Principalities

[Mitchell, Paul]

Galen of Bristol replies to

Mistress Aquilanne -

>At 09:10 AM 9/23/1996 EDT, Galen wrote:
>
>>There's a dis-incentive for many people to go to events outside their
>>kingdom and/or principality:  The Crown or Coronet of an area you don't
>>live it can't give you awards except with the permission of _your_ ruler.
>>If you have a choice between going to an event where your activity might
>>contribute to your eventually earning an award, or one where it won't, 
that
>>other event will need to be a whole lot more fun to make up for the loss 
of
>>award-earning potential.
>
>Just a thought, Sir Galen: call me a sentimental idealist, but how about
>service for the sake of serving, for the sake of contributing to the 
greater
>glory of the whole?  Should we be overly concerned with those (hopefully)
>few individuals whose primary motive for serving is based in
>award/recognition-earning potential? Of course it's nice to be recognized
>for service; that's *why* there are service awards, and there is really no
>yardstick for observers to measure another's intent by--only the server is
>privy to their own intent.  One can only hope people go to the events and
>serve because it's the courteous and chivalrous thing to do (and, yes,
>fun!), and not whether or not the "right" people are perceived to be
>watching.  Just a small notion to chew on.
>
>Mistress Aquilanne

My lady, had I no awards, my reply might be to point that that's easy for 
you
to say; you already have your peerage.  But I have many awards and honors,
and so I must point out that while fun is probably the primary motivation 
for the
overwhelming majority of SCA participants, their fun is augmented by the
knowledge that people also get rank and public recognition for the kind of
thing that they are enjoying.  If you have two events to go to, and both 
look
to be about equally fun, but you'll only be noticed for your fighting, or
heralding, or costuming, or helping out at one, that weighs in favor of 
going
to the event where your fun will also eventually help your next award.

I never said that awards were the reason to go to events, but that they
could be a factor in choosing which events to attend.  This point is meant
to reinforce my earlier assertion that people resident in principalities 
will
tend to travel outside their principality to the others less than they 
presently
travel to other regions.
>
>Postscript (from Lyonel):
>
>The aspect of Estrella War that I always cherished above all others was the
>opportunity to make contact (quite literally--sword to shield) with 
fighters
>of other areas than my own.  For similar reasons, I always sought out the
>local groups when I travelled on business.  I think the same system would 
be
>efficacious for artists of any ilk.  Groups tend to develop insular
>methodologies, and contact with the outside always enriches the learning
>environment.  For this reason, travel to other Kingdoms' events remains
>worthwhile--no matter who sees.
>
>In Virtual Service
>
>Sir Lyonel

Sir Lyonel, this does sound like fun.   But did your King (or the knights of 

your realm) not go to Estrella, and not notice your excellence on the field,
and take it into account in considering whether you should be knighted?
I wholeheartedly agree that what you describe is both enjoyable and
valuable for its own sake, but Estrella comes but once a year, and
the other travel you mentioned was when you were already going to
be there anyway.  Estrella is a huge, very fun event, sufficiently more
fun than a local event to draw people away from their Kings and Princes.
Which is what I initially said would be required.

You decide its value.

 - Galen of Bristol