Peers and students, my opinions..

[Darryl&Kate Arrington]

Peers and students, an interesting subject (uh oh, Thorgrim's getting on
the soapbox now...).  Some respected gentlefolk have asked many
questions about "why?" on this, and this is what I see (for those who
care to read).  It's true that Laurels and Pelicans teach all the time,
to many different people at many different places.  The same can be said
for most Knights - I've been walloped by some of the very best and after
asking, they would happily explain that I was holding my shield too low
(thank you Duke Inman) or crossing my legs when I move (thanks again,
Duke Inman).  I think the distinction in taking a
squire/student/protogee (pardon my spelling if I blew the last one) is
that a gifted individual is concentrating on passing on EVERYTHING that
they've learned to a person.  None of us will live forever, but our
works, our arts, CAN live on, even after we pass from this mortal
plane.  Unfortunately, the skill that created our arts, the skills that
enable us to best the most celebrated fighters in any Kingdom, and the
mysterious art of handling the mounds of the ever mundane paperwork that
keeps the Society running will be lost, unless this knowledge is passed
on, in as much detail as can be done.  This is why I think (opinion
here) that it is important that Laurels, Pelicans, and Knights take
people that show promise in their respective areas of expertise and pass
on what they know.  I see this as the teacher-student relationship; one
person learning from another, then passing on that knowledge in the same
manner that they received it.  Many arts and sciences from the Middle
Ages were lost and had to be recreated through much painstaking research
and trial and error.  There are undoubtedly arts that remain lost to
this day, for the lack of someone to pass the knowledge on to when the
"Master" of the Art passed on.  When our Masters, be they Laurel,
Knight, or Pelican, pass on specific information concerning their forte
to ourselves, and then we in turn teach and pass on what we have
learned, we enrich not only the individuals that are called "squire",
"student", or "protogee", but we also enrich the entire Society; the
learning process spreads quickly, like ripples across a pond.

Thorgrim, "vacationing" in Drachenwald for his Uncle Sam
Proud student to Master Cadwalladr