ANST - Belts and their meaning

[Jerry Dreifuerst]

   Pug wrote:
>  (snip)
>> While helping to setup the Royal throne, one of the people who was
>> helping said something along the lines of "Well you do know what
>> this belt means don't you?" It was a red squire's belt.
>  (snip)

Lady Devnet here, putting in her two cents' worth as the loving 
wife of a squire, Lord Othar Morganson.  I apologize for jumping
into the middle (or tail-end, as it were ;) of a discussion that
has been going on for a while.  However, even after letting this message 
sit for several days, I still feel compelled to raise a 
point I'd like my fellow Ansteorrans to consider.

A few weeks ago, some friends and I were talking about the 
*perceived* duties of squires at events.  The issue came up 
because of something that happened to Othar at an event I had 
not attended.  The short version of the story is that someone 
to whom he has no personal fealty or obligation demanded that 
he stop what he was doing and instead do their bidding.  He 
was not asked nor even told politely; he was ORDERED to obey.  
Because Othar is a good man with a strong sense of duty (who,
me? biased? nah), he did not make a scene nor refuse to comply.
In fact, I did not learn of the incident from my husband; 
instead, our friends mentioned and expressed shock at that 
person's rude behavior.

Why was Othar treated this way?  Because he's a squire.  Some
people seem to think that anyone caught wearing a red belt at
an event carries a greater duty than the rest of us to serve
the populace at large.

This is not the first time that people have felt free to take
advantage of my husband "because he's a squire," and I'm 
afraid it is unlikely to be the last.  Nor is Othar is the 
only squire subjected to such treatment.

I respectfully submit that no one takes a red belt because he
or she wants to serve as packhorse and gofer for the entire 
kingdom.  The red belt signifies one's desire to be a knight.  
Othar swore personal fealty To His Knight, Hrabia William 
Miesko.  He also has responsibilities to myself, our unborn 
child, other members of his family and a few others.  The 
rest of the world does not have a legitimate claim to his
time, and should therefore politely *ask* him for help.
The truth is, if Othar sees that someone needs assistance,
he's probably going to jump right in without waiting to be
asked.

I guess the point I'm trying to make here is, if you would
not order a _knight_ around, why on earth would you treat
a knight-in-training that way?

Yes, service to the kingdom and its populace is a "knightly
virtue," and one I hope to see in everyone who wears the 
white belt.  In fact, I hope to see it in everyone who joins
and participates in the SCA, regardless of the color or even
presence of a belt.  Ours is a volunteer organization that
cannot survive without the *willing* service of its members.
We all have a duty to give of ourselves to The Dream, but it
is one which emanates from within; it should not be externally
imposed.


[I do not usually read this list, but Othar does.  If you
reply to my message publicly or to his email address, he will
pass them on to me.  If you wish to reach me directly, my
address is dina at neosoft.com]

Lady Devnet macShiehie           Dina Dreifuerst
Barony of the Stargate           Houston, Texas
Kingdom of Ansteorra             dina at neosoft.com

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