[Ansteorra] on leaving the SCA--

[willowdewisp at juno.com]

I believe that they would could around and play more if we the leadership would set the pace. When B&B refused to allow performers or period activities at the feast  and public areas then there is no place for people to play their persona. 
Master Thomas was one of the best Baron I ever saw save Sir Jan. He set a wonderful court and had bards do praise pieces and did persona play in his courts. Sir Jan, I cannot spell his polish count title.,created Tournament of the Lions, and his courts both as king and baron where full of persona play. 
Duke Inman coined the "Dinner Hostage" term and after being King forever he got tired of doing all the persona stuff so he stopped and also told his B&Bs that they didn't have to do anything either. Everything changed from the Crown and the Crown's people trying to make the SCA fun and interesting to the SCA being there to glorified the Crown and the B&BS. 
In Early Ansteorra we believed that the Kingdom Court and especially the Baronial Court was a place where people could show their skills, be medieval and interact with each other in a period fashion. If these courts are without pageantry, and not run in a period way and do not allow for people to show their skills it doesn't matter how period our dress or decorations we are just at a everyday award function in funny dress. 
If the Crown and their representatives do not make Ansteorra real then we are just a Mundane club that does Art& Crafts and a sport. 
Before, you take us people who want more to task,please realize that many of us have tried over and over again to create something and have been told we could not do it. I remember that too long ago I was "forbid" to perform at a Northkeep Feast. The passion people have had keeping period things from happening and the amount of effort to promote non period stuff is really interesting. If all those people in those wonderful costumes did a quarter of research on the Medieval world I am sure they would find all sorts of things that are as fun as Zombies.
Whatever the reason for throwing Ismet, Milo and myself away, along with all the people we have lost over the years, it has finally come to light that the current way of doing things isn't working. There used to a place for everyone and I believe there be again. We are have come to a dead end of recruitment and the only way we are going to grow again is to make a place for people  like Ismet , Milo and myself again. 
to do so we will need to beg some of our members come back for one last time and see what we can do to recruit some of those people we are losing to groups that do give them Magic. Make our Court feel real. We need real heraldry and pageantry. We need to have performing at feast and candlelight and Courtly dancing. A lot of the Ren fair people would come for courtly dancing, and English country dance and folk dance.  We need dances that do not need partners. The tangle Bawl is a great dance. 
We need tourneys that have at the most 2 fields and we need to gather around the list field and act medieval. The ladies need come out and the Lords need to be gallant to them. Many many people really get thrilled when they see that. We need good field Heralds and fighters need to fall down dead. 
We need persona taverns or coffee shops and we need bardic circles promoted by the Crown and B&B. I mean the Crown or B&B invites everyone to it and the first 10 performance are seeded and with with enough good performers to jump in and keep things going. the Crown and B&B can then leave the circle in the hands of whoever is there with a hat. People need to see the Hat and the prefer a Male Hat to feel that the activity is supported by the upper people. Knights are very important. If they are there then people are happy. 
We need to stress coming to general events and reward people for what they wear, bring and do at these events. Competition have there place,but only as much as they make the mission statement come true. We need to promote people who make Ansteorra feel real. 
I realize that this is a lot of hard work so I suggest we just start on something small like more courtesies. We all were a little more formal  the whole atmosphere would get better. Also have 2or 3 no more good performers at a feast and please candlelight. I would suggest having a group sponsored bardic circle. We might ask our peers and nobles to sponsor something in persona. If we all do little things it would go a long way. 
Be warned if we are successful we should get some people who will play the game badly. Please suffer them and encourage them. 
Duchess Willow de Wisp, Lion of Ansteorra
P.S I got a little upset so I am signing off to cool down. 
 
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