselves), we love you and if you ever need anything, all you have to do is text or call sir…you know how he gets about the texts.

Ms. Susan and slave Ed, y’all rock.  The understanding and help that you have given to us is something that amazes both of us.  You opened your doors and hearts to us, and we are truly blessed to have you both in our lives.

Master Archer and Elegant, thank you, thank you, thank you.  You’ve given us chances and encouraged us to poke our heads out of shells and experience so many new things. We look forward to seeing you again soon and plotting more ways to make sir eat vegetables without realizing it.

Sir David Labriola and boy Thomas, Sir David, thank you for taking us under your wings and the warmth you show us every time we are lucky enough to see you.  Thank you so much for all that you are doing for us.  And the fundraiser is still a go!

Master Roy and leatherwoofcub, We miss you!  When things get settled down I’m sure we’ll visit and spend lots of time getting advice and having fun.

Liza and Jody – thanks, you know why.

Aurora, The weekend that we spent with you and RSVP re-energized us in a way that we really needed.  Again, we can’t thank you enough for how you took us in and cared for us.  We miss you and know that we will see you, our dear new friend, again.

Lil Red, Buz, Kyle, Nic, Alex, Bear Prowls & Angel, Ejay, thank you for being a great family.

And to all the others out there, we will thank you in person.  We’ve been shown so much love that it brings tears to our eyes.  We have two more meetings / events in 2011 (MAsT Monroe and The Trademen’s House of Mercy Holiday Supper) and then we are leaving for a much needed vacation.  While we relax with beers on the beach, we will be getting ready to rev back up in January and continue having fun.

Thank you!

We spent December in Mexico exploring ruins and snorkeling, sitting on the beach drinking beer, getting back to some Us time... we had a merry experience and got out of shape. Mel and I had great thinking sessions about preparing for the International Master/slave weekend... really we just had fun.

Dan has pledged to The Tradesmen, the first straight man to be allowed this honor.  Thanks to Mast Atlanta and all the folks there for helping us prep for IM/s weekend in January.   Also in January we attended Southwest Leather Conference and had a wonderful time.

This weekend, Feb. 17-19th, we will be at The Parliament House for the SECC weekend and contest.

We look forward to representing the Southeast Master Slave community in a few weeks in Dallas at South Plains Leather.   

Master Dan
Southeast Master 2011
slave Melissa
Southeast Slave 2011

So, wow…it’s been a wonderful few months.  If you haven’t heard…we won!   It was an incredible experience and we were fortunate enough to have not only Lady Catherine there to support us, but SELF’s head judge emeritus Sir David Labriola there cheering us on (and making us look great) too.
 It’s been a few months since we updated our journal…so here’s a short look at what we’ve done since February:

Other than South Plains, we got to judge at the North Carolina Leather Contest!  Thank you slave elcca.  Being on the other side of the table was very relaxing J.  We’re sure that Daddy Blackheart will make a wonderful state titleholder and we will hopefully see him at SELF in a year or two.

It was The Woodshed’s (The Tradesmen’s home bar) 10th anniversary the first weekend.  Besides having a great time hanging with the brothers and watching the bachelor auction, we also gave a small dinner party for some of the brothers.  The conversation, food and camaraderie made for a great night and helped educate some on M/s and leather.

Frolicon YAY…otherwise known as spring break.  We had a great time with our SELF family and other friends.  A big thank you goes out to Archer & Elegant for letting us crash on the floor.  The other big Frolicon thank you goes out to Nic and those awesome drinks!  Ya know…SELF is the week after my birthday…just sayin.

This weekend is Atlanta Leather Pride and the Mr. & Ms. Atlanta Eagle Contest.  We are so excited to spend some more time in Atlanta, which has become our home away from home this past year.  We’re sure it will be a great weekend.

The 26th – 29th we will be in Cleveland at CLAW.  We’re presenting our Household Manual / Butler Book class.  Thank you Master Roy for that invite.

The first weekend of May is the Tradesmen’s 26th Annual Run (Trademark 26) for Master Dan while slave Melissa will be at Submissive Journey Weekend presenting on the Household Manual / Butler Book and Self Esteem & Self Image for Slaves.

The second weekend of May is our weekend off.  We will hopefully get to spend some time on the water making our muscles sore from paddling. J

May 18th – 20th we will be in San Jose, CA for the Northwest Leather Celebration! It’s a celebration…it needs an exclamation mark.  We will be presenting Household Manual / Butler Books and cheering on the couples who will be running for the Northwest M/s title.  We will also be honored to watch and “celebrate” Bus Driver and –pink’s- title year come to a close.  They’ve done a wonderful job and we know they will continue to serve the community.

May 25th -27th Master Dan will be in Chicago at International Mr. Leather being -get this- boy Dave’s bitch as dave run’s for International Mr. Bootblack.  So if you’re in Chicago that weekend, look for that…besides having dave do your leathers, get a picture of Master Dan working.

June
June 1st – 3rd slave Melissa will be in Dallas at Women In Leatherfest.  She is judge’s slave for the Women In Leather Legacy contest that weekend. 
June 7th – 10th is something…wish we could remember…oh...SELF.

Master Dan
International Master 2012
SouthEast Master 2011
and slave Melissa
International  slave 2012
SouthEast slave 2011

Contact us at 
southeastMaster2011@gmail.com | southeastslave2011@gmail.com

• SELF Bar Night—The Atlanta Eagle—February 24
• TCTS—The Call to Serve—March 2-4 Roy's Hideaway (Demo Dummy)
• Mr. and Ms. Georgia Leather Bar Night—Gotta check the date
• Atlanta Leather Pride—April 13-15th
• The Tradesmen Run--
• Seven Guardsmen Bar Night—TBA

As I sit here, preparing to complete the drudgery that is: “HOUSEWORK” my mind is filled with visions of last week’s events at Southeast Leatherfest. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine, I would walk out of the contest a titleholder. It was and is the most surreal event of my entire life. I just knew, I was going to get the proverbial tap on the shoulder, with someone saying: “Ejay, there’s no need for you to go back on stage.” I was waiting for that tap, but it never happened. So when my name was called, you could’ve knocked me over with a feather.

Over the past week, people have asked me what does it feel like to be a Titleholder? And my easy answer is: “I don’t know yet, I haven’t begun the actual work yet. I’m looking forward to it though.”
I’m excited, anxious, but anticipating the adventure.

I would like to personally thank all the people who showed up, and showed out to help me with everything from preparing my basket to helping me get dressed. My only hope is, I can be an example and give back to someone else some of what you gave to me. Many thanks to Lady Catherine and the entire SELF staff for making me feel welcomed and giving me words of encouragement, when my nerves were getting the best of me.

There are so many people to thank for your help, guidance and support. And I’ll try to thank you all right here and right now. First and foremost, SIR Dexter Edmond, you are my “everything.” Friend, mentor and sometime, partner in crime. You have truly supported me in every endeavor and always allow me to just be me. You live not by what you say, but what you do. Dana, what can I say? You are my last minute man. We have grown together through the years, and I’m most thankful that you are the friend who shows up and gives your all. By the way, I’ve heard there is a new term out there for disgruntled employees who deal with the public, they say: “Don’t make me go Uncle Ejay on your ass!!!” LOL. That is due in part to you. Jamal, you are the epitome of “POWER SHOPPER" on a shoestring budget.

Ike-- many thanks. You are my friend, my partner and my love—onward and upward babes. To all my brothers involved with Onyx Southeast. Though many of you didn’t know what I was: “UP TO” thanks for your continued encouragement. Last but certainly not least and to the man who pushed me to the point I couldn’t push back—many thanks. Your friendship has become something I cherish and I look forward to many more great tines. Also to Robbie and Master DuWayne Ray many thanks for your contributions.

To Angel, Dave, Dan and Melissa—My newfound family, you guys are the best and I had a blast sharing last week’s events with you, and look forward to making many new memories.

So what now? Where do I go from here? Well right now, I’m still contemplating my travels.

But for the immediate time, I’m about to take a trip to the laundry room. There’s nothing like dirty underwear to keep a man humble. I look forward to seeing you all in my upcoming adventures.

WOW, what a WONDERFUL, EXCITING yet HECTIC two months this has been!!! I believe in one of my earlier articles I mentioned possibly becoming a part of a team of DJ's in the Atlanta area known as the Ron Pullman Collective. Well, it's official, I am the opening DJ at Mixx every first Saturday night. If you don't know by now, I love music, any kind of music, and to be afforded the opportunity to watch people dance to the music you play is an AWESOME experience. It's a high that no drug could ever replace. Well, that was December!!!

Also this past December, was the start of new chapter in my life, THE SEVEN GUARDSMEN is now official and up and running, as a matter of fact, we just got our patches this weekend, and I must say, I am a proud Poppa (well Uncle) to see this come to fruition. Still have a lot of work to be done, but the ground work is laid, and the foundation so far is solid. I can't wait to see what the future holds for us.
Moving on to January, about mid January I got an email from SIR ALAN PENROD asking me would I be interested in sitting on the panel for the first Titleholders Workshop at the Atlanta Eagle. I was honored to be asked, and of course said yes. It was a very rewarding experience for me because not only was I afforded the opportunity to speak about SELF, my title and the SELF EXPERIENCE, I also got the opportunity to learn about some of the other regional titles, it was very interesting and informative to say the least. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Well, while at the workshop, I was then approached by my friend and mentor Wayne Brawner who basically told me: “You're judging at Mr. and Ms. Georgia Leather in September!” What a great way to celebrate my birthday!!! So, I now have been offered my first judging opportunity, and I hope to see all of you there, it promises to be a great weekend. If you need info, you can go to the website: www.leatherbash.com. 

Then there was February. Just got back from Mr. SECC and got the opportunity to hang out with Dan, melissa, and Boy Dave. Imagine my face when as I walked into the courtyard and saw three people who I hold in the highest regard standing there as if they were waiting for me to arrive. It really r felt good. And I don't think they realized what a welcoming, warm fuzzy feeling I got when I saw them. All I remember hearing was boy dave say: “OH MY GOD, LOOK WHO'S HERE!!!” right then and there, I knew, it's gonna be a fun weekend.  

Speaking of SECC, CONGRATULATIONS to SIR ANDY MR. SECC 2012. I know you will represent the community well during your title year. You are such a gentleman and a good spirit.

Contact me at mrself2011@gmail.com

June 25-26, 2011 - Augusta Pride, Augusta, GA
July 2, 2011 - Tradesmen Bar Night, Woodshed Lounge, Charlotte, NC
July 29-30, 2011 - Mr. and Ms. GA Leather, Atlanta Eagle, Atlanta, GA
August 6, 2011 - Tradesmen Bar Night, Woodshed Lounge, Charlotte, NC
September 2-4, 2011 - Master/slave Conference, Washington, DC
September 10, 2011 - South Carolina Leather Contest, Columbia, SC
September 29-October 1, 2011 - Black and Blue Weekend, Atlanta Eagle, Atlanta, GA
November 5, 2011 - Tradesmen Bar Night, Woodshed Lounge, Charlotte, NC
December 3, 2011 - Tradesmen Annual Holiday Dinner at House of Mercy, House of Mercy, Belmont, NC
December 3, 2011 - Tradesmen Bar Night, Woodshed Lounge, Charlotte, NC
January 7, 2012 - Tradesmen Bar Night, Woodshed Lounge, Charlotte, NC
January, 2012 - Southwest Leather Conference, Phoenix, AZ
February 4, 2012 - Tradesmen Bar Night, Woodshed Lounge, Charlotte, NC
February 17-20, 2012 - Mr. SECC Leather Weekend, Parliament Resort, Augusta, GA
March 3, 2012 - Tradesmen Bar Night, Woodshed Lounge, Charlotte, NC
April 7, 2012 - Tradesmen Bar Night, Woodshed Lounge, Charlotte, NC
May 4-6, 2012 - Trademark 26, Tradesman 26th Anniversary/Run, Charlotte, NC
May 24-29, 2012 - IML, Chicago, IL
June 7-10, 2012 - SELF 17, Atlanta, GA

boy Dave competed at Amercian Brotherhood Weekend in 2014 taking the title of American Leatherboy 2014.  Here is the speech boy Dave gave at ABW in Chicago:

Ladies, gentlemen and esteemed Judges, I’m boy dave, a contestant for Amercian Leatherboy. Welcome to ABW 2014 and the 25th Anniversary of the American Leatherman Contest.

Never underestimate the power of a boy.

I first heard that phrase ten years ago from someone who has become a dear friend and mentor. Only recently have I begun to understand what these words really mean to me. So, I’d like to take a minute to talk to you about the power of a boy. I’m not talking about the power exchange between a Top and his boy. I’m talking about the innate and natural power that it takes to become a boy, to be a boy and to persevere as a boy in our community. You may not see it on the outside but a boy must possess certain skills and have the ability to overcome issues that go much deeper than meets the naked eye. A boy must have strength and vision. He must be assertive and an independent thinker while maintaining a submissive and service role. Often times a boy must overcome the social status of having been born and labeled as female when his brain tells him that he is male. He must be confident, yet allow his humility to be stronger than his confidence. He must be intelligent while fighting the stigma that people in service are ignorant and cannot possess thoughts and voices of their own. He must maintain the mindset and actions of a boy while remaining a man. A boy must be able to become a mature individual while battling the idea that boys become Daddies and Sirs as they mature in age. He must have the ability to make his Top shine on his worst day and glow on his best day. A boy makes service appear seamless. He makes things happen. He volunteers for the jobs others decline. A boy is solace in a time of anger and turmoil. He is trusting in a world of mistrust. A boy finds inner peace when realizing that belonging to or being collared by the community is a special as belonging to an individual. A boy has a heart as fragile as butterfly wings yet as strong as steel.

So, the next time you pass a boy in the hotel lobby or at your local bar, I encourage you to stand back and take a minute to appreciate the power that boys possess. If you are a boy, when you wake up in the morning and look at yourself in the mirror, please find a way to harness that inner power and be the most powerful boy possible. Never underestimate the power of a boy. I’m boy dave. I’m a powerful boy who is also humble enough to offer that power to my community. Thank you and good night.

South East Leatherfest South East Bootblack 2011 Moving Forward Speech

Good evening and welcome to SouthEast LeatherFest 17. I’m boy dave, South East Bootblack 2011. This is not my step down speech. It’s my moving forward speech. I will forever be your South East Bootblack.

I would like to start out by saying “thank you” to any group or individual who allowed me the honor of participating in your meeting or event. I would like to say a special “thank you” to Catherine Gross, Nic,  Alex and the SELF Producers who allowed me the opportunity and freedom to use the title of South East Bootblack in the ways I felt it would be the most appropriate and best for my community. I’d also like to say “thank you” to The Tradesmen, especially my Brothers, Timmy, who has been my constant travel companion and partner in crime and Master Dan and his slave Mel for all their support. I would not have been successful through out the year nor at IML without your assistance and encouragement.

In my first and only column for SELF’s website, I wrote that ..I’m just a boy who happens to be a bootblack. When reflecting on my title year, I’ve discovered that my statement is true. I  AM just a boy who happens to be a bootblack. I’ve also discovered that I’m that and a whole lot more.

I’m very lucky. You see, I realize that I have made a mark in our community and I’ve become a living, breathing and vibrant piece of our history.

When I was awarded the title of South East Bootblack 2011, I became the first biological gay male to hold the title.

In July, I witnessed and became a part of our history when I served as Judges’ boy at the revived Mr. and Ms. Georgia Leather Contest which announced its expansion to include the International Transgender Leather Contest.
In August, I was there as a Judge when the South East Leather Sir/boy and South East Community Bootblack contests returned to their home in Atlanta at the wonderful Atlanta Eagle.

In September, I served as a Judge at the SC Leather Contest where I witnessed a small but very strong and close knit community come together to award 4 leather titles for the state of SC.

In October, I was graciously allowed to share the story of my leather journey at the inaugural Leather History Conference.

February allowed me the opportunity to be present at the Mr. SECC 2012 Contest when the SECC awarded my home club, The Tradesmen, the SECC Club of the year. I was also present in April, when the NC Leather Foundation awarded The Tradesmen the NC Leather Pride Award. Both awards were given to The Tradesmen for our commitment to our community.

These are only examples of a few of the events and moments that I witnessed this past year. There are events and moments that will forever change our lives. My first moment such as this in the leather community came in April of 2004 while competing for American Leatherboy at  the American Brotherhood Weekend in Washington, DC.
I competed independently and without a sponsor against 12 other leather boys from across the country who came with sponsor after sponsor after sponsor. Surprisingly, I placed 2nd Runner Up. My experiences during this weekend solidified my place in the community as a leather boy. I have continued to flourish and grow since.
Just two weeks ago, I competed at the 34th International Mr. Leather and 20th International Mr. Bootblack contests in Chicago. During the IMBb contest there was no interview,  no technical boot,  no fantasy and no speech. It was purely ballots, ballots and boots and boots and boots and more boots.  I believe that it was just over 156 pair of boots between Friday at 11am and Sunday at 3pm.

I did not loose this contest. I won the spot of 2nd Runner Up.

But there’s more to that weekend than earning a spot on the podium and shinning boots. You see, because of my experiences at IMBb, I solidified my place in our community not only as a bootblack, but also as a leather man.
This doesn’t mean that I’m no longer a leather boy. In contrast, my place as a leather man only strengthens the boy in me. God help us all!!

During the weekend I had the honor of meeting over 150 very different and very HOT leather men from around the world. I also had the wonderful experience of having our current International Master, Master Dan, serve as my handler, or as I prefer to call him, my bitch.  That alone was worth the trip.

What’s amazing to me about my weekend at IML  is that these 150 leather men, choseME…..just a boy…..to care for their boots. Each of these men chose to share pieces and parts of their lives with me. Their stories will go with me throughout my leather journey.

Most of the boots that I cared for belonged to normal, every day leather men who just happened to be from the US,  Canada, Germany, the UK, France, Uraguay, Brazil and Sweden and other places far and wide. I was also honored to care for the boots of “leather celebraties” such as  our SE Leather Sir, Ben Carter, Frank Nowicki, Steven Ranger (IML Judge and President of the Cenataurs in DC), Billy Lane (IML Judges’ Coordinator) and Paul Cantrell (IML Tally Master and President of THE Chicago Hell Fire Club).

Of all these boots and stories, the one who impacted me most was a 70something year old leather boy from Palm Springs CA named Peter. Peter was the Judges’ boy who was responsible for having the Judges’ boots cleaned and cared for over the weekend. The Judges would tell Peter which Bb was to care for their boots and Peter would bring the boots down, get in our chairs while wearing the Judges’ boots and have the boots cleaned and shined. What was so special about Peter was his energy and is sense of respect for himself and his duty. If I’m 71 and half the leather boy Peter is …….life will be really good.

While in my chair, Peter and I were talking about gay rights, specifically the passing of Amendment One in my home state of NC. I expressed to Peter how disappointed I was that this amendment passed. Peter looked down and said “as my friend Harvey Milk would say…”never give up.”

I was stunned for a moment. I thought I heard him incorrectly and asked him to repeat himself, and he did. Something came over me that I can’t explain in words.

I’ve never really given much thought to the idea of 6 degrees of separation….but I found myself right in the middle of some twisted version of this phenomenon.

In MY chair sat a 71 year old leather boy who was friends and roommates with Harvey Milk, one of the best know gay rights activist of our time.

Peter continued to tell me stories of his life with Mr. Milk. Some funny, some sad. But Peter was never sad when he spoke of Mr. Milk. He was always smiling and happy. When Peter got down from my chair, he came around, casted the Judge’s ballot in my box. He then reached up (he was all of 5 ft tall) gave me the biggest hug he could and said……”never give up.”

At that moment, winning the title of International Mr. Bootblack become irrelevant  and meaningless to me. What was important was the experience and how that experience had just changed my life.

I’ve walked away from my experience at IML feeling empowered and with a good sense of myself and who I am. More importantly, I have a sense of  the man I want and need to be in our community. This all comes from a man named Peter.

Sir David Labriola has a quote…from where I forget…..but it says “Never underestimate the power of a boy.” Peter is the living example of this quote. I only hope that I can impact lives in the way that Peter and so many others have impacted my life and my journey.

My experiences throughout the year have led me to realize that I’m just a leather man, who happens to be a leather boy who just happens to also be a bootblack.

These are special things to be in life.

In closing, I simply ask that you live the experience of your leather journey. Take heede to the experiences. Learn from them. Share your experiences so that others can grow. Live the journey that you are taking.
 And as my new found friends, Peter and Harvey Milk would say……”never give up.”

Thank you so much for your support and encouragement throughout the year. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
I love you all!!

June 25, 2011

WOW!! It’s sad, but that’s the only words I can think of to describe the weekend of SELF 2011 and the emotions, thoughts and plans that have already been made since winning the Bootblack Contest.

I served as the Judge’s Boy for SELF 2010 and was so disappointed that there were no contestants for the Bootblack Contest. I made a promise to myself to change that for 2011. Even though I promised myself that I’d enter the Bb contest in 2011, I have to admit that I was rather weary of that self-made promise. You see, I’m just a boy.  I will say, I have a fetish for boots….and men in boots. I also have a passion for service. Over the last several years I’ve learned to care for boots and “black” boots, but I’ve never really considered myself a Bootblack. I went into the weekend with the knowledge that I’m just a boy, with a boot fetish and a passion for service who’d just do his best and more importantly….he’d have fun.

I also went into the weekend having held the South East Leatherboy 2004 title and with a long standing history of presenting workshops, judging contests and working with contestants across the country. So, I felt this self imposed pressure that I had to be more than a boy with a boot fetish, a passion for service who wanted to just do his best…..and have fun.

Over the weekend I learned a few things. I learned that no one expected me to be more than “dave.” I learned that I’m much more than “just a boy.” I learned that my passion for service is one of my greatest strengths. I learned, that learning to care for and “black” boots had turned into more than a fetish. I learned that, title or not, I was a boy, who also happened to be a Bootblack.

I’m very humbled by what I’ve learned. You see, now I’m not just a boy with a boot fetish. I’m a Bootblack and that places me in a group of elite individuals in our community. I’m humbled and proud to say that I walk with leather folks like Elegant, Q,  Pat (aka Saddlebag slut), Miss Margaret, David Hawks and the like.  

To Master Scott, slave girl ronda, The Tradesmen, Dan, melissa, Miss Bettie, Miss Margaret,  and the SELF Staff, I say thank you for all your support and encouragement. To my new Title Family, I say good luck and best wishes for a great year!

column goes here

Oh!!! Follow me on Facebook…..http://facebook.com/South.East.Bootblack.2011
Contact me at sebootblack2011@gmail.com

• Wed, Jun 06 - Sun, Jun 10, '12 SELF 17
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More dates will be added, particularly as I meet new friends and attend different munches and functions. Thanks to all of you who have already invited me and I look forward to meeting you soon!

When I first won this title last year Daddy was taking me back to North Carolina and I was hanging out the window yelling I'm a titleholder. I didn’t have my shirt on and I was yelling I’m a titleholder. Daddy said, you can keep your shirt off but you’re not a titleholder just yet. The reason for that was he knew something I didn’t know yet.
This community needs more than just people who wear a sash or a patch. For those of us who are titleholders this is not just about having a patch, this is not just about having a sash. Being a titleholder is about the respect that you earn from your community. It’s about teaching, educating, and allowing yourself to be educated as well. Being a titleholder is about earning the love and support of the community. Those of you from CAPEX know about my other group, which is BEG. Where I live right now all of the furniture factories and stores closed, most people are unemployed. When I announced I was running for an International title the people from my munch group, many of whom can only afford that one munch, that is their big deal, they gathered up not just stuff for my basket but money so I could have lunch in San Francisco. That is when you know you have the love and support of your friends.

I came so far in a year. I have been allowed to teach all over the country and people listened, and they heard me. And if you were here last year you know how nervous I was, I picked a hole in my skirt, I am not messing up my skirt tonight.

The thing is I am really proud to be a titleholder. This is a great region to be a titleholder in, it is a great country to be a titleholderfrom. Any single person could go out today and buy a sash. Or a patch and wear it around. It won’t make you a titleholder.

The only thing that makes us a titleholder is the people we represent. It is the love and support and respect that we earn that makes us titleholders. We would not have any of that if we didn’t have all of you out there in our community.

So I want to say thank you to all of my judges from last year: Thank you to Master David, Liza, Jody, Insatiable, Master Roy and elcca,  for giving me the chance to do this and to go forward and to grow. It’s been so much fun.
Thank you to every group who let me teach, thank you to everyone who fed me and everybody who gave me a bed and gave me everything in their house and donated to my baskets, who answered me when I called you at three in the morning. I really really thank you. This is a wonderful region and we have wonderful people coming out here tonight. This is a hard thing to do, but it is a growth opportunity and it is an opportunity for you guys to help those who come behind us to grow as well and I hope you will. Thank you.

June 2011
, when I first sent in my application to run for Ms. SELF I had one reason as to why I wanted to do it. I wanted to learn more about Leather. I have always been a fetish person until last October when I met my Sir—OB--, who inspired me to move toward the leather side of the community with nothing more than his belief in it. Like many of us who are not Leather aware I was afraid of that word, and all that it entailed. I had no idea that many of the things that I already believed in: Good manners, honesty, dignity, loyalty, integrity, respect for my own person and others, were, in fact, many of the basic tenets of Leather.

When I stepped into the meet and greet Thursday night I was overwhelmed by the reception I got from the entire community. I have been to many events and talked to a lot of people and many that I had spoken to before were there but many I had never met before came up to me and offered help, support, encouragement and words of wisdom and advice. Gypise is a wonderful and kind woman who gave me so many helpful hints to help me get through the contest and Master Rick is an amazing man who soothed my nerves with conversations on Music theory and Science. Country took my hand and told me to get my behind over to a judge I had overlooked and pointed to the spot on the floor where I needed to stand. Then he touched bases with me all weekend to offer me help and advice and his tammy, beautiful woman that she is used a lint roller on my dress before my interview and bought some raffle tickets from me as she talked me out of my nerves and into a calmer state of mind. Kevin September took out his time to give me a mock interview and Sebaztian did a heck of a job throwing one of the whips in my basket to drum up bids. The other contestants were incredibly kind to me and so was every single person that I had the good fortune to meet this past weekend. Even before the event people here in my home town were offering advice and donations and to help in any way that I needed. During that weekend I discovered that that is what Leather really is, it is not just a set of Protocols, it is a community reaching out to embrace a new member, it is basic human kindness and decency. None of those people did those things for any other reason than to help me and I appreciate it beyond words. CC Ma’am called me Baby Leather jokingly but I am taking that to heart. Like all children I need to grow and am looking forward to learning more about this life, and lifestyle, as I go forward.

The contest itself…the judges make you think, very hard, about what it is you are really there for. I found myself really opening up, really saying what I feel about things and when I left the interview room I was very shaken but proud of my responses and the fact that I answered the questions honestly and with answers that showed them who I am.

Boi-Ty is one of the reasons I came back into the lifestyle. I had left for a long time and he gave me advice and encouragement and on top of all of that he introduced me to my Sir, so I owe him more than I can repay. Boi-Ty and Mistress-Tan and my wonderful Sir were all onstage for my fantasy and backstage with me, helping me to dress and to stay focused and calm. The other contestants were back there, putting up with my nervous chatter and jokes and giggles.

When they called my name, I froze for a second. I was literally in shock. I was close to tears when I walked back onto that stage and heard the applause from the audience. I was running against some fairly serious competition, a woman who is a well- known figure in the community and whose experience within it far outweighed mine. To hear my name called was a moment I will not forget. I went through so many emotions on that weekend and the producers, the staff, the volunteers, everyone, was so kind to me and so supportive, even when I was nearly hyperventilating and close to tears. I had expected to be nervous; I had not expected to be terrified, which I was at times. I found myself joking that I was suffering from nonconsensual fear play a few times and just being able to admit I was that frightened, and not be condemned for it, was often enough to get me through it. There were times I would become simply elated and other times I would be very calm. Running for title is hard, it made me focus inwardly and see myself as others see me, which is not always an easy thing to do. A title does not belong to one person—it belongs to an entire community. It represents what a community is, and how it behaves. And this is one community I am so incredibly proud to be a part of.

I set out to run for title because I wanted to learn, to become more educated. I gained an amazing amount of knowledge in four short days. I learned many things about myself along the way, which makes it even better. The offers of help and advice keep coming in, it is a bit overwhelming but so appreciated. I am looking forward to beginning my title year. I have plans to begin teaching a Puppy 101 class soon and am going to be traveling far and wide. If you see me out and about, please, feel free to speak to me. I want to hear you. And I want to learn from you and to act as an intermediary between those who are Leather and those who want to learn about it.

Thank you much,
~Angel

So here we are—it is December and I am freshly home from the amazing Brimstone and my meeting with Lady Catherine, which was set up to discuss my fantasy for International Ms. Leather, the title for which I am about to run.  That event was awesome—I taught here classes—two on AgePlay and one on Bratting—and afterwards I had conversations with people who came up to me to say that they were glad they had attended, that they had learned something. For me that is one of the most gratifying parts of my title year, bringing my passions and kinks and quirks to the table and having people who share them get to explore themselves and maybe even learn something, although to be honest I always learn new things right along with the people I am teaching. Perk.

There have been many many highs the last few months-teaching at the Houston FFF and getting to see two of my closest friends again—presenting at DomCon and getting to help out with the contest by serving as Den Mom. Oh and I got to be the Raffle Grrl, which totally rocked, it never ceases to amaze me how giving the people in this Community really are.

I met great people at Debauchery and did a terrific class for the amazing people at T3WD. I met most of them at the vendor fair and SCLC and they are all so awesome I have joked we should move to SC. I got to hang out with Jackie again at the Leather History Conference, and Mama Vi was kind enough to talk to me for a bit about some common passions (books you perverts) and I donated an anthology of BDSM that I appeared in as well as some other things to the Library. DONATE! It matters that we preserve our History!

Along the way I also made friends with some of the most amazing people. I moved in with Daddy here in his house in NC and the transition would have been far more difficult if it had not been for the people at Burke education group and CAPEX, who have become my new hometown family. Thanks y’all.

So—what’s next? Well I am reading some of my erotica at the Happy Endings Lounge in NYC for Ravenous Romance’s Reading Nights Series. I just got accepted as a volunteer for SouthPlains LeatherFest2012, I am going to be competing at IMsL and am really looking forward to seeing what else comes around.
~Angel

In my travels, which are many, I keep running into people who totally amaze me. And I keep gaining experiences that, looking back, make me have to sometimes stop and think how grateful I am for all the opportunities this title and the fact that I live with a vendor has brought me.

I became a full- fledged member of CAPEX, and consider them, and BEG, as my home groups. I have been presenting a lot more, and my classes are always filled with awesome people who make me glad that I have the chance to share the things I know and enjoy with them. To hear, I get it, or thank you—I have waited so long to hear someone say they understand these things—makes me feel like the time I have spent doing and working and learning has been worth it.

I’m a writer, and one of my publishers, Ravenous Romance, built a Leather night around me so on Feb. 3rd I got to read a story I had done for the anthology Back Door Lover to a huge crowd. Among the authors reading that night were Laura Antoniou and Lolita Wolf. (Yes, I was nervous!)
I recently attended the FFF in Providence and am getting ready for a demo/party for BEG. I’m teaching lap dancing, which always makes me smile. I am also preparing for IMsL. It is a lot of hard work, and lots of nervousness at this point, but I am also having a lot of fun. More about that in the next column.

In the meantime, I will be at SouthPlains volunteering and hanging out and learning and having fun, I will also be at Kinkfest and my home groups BEG and CAPEX, and I will be presenting to Whippersnappers of Atlanta on Pet Play. I hope to see you all out there!

I’m home after my run for IMsL. I brought the title of first runner up back to the SouthEast, and am proud of that fact. My speech has become something of a sensation, thanks in no small part to the input of Catherine Gross. As producers go—she is the literal bomb. She even went onstage with me, sucking a lollipop in a most imaginative way. I leave that to you to think of….

I am contemplating the fact that I will soon be making way for a new title holder, despite the fact that when Miss Bettie sent me an email telling me to think of what I wanted to say in my step down speech  my answer was make me step down…okay, but at least I didn’t say bitches at the end of that. I started to but didn’t. I have learned restraint.

I am really thinking of how much I have grown, and how far I have come since I stood in front of a panel of judges and blurted out, I just am who I am, I don’t know what else to tell you. That was all they needed to hear it seems. I love every single one of those people, and am still and forever grateful to them for giving me this opportunity.

I am beginning to think of what comes next. I have a few plans; most of them revolve around my writing career, my Daddy, and my SELF family. I am still processing the past month, and there will be more on those topics later, but not now.

If you are reading this and wondering if you have what it takes to run for this contest-yes, you do. You have come this far. I read the columns of the former SELF’s and what impressed me most was the growth I could see in them. SO—grab that application and get to filling it out.

Best—and see all of you soon as my travel schedule is still likely too insane to even contemplate, I am the woman who did a demo in Columbia SC, drove to GA to visit my daughter, popped over to Alabama for a munch and still managed to stop in at an informal event in ATL on the way home and all in two days time.

For you application filler inners--- be yourself, above all else. And have fun.

Angel Propps
Ms. SELF 2011
First Runner Up International Ms. Leather 2012

Wow—so the year is ending. I step down in one week. I am so overwhelmed by all the memories I barely know where to begin.

I am in Dallas, Texas where I just finished competing for the title of Women’s International Leather Legacy 2012. I won. I just do not have words to express the gratitude and joy I feel for this honor. This is a title that works to record and preserve the history of Leatherwomen and I am ecstatic at the thought of being able to be a part of something like this.

But I am always going to be Ms. SELF 2011.
Right now I am just going to say this: Thank you. Thank you everyone for love, support, food, shelter. Thank you for hugs, donations, caring about me as a person and not just because of the patch on my back. Thank you for allowing me to teach, teaching me to lead and sharing everything you have with me.
See you in a week!

~Angel

Contact me at Ms.SouthEastLeatherFest2011@gmail.com