ARCH - Another name

[baron at elfsea.ansteorra.org]

Quoting Bob Dewart <gilli at seacove.net>:

> Well I'm befuddled.  I get told that we don't need an 
> award because we don't have the community like the 
> other martial art folks.  

_I_ never said that, and I don't feel that way.  I think 
there's a growing and very exciting archery community in 
this kingdom.

> Ok, we'll work on that.  I come up with an idea that 
> will makes us more simular.  I don't know.......???????

The idea of having the better archers teach those who 
want to be taught is certainly sound.  Even formalizing 
student/teacher relationships is OK with me.  When you 
say, "King's Archers can take students", that implies 
that those who don't have that award can't, and I'm not 
so sure I like that implication.  But as you point out 
below, it's all just tradition, and if the King's Archers 
start doing that, it'd be hard to prevent.

The question I have, though, is what are you going to 
teach them, other than how to hit the target?  

Knights teach much more than fighting to their squires.  
But most of the archers I've seen post to this list seem 
to want recognition primarily for accurate shooting and 
service on the range.  I hope that the more experienced 
archers will also try to pass on the ideals of our 
society, and a respect for diversity, as peers try to do 
with their associates, when those archers start forming 
formal student/teacher relationships.

> On the way in to work the "what to call them" hit, 
> Bowman.  I started thinking of the cerimony and I got 
> teary eyed.  But then, I'm a toasted marshmellow any 
> way; crusty on the outside and pure gooo on the inside.

Yeah, I always suspected that about you; I like good 
ceremonies too.
 
> Personnally I think it's a pretty good idea.  I'm sure > that not all Knights, Don, Pelicans and Laurels have 
> special  pupils.  But  I'm also pretty sure most, if 
> not all of them, would teach you something if you asked > them for the information.
>
> I guess this might come under the heading of a 
> convention.  :)  I don't recall every reading in the 
> laws and such about taking cadets, squires, protoges, 
> apprentices.  They just do it becuse that's the way 
> it's done. Near as I can tell there not a minimum or 
> max nuber you can take.

Quite right.
 
<snip>
> I'll be the first to tell you I don't know every thing 
> about archery.  In fact, I don't know what I don't know > about archery.  I'm learning too.  What I know and what > I can do, I want to pass on.

Certainly, teaching is the best way I know to learn.
 
> I think there should be a special relationship between > the teacher and student.  The cerimony is the public 
> commitment of both parties to go down the learning 
> eperience path together.

Public ceremonies are nice, but not necessary.  Many 
squires get made without public ado, but such things are 
best suited to the preference of the participants, I 
think.
 
> Our award system is what it is and we gotta work with 
> it.  Yes I do have award issues.  But untill those are > no longer, let's also include in that group of folks 
> who may take a "Bowman" those who also have one of the
> various Kingdom awards that skills archery and its 
> related fields have been pigeoned holed into for years.

Well, I'm not going to try to talk anyone out of anything 
here.  I don't think there's any shortage of teaching 
going on, and I'm sure that won't change.  Anybody who 
commands enough respect from other archers that he could 
attract people to form a publically subordinate 
relationship to them, more power to them.  Just as with 
knighthood, it would take more than just an award anyway.

> OK, I've rabbled enough.
> 
> Gilli

- Galen
============================================================================
Go to http://lists.ansteorra.org/lists.html to perform mailing list tasks.