[Ansteorra-rapier] Advisory Roll

[Sean Hertzberg]

>The caterpiller can not know what it is to be a butterfly.

Sorry Walter, I VERY much disagree.

>Until the day I wear the scarf, my opinions on a candidate's worthiness are
>largely irrelevant to the order. My opinions may reflect "right-minded"
>thinking on my part, but why should they influence the circle's
>understanding of itself?  The only thing I could do is answer a specific
>question, such as: ' Is so-and-so still kind to small children and furry
>animals when a WS is not around?'

The WS are not perfect, they are human.  And they are not Gods.  They are
the representatives of the rest of the rapier community to the Queen.  I
have had this talk with several WS who I respect and they pretty much agree
that they view themselves sort of like elected officials with the rapier
community as their constituancy.  It is their job to see that the views of
the group as a whole are heard as well as their own.

>As far as marshallate, rules, and community issues, perhaps the occasional
>roundtable ( no more than 2 per year ) at a class-type event for an
>agenda-d
>discussion would be interesting.

Don't forget, officially, the WS Circle has NOTHING to to do with the
marshallate anymore.  There are WS in the Marshallate, but the Circle does
NOT make or enforce the rules.  Look at the Regional Rapier marshals...I
think only one of the 5 is a WS, the other 4 are cadets.  I am running the
list for Queens, and I am not a WS.

>It sometimes takes a while to realize that WS's ARE approachable...(busy,
>but approachable)  One place I think the occasional WS visit can make a
>very
>big difference is in the smaller 'one-cadet towns'.  The local marshal may
>be a one- or two- year fighter, and not realize that all he has to do is
>ask.

I will agree on this point.

>It's hard for me to imagine a candidate being elevated, but rejected by the
>community as a whole.  The scarf is so well respected;  those that know the
>candidate will or won't respect him (deservedly or undeservedly); those
>that
>don't know the candidate will respect him, by virtue of the scarf
>(deservedly or undeservedly).  It might be very difficult for such a
>candidate to accomplish anything within the circle, but in the outer
>community he could be as well respected.

Sorry, wrong, thank you for playing.  It has happened before and I am afraid
that someday it will happen again.  No matter what the Circle says, the
decision to give someone a WS is in the hands of the crown.  Any Queen can
give WS to anybody they want, be it the most deserving candidate, or her
favorite cabana boy that she thinks will look cute as a Don.  We have been
lucky, it has not happened in a while.  We have had a string of Queens that
have cared and not forced anyone in.  But Queens have walked into the Circle
in the past and announced "I am giving so-and-so a WS...and oh, what do you
vote?"  And this does a VERY great disservice to the candidate (who will
always carry the stigma of "yeah, he has a Scarf, but...") and to the rest
of the community.

And on a personal rant.  The Scarf itself carries NO respect in my mind.  I
can name several Dons and Donas...not all of them wear WS.  I can name
several people who wear WS who will NEVER be a Don or a Dona...the person is
MUCH more important than the award.  The Scarf is a symbol, nothing more,
nothing less.  What is important is the person wearing the symbol.

>But as I've already proven, my opinion is irrelevant.  :)
>
>Ld Walter Robin, AQR
>Mooneschadowe Rapier Marshal
>cdt Don Navarre

Sorry Robin, your oppinion matters, as does everyone else's.  A WS who does
not listen to the rest of the community is living in a vacuum.

Avery Shaw
Aubrey's
Coastal Regional Rapier Marshal
Stargate
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