The Peerages...

[Pug Bainter]

> Pug, being a knight doesn't make it any easier (or harder, I hope)
> to deal with _you_.

Naah. I make sure everyone finds it difficult to deal with me. *wink*

> Except for this:  As a knight, all the things
> you described above are my _duty_.

That is why I stated it was up to everyone if they thought it an
advantage or disadvantage. If people see it as a job/duty, then they may
not look at it as an advantage of their station.

> Teaching is at the top of that list.  For the six months leading
> up to my knighthood, I never once taught anything at any SCA event
> that I wasn't interrupted by someone telling me I was wrong.  That
> rarely happens anymore.

This is actually something I see as an advantage. I am not sure if it is
good overall, but there are always the examples for each of us that make
the point loud and clear.

> Finally, why would I "want to be a peer of the society"?  In all
> honesty, I have two reasons:  romance, and ego.

I can truly see the romance aspect of wanting to be a knight. This is
one of the peerages that I will never be able to achieve, but can see
why someone would want it for the glimmer of being a "Knight".

As for ego, I think that is what has caused my concerns about becoming a
peer. I suspect, but can't confirm since I am not the persons involved,
that ego is what causes a lot of the bad "politics" that make me leary
of continuing my persuits. (Not to mention I have enough problem with my
own ego getting inflated at times.)

> There is another factor.  Someone I dearly love, and whom I have 
> known a very long time, would like dearly to be a Court Baroness,
> because then people would take her seriously when she starts 
> speaking, rather than after she's spoken three times and they've
> thought about it.

This is something that can be good and bad. It all depends on if the
individual should be listened to in the first place.

One that concerns me is that I am continuously reminded that Laurels
don't get their "laurel" in anything when I try to find assistance with
brewing. Well that then means that they are apparently expert in
everything. (It's like a PhD in my eyes, yes, you may know a little bit
about other things, but you know a lot about one topic and this is what
you got yoru PhD in.) If someone who doesn't know better thinks this,
they may be listening to the wrong person on a topic.

> Now... politics. Politics happens when you want someone else to
> do something, but don't use force.

Point well taken.

> Now I have a question for you.  You said:  "I respect people for 
> what they are doing, not what title they currently hold."  My 
> question:  Given that I was the maintainer of the kingdom website 
> before you, and set up much which we were both pleased to have you 
> continue to use on the newer websitewhich you now maintain, but 
> also given that I no longer maintain a kingdom-level website, do 
> you not have some respect for me for what I _did_ in the past?  

Of course I do. *I* know what you have done and are capable of. An award
on the other hand does not let me know what you have done or what you
are capable of, just that at some point someone thought you had/were.

  With the escalation of skills in the Society and it getting more
  difficult to get your peerage when measured against the current
  standards, it doesn't mean that all of the existing/older peers have
  the skills of the new ones. [Damn ugly sentence.] This is the sign of
  a growing and living society though.

Thank you for the material to think over. This truly caused me to think
at a different angle than I had and may have helped me make my
descission. It was a good weekend of mulling over things.

Ciao,

-- 
Phelim "Pug" Gervase  | "I want to be called. COTTONTIPS. There is something 
Barony of Bryn Gwlad  |  graceful about that lady. A young woman bursting with 
House Flaming Dog     |  vigor. She blinked at the sudden light. She writes
pug at pug.net           |  beautiful poems. When ever shall we meet again?"