[Ansteorra-archery] Archery as a Peer area under A&S.

Wed Aug 14 01:56:40 PDT 2013

Good point.  I think there are a few things to consider here:
1. Being well rounded SCA-wise is something I push on my cadets.
 Volunteering and having SCA interests outside of fighting.  This is not
something I tend to push on newcomers.  I'm not saying that is the best
answer, it is just what I am accustomed to doing.
2. The acceptance the fencers have gained over the past 35 years was due in
large part to this.  The rattan fighters looked around and saw it was
fencers swelling their ranks (especially with spear) at war.  The heralds
looked around and saw that many of their offices were held by fencers.
Seneschals, Hospitalers, Treasurers and all the other offices were
frequently held -- sometimes the majority were held -- by fencers. People
looked around and realized that many of their landed Barons and Baronesses
claimed fencing as their primary activity in the SCA.  The Peers looked
around in their circles and noticed a lot of their members also had White
Scarves.  The number of people we have involved in these areas far exceeds
our percentage of the population.
3. There was a time when almost everyone who I saw in Ansteorra was far
more invested in their persona and the SCA at large than I typically see
today. I see far too many with only one interest and the only vestiges of
persona I still see are odd names and funny clothes. I think if we had a
culture of new people getting involved with the SCA at large from the
beginning, as we did when I joined, we would not have to ask people to make
a special effort to do so. But the leaders have become specialists and
those who follow them have taken their cue from that.

BTW, if you think archers are insular, you should meet the equestrians.
 OMG, talk about a group that keeps to themselves.  I do understand,
because if I bring my horse to an event and ride in the games, that is ALL
I do that day.  There just isn't time for more. After time to feed my
horse, clean his pen, carry water, adjust his pen or tie up (they always
need some sort of adjusting), and giving him a minimum of exercise all I
have time for is ONE activity, especially if it is equestrian which
includes grooming and tacking the horse as well as riding (and adjusting
his food, etc. for the extra exercise).  And the money is just crazy.  It
may only cost a couple of hundred extra to have my horse at an event, but
remember I fed and boarded that horse for a month or two so I could have
him for that event.  I bought a trailer, bought or rented a truck, bought
tack, paid vet bills, paid farrier bills (they fix feet and put on shoes),
paid dental bills (yes, horses need frequent dental work), paid for
training (for me and for the horse), and bought materials to make
equipment.  If I take him to 6 events a year my best guess is that I have
actually spent more like $1200 to have him on site for each weekend, and
those with multiple horses or fancier rigs spend far more than me. But
justified or not, the insular nature of the equestrian community has been
noticed and not appreciated by the rest of the SCA.

Just some food for thought.

Christian Doré

On Mon, Aug 12, 2013 at 8:27 PM, Patrick R <tex_yankee2004 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> *Since I could not say it any  better myself I will have to say it was
> worth at least six cents. *
> *One thing you mentioned rings very true and got my attention. All too
> often I have heard references to archers who just happen to be in the SCA
> and not people in the SCA who happened to be archers. Many times when I
> mention that we have several new archers the response may be that are they
> doing other SCA activities as well? I have yet to hear anyone question if
> someone who is new fighting is a fighter who happens to be in the SCA or
> the other way around. It distresses me when I see an archery go to an event
> and leave immediately when the archery is over, just as it upsets me to see
> a fighter do the same thing. I see very few archers just hanging out at the
> range all day and those who are on the range most of the day are there
> teaching new people and introducing them to archery. They are giving of
> their time just as someone who sits a two hour shift at gate or helping
> prepare a feast. *
> *I joined the SCA to have fun and meet some new friends. The interest in
> archery that started in the SCA is a side benefit.*
> *Added my 1 cent.*
> *Dante*
>
>
>   *From:* Doug Copley <doug.copley at gmail.com>
>
> *To:* Archery within the Kingdom of Ansteorra <
> ansteorra-archery at lists.ansteorra.org>
> *Cc:* ArcheryGuild-Period at yahoogroups.com
> *Sent:* Monday, August 12, 2013 2:48 PM
>
> *Subject:* Re: [Ansteorra-archery] Archery as a Peer area under A&S.
>
>  I do agree that we need to continually work on it. The job of
> recognition is not Peers, or TRMs or B&Bs, it is all of our jobs. If you
> see someone with an armguard that they tooled and made and a quiver, and
> boots, make a note of it. If you see someone with period arrows that they
> actually used horn to reinforce and they are competing with them, talk with
> them and make sure that they made them, and make a note of it. If you see
> someone with clothing, or bow, or crossbow, that they made, make a note of
> it. When you get home - spend 5 minutes and look them up on the OP (Order
> of Precedence) and see if they have an award for it or what awards they
> have, then spend 10 minutes writing it up. If they don't get it within 6
> months - do it again! WE are the ones that are responsible to make sure
> they are recognized, go to the B&B, go to TRMs talk to your friends and
> have them write it up as well, if they want to. The more recognition the
> community gets the more attention they will get from the people in those
> positions.
>
> I have spent many hours studying this and talking with peers about it. One
> of the biggest things that I run in to again and again is that they say yes
> you can become a peer in archery - make stuff, document, enter, win, teach
> others how to make stuff - the problem is that everything that they talk
> about is something that can be done without ever picking up a bow or even
> going to the range. So there is a big education process to go through
> before we will get there in Ansteorra.
>
> Most importantly, do not do anything for the sake of an award, do it
> because it is what you want to do! There are people that chase awards all
> of the time and at the end they are tired and burnt out and have spent 10
> years doing something that they did not want to do and in the end they get
> an award that will not even buy them a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Then
> they find out that it is not some magic wand and that they do not suddenly
> get some huge amount or awe and respect when they walk in to an area and
> they quit. There are many people that are not peers that I respect a great
> deal. Some of them may one day become peers and some may never become
> peers, but they have EARNED my respect for what they have done.
>
> If you want to fight, shoot, display, or whatever do it. Be happy, have
> friends, play, laugh, joke. I have been asked by the Crown before when
> talking about someone, "Are they Archers who just happen to be in the SCA,
> or are they in the SCA and just happen to be Archers?" It may sound the
> same but there is a world of difference. If all you do is go to the range,
> hang out at the range, skip court, don't go to bardic, don't go to the
> parties, and only go to events with archery then how are you building the
> community? Go to Court, make sure people know that there was Archery this
> day and that it was great and it was fun. Help out when and where you can.
> Go to an event with NO archery, teach classes, sit gate, help with feast,
> do some entourage,
>
> I believe that we are making progress in Ansteorra and that one day there
> will be a peerage for Archery. But I did not join the SCA to become a peer
> (whatever that meant), I joined because of fun, friends, and archery:-)
>
> Just my 4 cents!
>
> Vincenti da Murano
> Ansteorra
>
>
> On Fri, Aug 9, 2013 at 9:48 AM, Frank Schalles <francisschalles at gmail.com>wrote:
>
> Archers!
>
> As Archers we continue to hone our skills and our art of Archery. We
> should be recognized for our efforts. There have been some discussion
> on other lists, SCA wide, as to what we can do to educate the Peers in
> A&S that our art (Archery) is a valid area to be considered for
> elevation to peerage.
>
> We make period clothing, construct period bows and arrows, and we
> shoot period contests.
> How is this different than making a period dress, making a period box,
> or performing a
> period dance?
>
> The SCA ArcheryGuild-Period group is in the process of defining it's
> core mission statements, and
> it has been suggested that one of our goals should be to promote
> Archery to the kingdom Peerage communities as a valid A&S area for
> peerage award.
>
> As Keeper of the Royal Rounds - Ansteorra, and a promoter of period
> Archery, I have formulated a path that shall lead to the education of
> the A&S peerage that they should consider what we do, just as worthy
> as other A&S areas.
>
> How you ask? By entering every bow that I make, every set of arrows,
> every quiver, brace,
> glove, garb, and string into the A&S contests. You make these already,
> why not get credit for it?
> And I will concentrate on the kingdom published events for more
> Kingdom level exposure.
>
> The next set of arrows that you make, make them to win the shoot and
> to win the A&S contest.
>
> Yours In Service
> Ld. Francois de Lions,
> Keeper of the Royal Rounds, Ansteorra
> Central Region Archery Marshal, Ansteorra
> _______________________________________________
> Ansteorra-archery mailing list
> Ansteorra-archery at lists.ansteorra.org
> http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/ansteorra-archery-ansteorra.org
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ansteorra-archery mailing list
> Ansteorra-archery at lists.ansteorra.org
> http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/ansteorra-archery-ansteorra.org
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ansteorra-archery mailing list
> Ansteorra-archery at lists.ansteorra.org
> http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/ansteorra-archery-ansteorra.org
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.ansteorra.org/pipermail/ansteorra-archery-ansteorra.org/attachments/20130814/e1c174ea/attachment-0001.htm>