ANST - Belts and their meaning..

[Casey&Coni]

Pug,

I'd like to try to answer your questions...


>I guess I'm trying to figure out if someone is wearing a student's belt
>should it mean anything to *me* as someone not in the relationship.

I believe it absolutely should.  What it should mean to you, outside the
relationship, is this:  the person before you, wearing that belt, has
publicly stated that he *wants* to be a knight.  He is striving for this-
either striving well or striving poorly- and the red belt is a reminder to
those around him that they may critique his efforts to that end to the
person who chose to recognize his quest, namely, his knight.  In *every*
squiring ceremony I have ever attended, this is an integral element.  Note
that both squirings done this weekend in Tempio, by Duke Kein and Baron
Lyonel, respectively, though having very different personal style, included
this element.

Squires are telling you by wearing that bold red belt in public that they
want and need your help to be more knightly, be that in the way they throw a
slot shot, call their blows, or how they behave in interpersonal
relationships.

>
>Should I expect more/less from this person?

Absolutely.  In essence, Pug, you are choosing the behaviour you would like
to see in the knights in your area.  The populace is just as important in
setting the knightly standard as the belted circle; after all, only about
20% of a knights time is spent dealing with other knights... the rest we
spend dealing with other people.

>Should I go out of my way to report their good/bad to someone?

Certainly.  You are the chivalric quality control and you have a great deal
of influence in the sculpting of new knights.

>Should I care at all?

That depends- do you feel you know knightly behaviour when you see it?
Un-knightly behaviour?  I feel you are a fine judge of character and would
*love* to have a progress report from you on my squires (Romanus- Seawinds,
Constantine- Tempio).

Ritter Dietrich

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