[Ansteorra-rapier] White Scarf Anniversary

[Gassion]

As a Cadet, I offer this.

1. If a peerage for rapier starts, it will be up to the kingdoms to decide if they wish to continue the WS or not.

2. As the WS is a multi kingdom treaty award, it can not be dissolved, in total, by any one kingdom nor can a peerage assume the WSs current insignia.  No matter what we "want".  So current WS holders would not  automatically be Peers.  

3. IMHO, WSs are not equivalent to a peerage currently.  Although there are a number of WS that I feel would make great peers.  Many people have told me they feel I should already be a WS.  I doubt those same people would except me as a peer.  Odds are, I will not be elevated to either in the near future.  I except that truth to be of my own making.  I only mention it to bring to light the distinct difference in a GOA level award and a Peerage.  While the WS was created in the image of the peerages, it was not and can not be one.  If I've missed the mark, please educate me.

Gassion de Beaumarchais



On Mar 17, 2012, at 11:34 PM, "Paul E. Kiefer, Jr." <rapierman at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I'll try to answer these questions as best I can.  Admittedly, this comes strictly from my perspective alone, which is limited, because it's the one that I know best, since I only have a limited-to-non-existent understanding of the perspective of others save for what I have observed.  However, that said, I begin thus:
>  
>  
> From: Chris Zakes <dontivar at gmail.com>
> To: Ansteorra RapierNet <ansteorra-rapier at lists.ansteorra.org> 
> Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2012 5:04 AM
> Subject: [Ansteorra-rapier] White Scarf Anniversary
> 
> 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.
>  
> Somehow, I don't see this option happening.
> 
> 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?
>  
> I can't fully answer that question.  The entire rapier community would have to discuss this among themselves.  However, I have to ask if "death" or "inactivity" actually have that much weight and bearing into determining if they should remain "White Scarves"?
> 
> 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?
>  
> See above.
> 
> 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 I'd like to hear from those who have their scarves recently and ask them what they would think of those who had them long ago and if they felt that they were on the same level even though they had that scarf.  I think the answers will vary, depending on the person, and all those answers would be valid.
> 
> 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?
>  
> The answer to the last question is thus:  I have heard it said that one does not achieve a peerage; one merely becomes a peer.  As I understand it, it usually means that other people recognize that a person deserves to be a peer.  So, no, the designation doesn't make you better.  However, by the same token, to have gotten that far means you were better already; this is simply recognizing that you've gotten to that level.
> 
> 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?
>  
> I don't believe this should happen.  The Order has achieved a large amount of respect to have thrown it away.  I don't see anyone wanting this to happen.
>  
> A person once said to me that, once this grant-level called the White Scarf is achieved, a person stops right there as far as rapier is concerned.  That person probably doesn't want to try for something greater other than to simply support the community (which is an admirable task in and of itself), and to say that a person must achieve more demeans the meaning of the Scarf.  However, to counter that argument, what if there were people who, by their own character alone, and just their own desire to support the rapier community as it grows, just by their own being (for lack of a better term), they have achieved a recognized "legendary" status (again, for lack of a better term)?  Don Tivar, I believe that you are one example, and I know that there are other examples.  What do we do to recognize this status?
>  
> There are other words that I have, but I think I will wait for a while.
> 
> 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.
>  
> I was still in high school when this started, but I'll raise a glass anyway.  Here's to the White Scarf.  May it continue to achieve the greatness that is reserved for gods.
> Lord Johann Kiefer Haydon (Paul E. Kiefer, Jr.)
> Plain ol' herald (and tax man).
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