[Ansteorra] White Scarves and a big ole kettle of fish

[Jay Rudin]

Zubeydah asked:

> Why *isn't* there a peerage for rapier combat?
> or
> Why isn't the order of the chivalry for all kinds of combat, both heavy 
> and
> light, archery, and thrown weaponry?

The short answer is the legal maxim: "The life of the law has not been 
logic; it has been experience."

The group of people who eventually became the SCA knighted somebody at their 
first event.  So there is knighthood.

Two years later, they established the Order of the Laurel, for non-fighting 
contributions, which very quickly meant A&S or service.

Several years later, it became clear that the Laurel was really a group of 
workers and a group of artists, pretending to be one group.  So the Pelican 
was founded, and some service Laurels switched.

No new peerages have been created since then, more than thirty years ago.

Fencing isn't even legal in all kingdoms, and is looked down on in some in 
which it *is* legal.  (Sometimes for valid reasons.  An activity will 
eventually get the reputation that the people involved in it deserve.) 
Since it isn't universally respected, an SCA-wide peerage cannot be 
established.  There are other reasons, but this one is sufficient.

But that's OK.  Tivar, Ansgar, Miguel, and I (and all the other White 
Scarves) don't get respect from the precedence level of our fencing Order; 
instead, the White Scarf gains respect from us and what we do.

People who only get respect based on their awards get very little respect 
indeed.

Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin