Bards - Sponsored Bardic Competition

[Ivo Blackhawk]

Okay, I'll meet your argument head on, but first let me please clarify for 
all who see this letter that I say these things in the spirit of 
constructive disagreement and academic debate. As this forum is particularly 
lacking in conveyance of tone or body posture, I will state here that I mean 
no offence in what I am about to say.

Your Gothic war's example is an excellent point, and three circles with 
eight bards each is an excellent turnout. But I am afraid that my own 
experience provides a counterpoint to this. While many of the bards I  know 
are indeed heavy weapons fighters, many, many more are light weapons, or non 
combatants in their entirety. In the past two competitions I have attended, 
less than one in ten of the competitors were fighters in any respect. And 
the last two times I went to B3K, the people there were concerned with three 
things and three things only after the fighting, those were drinking, 
celebrating and sleeping.  These are by no means bad things, and that triad 
is not an absolute, but I personally believe it to be close to accurate at 
the least.

And yes, many of our chivalry, nobility, and elders are now bards, but what 
about the "new bards" contingent. The old guard may be there is abundance, 
but many of out best new bars (up in the north, anyway) are bards and bards 
only, they probably wouldn't show to a fighting event.

Yule revel in the north might prove a good option, the Kingdom bardic comp 
last years was a resounding success, but many of the types of people we seem 
to want to show up at the sponsored bardic comp weren't there, so while it 
is a good time of the year, and a good event, you have that small  handicap 
to deal with.

For what it is worth, I would suggest and baronial or even inter-kingdom 
level event with lots of fighting, A&S, high persona and camping, that will 
give you lots of reasons for the newer bards to show up.  Bottom line, I 
will not "vote" on a stick jock event for the reasons above, and will 
continue to suggest other, more rounded, venues. But when it's all done, 
wherever it is, Ill try and be there, and give my all.

Lord Ivo Blackhawk

--Faith is a wonderful thing, as is a spirit of adventure, but I find that 
my life's load is best carried when balance with caution, experience and a 
slight measure of reassurance--I.B.

>I have to disagree... many of those so called stick jocks are bards, so are
>many of those nobles that attend. just this weekend at gothic there were
>three imprompt to bardic circles wit no less than 8 bard in attendance at
>any one time.  the draw of bards and people fluxuated during the evening.
>but  do nock out fighting events and the bardic draw.  especialy now with
>bards as laurels . knights pelicans and landed barons.  you might just be
>surprised at the draw to a bardic circle at prodomiantly fighing events.
>I've held largess bardic circles at crown tourney that have gone on intill
>the wee hours in the morning. we have over 100 bards on the rolls and over 
>a
>good half are from the fighing communiuty.
>i see this type of circle at an event that normaly does not have a bardic 
>as
>something that can go over very well, not just from hope but from
>edxperiance in holding simular bardic activities at events not normaly 
>known
>for holding them be a tremendous success.
>
>Lady Simone
>
>-don't reject an idea with a closed mind, because of what you think might
>happen, try it it might just work. and if it doesn't revaluate, look at 
>what
>couls have been don diffrent. Always remember to stay in the solution not
>the problem -- na 12x12

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