[Ansteorra-missile] [Am] Regarding authorizations at events...

[Eadric Anstapa]

Mike wrote:
> I was not aware of this dispensation in regarding to the Missile Marshal 
> activities. I have been operating based upon what has been published in 
> the various on-line web site sites concerning SCA combat rules and the 
> requirements to take the field at official events, in which everyone 
> needed to be authorized first.
>
> I am just being curious with this question - When did this dispensation 
> granted?
>   
I am not sure that I would necessarily call it a dispensation.  What I 
can tell you is that this is nothing new and when done properly is I 
believe well within the rules.

In your statement above you say things like "take the field"  and 
"official events".   Many things are "official events".  The kingdom 
calendar events that we go to on weekends are "official events"  but 
local events such as locally sponsored fighter practices are equally 
"official events".  "Take the field" might mean different things to 
different people but I think a good general definition would be 
"participate in Combat-Related Activities".

The Society rules say:

    /No person shall participate in Combat-Related Activities (including
    armored/
    /combat, period fencing, combat archery, scouting, and banner
    bearing in/
    /combat) _*outside of formal training sessions*_ unless he or she
    shall have been/
    /properly authorized under Society and Kingdom procedures./

"formal training sessions" have to take place at official events.  Those 
training sessions can be weekend "events" or fighter practices.  The key 
is that nobody participates without authorization except during FORMAL 
training activities.

The Society rules also say of authorization that:

    /the candidate must demonstrate that he/she is able to function on
    the field in a manner that is safe both to himself/herself and his/
    her opponent./

This is what we need our mellee events for.  Siege and Missile Combat 
are mellee only weapons forms.  We must have people needing 
authorization demonstrate that they can function on the field before we 
can authorize them.  Because of the very limited number of Mellee 
events, particularly of sufficient size, for the authorization of 
Missile Combat, we have long used our weekend Kingdom Calendar Melee 
Events as _formal training sessions_ for missile combatants.

Here is how it has been done successfully in the past...

==================================================
The formality of this training is maintained by having it structured and 
adequately supervised.  Before ya begin, you work with the newbie to 
assure they now the rules of the lists, armor and weapons standards, 
conventions of combat, and that they know what a killing blow is and how 
to react to them.  I have a long list if questions that I go over with 
the people in a question and answer discussion. (thats right, I carry a 
printed list of questions around with me that we go over during 
authorizations)  Then ya make sure that they have a properly executed 
waiver.   

    Comments on the Above:
    All of this is of course done before any actual combat. 

    So if a person shows up 30 minutes before battle begins while
    marshals are busy inspecting equipment, checking the field, and in
    general being a marshal, then there simply wont be time to get all
    of that done before it it time to take the field.

    If the person shows up and they don't know what they need to know
    then they aren't going any further that day.

    People wanting to be authorized have to learn to be prepared and to
    not surprise the marshals.  Also the authorizing marshals can only
    handle a limited number of people at any time.  The people wanting
    to be authorized need to get in touch with authorizing marshals IN
    ADVANCE to assure that there will be someone to help them and set
    aside sufficient time before, during, and after to work with the
    marshals as needed.


Then you pair them with an experienced archer (ideally one who is also a 
Missile Combat Marshal) and make sure that they stay with the 
experienced archer on the field the entire time.  Finally as a marshal 
you stay near to them during all the melees and observe them closely.  
You are in effect running a formal training session within the bounds of 
the existing melee.   If this goes well then you have achieved the 
requirement of observing them functioning on the field and can possibly 
authorize the individual.

This is a formal training session because of the controlled environment, 
close supervision of the authorizing marshal and experienced archers, 
and the work done before taking the field.  If ya don't have enough 
marshals and archers to cover all the bases and control and supervise 
properly then you don't have a suitable environment for authorizations 
to occur regardless of where you are.
==================================================

For this to work the person wanting to be authorized _*must*_ be 
prepared.  They must know all of the rules and when questioned before 
any combat must convince the marshal that they know  those rules.  They 
must bring their armor and equipment and be comfortable with it's use.  
They need to have contacted the marshals in advance to assure that 
sufficient time and resources can be dedicated.

I have on countless occasions had people come up to me Saturday morning 
at a Mellee event and surprise me saying something like "Hey,  I need 
you to authorize me for Combat Archery today."  and I have had to say No 
and turn them away.  Often they have to be turned away because they come 
up minutes before combat and I don't have time to do the necessary 
pre-combat work to assure myself as the authorizing marshal that they 
are ready.  Sometimes I have to say no because I am already working with 
other archers on their authorizations and I don't have the ability to 
adequately supervise one more that day.  Sometimes we get started and it 
becomes quickly apparent that they don't know the CA rules well enough 
for me to consider authorization.  On a very rare occasion I say No 
because I am getting in my armor, getting my bows and ammo ready, 
getting ready to go onto the field and do something I love after having 
driven a few hundred miles to the event, and for that day, for my own 
personal sanity and stress relief, I need to try and be just an archer 
and not a marshal.


The above is just an example of how authorizations can be done at our 
weekend mellee events and what has worked well in the past.  Master Pug 
and Sir Jean Paul may have better ideas on how we should do them in 
Ansteorra going forward.

Regards,

HL Eadric Anstapa
eadric at scabrewer.com