Viscount Galen

[Phillip Stallcup]

> >If I woke up one morning to discover that the Clinton administration had
> >disbanded
> >the SCA, I'd still have the other club I'm an officer in, the two additional
> >clubs of which officers have called me to invite me to join, my alumni
> >association,
> >the VFW, and, as someone suggested, I'd take up martial arts.
> >
> >But I'd sure miss all my friends, not to mention blood-kin family members,
who
> >are in the SCA.  On the other hand, I might use that extra time and
eventually
> >become Governor some day (a goal no less demanding -- and far less fun,
> >I'm sure
> >- -- than training to win Crown).
> But the point no one is seeing, is that if SCA didn't exist, everyone still
> has the choice to remain friends. We just wouldn't have the corporation
> umbrella.
> 
> Long live friendship
> Lady Danielle the Midwife
> Ansteorra, Northkeep
> 

	Everything is potentially addicting. If the SCA were disbanded and the
addicted among us took up martial arts, you would soon see the same addiction
in many. They would go to all the tournaments and spend their 'free' time
practicing, or perhaps learning about the origins of their chosen martial art.
I haven't been playing that long, about a year I haven't even gotten my AOA
yet, but I've never seen anyone given the cold shoulder as long as they were
trying. I have, unfortunately, seen newcomers treated as if they were supposed
to know how to dress and act when they had no idea. This isn't the way it is
supposed to be, and is definitely not the norm, but it does happen. Shouldn't
we change the perception of 'The Dream' to 'Our Dream', since within a few
guidelines, it is our Society after all?
	As for 'chasing the belt' I think Galen said it best in that he didn't
get the belt until he stopped chasing it. I am a heavy weapons fighter, and I
would like to be a Knight someday, but it is by no means necessary to my
enjoyment of the SCA. It's my understanding that the belt will come, you have
to practice and be noticed, surely, (and be squired etc. etc. etc.) but don't
you also have to display honor and chivalry? In my mind it's easier to
concentrate on being a better person and upholding the ideals we hold dear. I
would think that the best compliment you could give any Knight/Baron/Duke/King
would be 'He/She is a fine and upstanding individual, and he/she is ...'
Knight/Baron/Duke/King. I don't think our titles should be the only indication
of who we are, I think they should come secondary to statements about our
character.

Llygoden Llwyd
Barony of Wiesenfeuer
stalpl at integris-health.com