[Ansteorra] Re: Question 12/22

[Beth Ellis]

>
> L T said:
>> What different kinds of volunteering/jobs have you done at Gulf
>> War?
>>
>>   What did you learn that you wouldn't have known otherwise?
>>

I always volunteer to help judge the A&S Champions Battle.  It's pretty 
grueling and I always finish with a raging headache for some reason, but 
it's fun anyway and I always learn alot.

As to all the good stuff that I learn, the best thing is all the cool 
information to be found in the documentation for the entries.  Also, getting 
to talk to people who are just as fixated <g> on a particular A&S topic as I 
am.  Another good thing is sharing viewpoints with other judges on judging 
methods that will help/encourage the entrant most. And of course, getting to 
walk into a room and seeing the tremendous level of talent we have in the 
SCA.  The sheer beauty and/or cleverness of everything reinvigorates my 
desire to go back home and create something new (or at least dive into more 
research!).

As to what I learn that I don't like so much - the least pleasant is trying 
to judge an entry with someone who has never bothered to read the governing 
documents of the SCA, so they don't understand how very broad the rules are 
regarding what actually falls within the SCA time period (and then having 
them throw a fit because the entry is outside their very narrow concept of 
what is "period"). Or judging with the very occasional person who does not 
share my belief that the role of a judge is to help another artist grow 
their talent and love of their art, rather than grow the judge's ego.  My 
negative experiences have been very few and far between however - usually 
the people from other kingdoms that I've judged with have been fun people, 
and I've learned alot of good stuff from them.

Corrinne