Badges and Terms

[chuck_diters at mail.fws.gov]

     Good Gentles,
     
     A few days ago I mentioned our annual Eskalyan Newcomers event on this 
     list, and the discussion of "badges and terms" brings to mind another 
     little thing we do at that event.  It is certainly not a _period_ 
     activity (in fact, it steals shamelessly from party ice-breakers and 
     some team-building seminar behaviors), but it does tend to (a) get our 
     newborn cousins involved; (b) get our populace--at least the 
     officers--involved; and (c) provide some background and recognition of 
     the structure, function, and regalia of the Society.
     
     At the beginning of the event (and whenever any newcomer enters 
     through Constable's Point--which is also staffed by the Chatelaine or 
     a deputy) a contest is announced, asking all the new to collect 
     "Pearls of Wisdom" {sorry ;-) } by seeking information from the 
     officers and populace.  The officers in turn are all identified by 
     (rather gaudy representations of) their badges of office, and both 
     they and the populace are armed with a pouchful of (plastic) pearls.  
     There is an additional increment of pearls available to all newcomers 
     who complete a form (sorry again) with the names and offices of all of 
     the officers along with a two or three word description of their 
     functions.  [In this latter, neatness does not count, no points are 
     taken off for spelling, and any reasonable approximation of the right 
     answer is rewarded.]
     
     These pearls are then used as currency in an auction prior to the 
     prize tournament.  The successful bidder (occasionally "bidders," in 
     the case of a couple or family who have wisely pooled their resources) 
     for the fighter who ultimately wins the prize tourney is invited to 
     join that fighter at high table for feast, along with the Baron and 
     Baroness.
     
     There are other twists, but that's the general idea.
     
                                        Bjarni
     
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     Chuck Diters/Bjarni Edwardsson                     West/Oertha/Eskalya
     Shadowood Manor, 9541 Victor Road, Anchorage, AK 99515-1470
     ph:  (907)344-5753                    Email: chuck_diters at mail.fws.gov

     "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.  Inside of a dog, it's
     too dark to read."--Groucho Marx
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