[Ansteorra] Here is a question that has been asked often

[draeco]

I want to commend Mahee for asking a very important question, which might
have been a difficult thing to do.  I think Pendaran has hit on the major
points.  I have only a few things to add.  Not being a peer but wishing to
attain peerage someday I believe that it is necessary to talk the talk and
walk the walk.  You should be humble, compassionate and be a living example
of all that is good and honest within your peerage.

My Laurel told me that becoming a peer isn't the end of the road but just
the beginning.  I believe this is true for all peerages.  I think the same
is of squires, protégé and apprentices.  When we take on that belt it is our
responsibility to learn, teach and encourage others.

We have a lot of great peers in this kingdom.  Even those I do not believe
they live up to their peerage I can learn from, if nothing else, what not to
do. Sometimes what I dislike is a trait that I need to change in me.

Sorry for the soap box,
Viscountess Kate


----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Martin" <bm3876 at sbc.com>
To: <ansteorra at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Monday, October 28, 2002 10:43 AM
Subject: RE: [Ansteorra] Here is a question that has been asked often


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>
> Mahee asked: "What makes a Knight, a Laurel, or a Pelican?"
>
> Pendaran's response:
>
> That's easy: the Crown makes them! Seriously, this is like asking "What is
a
> Lion of Ansteorra?" - you can ask ten people that question and get ten
> different answers. Sure, there are obvious qualities needed to be made a
> peer (or lion), but there are intangibles that go into it that are
> difficult, sometimes impossible to define. For example, a person must be a
> good fighter to be made a knight, but there have been guys who could beat
> most of the knights on the field for whom I would never have voted in the
> circle because they lacked the other qualities of a knight.
>
> So what are the tangibles for a peer? Keeping in mind that this is only my
> opinion, a peer must have/do the following:
>
> - Travel and be known throughout the kingdom
> - Fight/work/create art to the standard of the relevant circle
> - Teach
> - Be a leader
> - Have some amount of activity within and/or knowledge the other key
> activities within the SCA
> (For example: a potential knight should be doing some work and
> should be familiar with and/or somewhat active within
> the arts.  The inverse is true for potential pelicans & laurels.)
>  - Probably a few others that aren't coming to mind right now
> - Be a peer - which brings us to the intangibles!
>
> Intangibles - this is the sticky bit. I once heard a person say in a
peerage
> circle that a candidate didn't "feel" like a peer. What does that mean?
What
> does a peer feel like? Squishy? Firm? Dense? (I think that holds true in
my
> case.) While that may not have been the best wording to use, I understood
> what the person meant. There are certain indefinable qualities that a
person
> must have to be a peer, and those qualities are different to everyone.
There
> are some people that we can all agree on: I can't imagine that anyone
> doesn't agree that Kein is a great knight, or that Hillary a great pelican
> or that Fritz a great laurel. But there are some peers who are great in
the
> minds of some and terrible in the minds of others.
>
> This may sound like a cop out, but as I sit and think about the intangible
> qualities of peerage, I'm reminded of the quote by a Supreme Court justice
> that was made when discussing pornography. He stated that "I can't define
> pornography, but I know it when I see it". While I am reticent to compare
> the peerages with pornography, I think that the quote above does apply.
>
> So there are my rambling thoughts,
> Pendaran
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mahee [mailto:mahee_of_acre at yahoo.com]
> Sent: Monday, October 28, 2002 8:47 AM
> To: ansteorra at ansteorra.org
> Subject: [Ansteorra] Here is a question that has been asked often
>
>
> I am looking for the idealistic answer. Thank you for taking time to
> answer them.
>
>
>
> Private as well as public responces are appreciated.
>
> your humble servant,
> mahee
>
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