[Ansteorra] Why aren't we doing this?

[Stefan li Rous]

On Nov 2, 2010, at 12:06 PM, Irena Fridenberg wrote:

> I have been asking for events to have competitions for out side of the list
> field for years.  You know, who has the best area set up with as
> period/period looking area.  I would love to see something like this at
> crown and other important events; however, I was informed that "WE" do not
> do anything except crown tourney at that event.  I am not asking for an arts
> or bardic competition, classes or demos, I am merely wanting to encourage
> better pagentry on the on lookers end.
> 
> Any thoughts?
> 
> Lady Katrine la Esclopiera

So, why does it need to be something "official"?

Master Cariadoc hands out silver rings to those bardic performances he considers worthy. Nothing official. Nothing he had to ask permission to do.

I'm not sure who this person is who "informed" you that "WE" do not do anything except crown tourney at crown tourney, but I would question their authority to claim that. Maybe that was the wish of one Event Steward or one King or one group, but that didn't seem to have phrased that way. Being rough and crude as I am, I'd probably tell them where to stuff it. Unless something interferes with the stated purpose of the event or violates SCA or mundane laws, then what an individual does as an individual is up to them.

By yourself or with a group of friends or household or your local group, come up with your own competition and with a token or bauble if you wish, hold your competition, award your honors and see where it goes. If enough people welcome the effort, then it will continue. If not, then learn from it, change it or try something else.

Having been disappointed in what I've seen as a fall-off in the bardic arts, at least in informal, campfire settings, several years ago I thought I'd create a 'Florilegium' based pewter token (since I have some experience making such tokens) to hand out as I saw fit to bardic acts I appreciated. I guess I really ought to get off my lazy butt and do it.

At the Bryn Gwlad event this past weekend, I was overjoyed to see a gentle walking around with a bunch of pilgrim badges (ie: SCA site tokens) in his hat. While I was happy since it was a very period thing to do, what made me even prouder was that I had made one of those tokens! Perhaps in the future you'll see some gentles wearing one for excellence in the bardic arts. Or something similar for excellence in period encampment by Lady Katrine!

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
   Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****