[Ansteorra-archery] Something interesting

[Sylvrfalcn at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/12/2006 8:33:40 AM Central Standard Time,  
davidsbox01 at yahoo.com writes:

Sure i  agree, but lights can't shine without knowing how or without examples 
of how  to shine. 



Ulrich



Really? I used to be very active in IKAC and Royal Rounds,  autocratted the 
last AOB that was held down this way, hosted a bowmaking  seminar, helped run 
the range at two Youth Academies, et cetera, et cetera. 
 
  I got my marshal's authorization arbitrarily pulled by Pug for the  
shocking crime of having a beer on the range. A range, that I, by the way, was  not 
marshalling, but had I been, would have done nothing differently. I never  
have, and never would, allow anybody to step onto a range that was intoxicated,  
or in any other way impaired to an extent that they presented a hazard. Days  
later, a "new rule" came out prohibiting alcohol of any kind on or around the  
range, so yes, I had my authorization pulled under a rule that did not even  
exist at the time of the alleged violation.
 
   Grown ups know the difference between sipping a beer and being  
"intoxicated/under the influence", and a lot of folks out there, including some  so 
called Arcus Majori, if they had the guts to admit it, would concur that they  too 
have, from time to time, enjoyed a cold beverage while on the range. My  
having a beer on the range is not why my authorization got pulled, it's just the  
excuse Pug used for doing it, but there's more to that than I care to go into  
right now. When Gilli spoke up in protest, Pug pulled his authorization as 
well.  Everybody else, including my regional marshal, just kept their mouths 
shut and  sat on their thumbs.
 
  Pug claimed to have "investigated the incident". He didn't.  He never asked 
my side of the story, didn't talk to anybody else on the  range on the day in 
question, took it all on the word of Middleford's Knight's  Marshal, who 
himself was present on the range, never mentioned a word to  anybody during the 
whole time he was there that he saw anything unsafe or  improper going on, but 
within hours of his departing the range I recieve an  e-mail from Pug notifying 
me that my authorization had been pulled. Now friends,  what does that smell 
like to you?
 
  The Shire of Middleford's Archery Marshal, who actually was in  charge of 
the range, got off with a "scolding", and nothing was mentioned about  the 
Knight's Marshal, who stood around the whole time the "heinous crimes" were  being 
committed without saying a word, but apparently just couldn't wait to run  
snitch directly to Pug, completely bypassing my regional officer. As I alluded  
to earlier, there's more to this than meets the eye, but let me ask you again, 
 what does this smell like to you?
 
  My example is by no means unique, I've talked to a number of others  who no 
longer participate "officially" because they're simply fed up with all  the 
petty little crap. No, I'm not being "defeatist", and I'm not being  
unecessarily negative, the numbers are out there for anybody that would like to  peruse 
them to go and look up. Fewer shires with archery marshals, significantly  
declining participation in IKAC (doubtful Ansteorra will even place in the top  
ten this year), significantly declining participation in Royal Rounds due to  
either lack of support/interest or sloppy management of the program, and 
perhaps  most telling of all, a measurable trend in dwindling numbers of paid SCA  
memberships among the archery community. That last should sound a warning of  
some sort, to anybody that's been paying attention.
 
  As for myself, I've not given up the sport of archery, and still  
participate regularly, got in some good practice just yesterday, and we had a  fun 
tournament this past weekend. That I'm no longer able to shoot for the  greater 
glory of Ansteorra in the IKAC, does sadden me somewhat, but probably  not more 
than seeing all the folks out there who can but don't. I still  very much love 
archery, and with or without Pug's blessing, I marshal our local  
"unofficial" range to ensure folks have a good time safely. I still can,  and still do, 
everything as before, just not "officially". But then, why would I  want to 
take part in an officialdom that has become stifling and petty? I care  about 
archery, not about butt kissing and earning brownie buttons in some quest  for a 
grant level award, all so I can puff myself up and strut about. I'm not a  
politician, I'm an archer, and a pretty darn good one. Don't believe me? Check  
around.
 
Cheers,
Robert of Yorkshire