ANST - scrolls

[Lee Lemons]

Greetings One and All!

So, am I hearing this correctly - the push now is towards all original work and
/ or just the "written word", no illumination, etc.?  Should I be telling the
Sable Scroll not to worry anymore about those pesky painted charters, but that
he needs to just write out charters for every single recipient, and / or find
other calligraphers to help, too?  So all those paints I just bought I can use
for painting my cat's claws?  ; D

Personally, I like to paint the charters, a lot, actually.  Not having much of
an artistic touch, as in, "What, me create an original?", I enjoy painting
within the lines!  I can't even begin to think what I would have been doing
these past seven years if I hadn't had the pre-printed charters to paint, a
service to the Kingdom I have totally enjoyed. I probably would have kept up
with my rapier fighting, perhaps.  And I would never have ever even considered
picking up a paint brush or a calligraphy pen.  That part of my SCA life would
never have existed.

Moreover, I'm reminded of all the other people I've meet and have "painted"
with, people who have been told they didn't have any artistic ability, or never
encouraged in their artistic leanings, yada yada yada, like myself in high
school, who sat down with a pre-printed charter infront of them and began to do
something they had never even conceived of doing before - painting someone's
award charter.  Could we not refer to this as part of the CREATIVE part of the
SCA Dream?   And for those who want the "real" thing, could they not commission
someone to create it for them, a scribe who enjoys the original artwork /
calligraphy text of scrolls?  Along with air-conditioning and all the other
little"creative anachronistic" touches, could we not have our cake and icing
too?  Especially if they were chocolate....!  ; )

Having been Sable Scroll a few times, I can't even imagine doing originals,
coordinating it, getting them done in a timely fashion, and so on, for a
Kingdom this large, with the amount of award charters going out. The peerage
scrolls are done by commission, or arrangement, between the recipient and
scribe here, because we don't have charters for them.  It is hard enough to get
good, solid, correctly painted award charters for the Crown to use as it is,
without even taking into consideration the peerage scrolls and trying to find
scribes to do them!

I respectfully submit that all those who want us to change what we are doing,
in regards to award charters, to come forth, not only with your ideas, but with
yourself as a volunteer to help get it off the ground.  If the idea is worthy
enough to change our Kingdom's ways, you really need to be able to help it be
seen through the idea stage to the actual working stage.

I have no problem at all with changes if the populace and Crown want them -
changes can be positive, invigorating, and great for personal as well as
Kingdom growth.  But being able to throw out ideas is easy, to help those ideas
grow and take solid root is something different.

Think about it.  Talk about it.  If change is needed, let's get it out in the
light and discussed reasonably, rationally, and logically.  If you have an
idea, present it and HOW you plan to help it become a reality.  That is how
good changes come about - conceive, plan, and implement.  So go to it, and let
the Crown and myself know!

Curstaidh Magorlick
Star Signet
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