[Ansteorra-rapier] White Scarf Anniversary

[Franchesca Bush]

I really don't know what the best option is.  I think the title Don is an
appropriate one however for a Peerage level.  Don is the equivalent of Sir
yet implies Don Quixote.   The top rapier fighters I have met in our fine
kingdom of Ansteorra are wonderfully Chivalric, have a penchant for
embellishment, love to love, and banter wittily on and off the field.

I really haven't been involved with the SCA nearly long enough to
understand the politics involved with this decision, nor do I hope to.  But
I believe that those White Scarves I know seem to be well respected within
the community.  I would feel, particularly those who are active, that it
would be a disappointment if they would suddenly lose any respect they have
richly garnered.  In any situation it would seem to be worthwhile to create
a grant and peer level awards.

Francisca Sastre de Arellano
(sometime rapier dabbler)

On Sun, Mar 11, 2012 at 3:05 AM, Barone Orlando Di Gilead <
orlando at agilejedi.com> wrote:

> I'm a fan of option 3. Close the order and introduce a new grant level
> award. The introduction of a peerage fundamentally alters what it means
> to receive a grant for rapier. It's basically a game changer. Closing the
> order maintains the prestige of the White Scarf and opens an opportunity
> for the next generation of rapier fighters to build the prestige of the new
> suite of awards.  I also think it's a great way to keep the Society fresh
> and relevant (if that can be said of a society that relives the middle
> ages).
>
> Orlando
>
> Checkout my blog @ http://blog.agilejedi.com
> Checkout my homepage @ http://www.agilejedi.com
> Follow me on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/theagilejedi
>
>
> On Sat, Mar 10, 2012 at 2:04 PM, Chris Zakes <dontivar at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Fair Greetings,
>>
>> A third of a century ago, on a cold, wet Saturday night, history was
>> made. During court at an event called the Tournament of Chivalry, Her
>> Highness Tessa of the Gardens announced that she and Prince Simonn of Amber
>> Isle were creating an award to recognize prominent rapier fighters in the
>> Principality of Ansteorra. That was the beginning of the Order of the White
>> Scarf, and to the best of my knowledge, it was the first official
>> recognition of any sort for rapier fighters in the SCA.
>>
>> At that time, there were maybe thirty or forty rapier fighters in
>> Ansteorra, and a few handfuls scattered about the rest of the Known World.
>> Benign neglect was about the best we could hope for from most of the
>> powers-that-be and outright hostility was a pretty common reaction to the
>> presence of rapier fighters.
>>
>> We've grown a bit since then, but now the White Scarf is facing a new
>> challenge. The SCA Board of Directors has announced that they are forming a
>> committee "focused on developing a set of options for potential
>> implementation of a new peerage for Rapier Combat and/or Cut and Thrust
>> Combat."
>>
>> For many folks, their initial reaction might be "Hooray! It's about
>> time!" But think about this a little more. Throughout its history, the
>> White Scarf has always meant "the best of the best" in rapier, and it has
>> earned a level of respect similar to the peers in many places. But it's
>> still a grant-level award, and is only used in twelve of the nineteen
>> kingdoms of the SCA. If a rapier peerage is set up, then I see three
>> possibilities.
>>
>> 1. The White Scarf maintains its current precedence as a grant-level
>> award, but there's now a peerage-level award that outranks it. We'd no
>> longer be the best of the best.
>>
>> 2. The White Scarf becomes the new peerage. But this idea has several
>> problems built into it. Do all existing White Scarves automatically become
>> peers? (Does that include the ones that haven't been active for many years?
>> What about the ones who've died?) If not, who decides what constitutes
>> "inactive" and which White Scarves get the new peerage and which don't?
>>
>> What happens to the kingdoms that don't use the White Scarf? Do all the
>> members of the Order of the Golden Rapier, Bronze Ring, Dragon's Steel,
>> Meridien Order of the Blade and Queen's Rose automatically become peers
>> too? If not, why not? In Ealdormere the Order of Thorbjorn's Hammer is
>> given for all martial activities, not just rapier. Do we say that the
>> rapier-Hammers get to be peers but not those for armored combat or archery?
>>
>> There's also this: SCA heraldic rules won't allow a grant-level award and
>> a peerage to use the same name and insignia, so if the new peerage is
>> called the White Scarf, then the existing Orders would have to be shut
>> down, and anybody who doesn't get made a peer would not be allowed to wear
>> their Scarf any more.
>>
>> And, of course, if the White Scarf goes from being the top-level rapier
>> award to being the top-level rapier award, what have really been gained?
>> Does having a peerage automatically make you a better fighter, a better
>> teacher or a more polished courtier than if you just have a grant?
>>
>> 3. The Order of the White Scarf is closed and replaced with a new peerage
>> and a different intermediate award. If that happens, then inevitably the
>> White Scarf and much of what it means to the SCA would fade into the mists
>> of time. Is that a desirable outcome?
>>
>>
>> So take a moment to reflect on where you were and what you were doing on
>> March 10 AS XIII, and to raise a glass to the folks who started the Order
>> of the White Scarf.
>>
>> But while you're doing that, give some thought to where we are going, too.
>>
>> Happy White Scarf Day, everybody!
>>
>>            -Tivar Moondragon
>>                        Ansteorra
>>
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-- 
Franchesca Bush
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