[Bards] Thanks from Finnacan

[jerryn at houston.rr.com]

Finnacan responded to Alden's email ... yammer yammer yammer ... then 
he said:

> > 
> > 2) Be a leader.  Laurels should inspire, mentor, guide, 
> encourage, 
> > promote, teach, judge, etc. the up and coming performers.  Good 
> leaders 
> > are those who set good examples.
> 
> See, now I'm in trouble.
> I'm a cad, you see, a completely shameless jokester and a 
> terrible flirt. I also find I'm embarressed to accept help and 
> offers of gifts, and so in trying not to impose on folks, I may 
> inadvertantly offend them. The social aspects of this thing are 
> frightening. I'm not sure how Finnacan the storyteller and the 
> public image of the Laurel are going to combine successfully 
> without hurting one or the other. They say they don't expect me to 
> become a peer because they already consider me one, I'm just being 
> recognized. This is a truism for all peers. 
> I'm a little worried.
> It's funny. When you think about what might happen when they offer 
> you the job, you wonder who might vote no and why, or who might 
> disagree with your elevation. Once they offer it, however, it's 
> the standard in your mind for what a Laurel should be that starts 
> gnawing at you, not any criticism.
> 

You and I both know too many laurels that have failed, time and time 
again, to act as if they have a stick up their whozits and have 
managed to have fun while acting as good examples.

The good thing about this is it's a title.  In a discussion with one 
of my teachers, they noted that some kingdoms will elevate people to 
the laurelate based upon potential, while Ansteorra tends to elevate 
those who are already doing the job.  I haven't travelled as 
extensively as this gentle, but my observation of this kingdom's 
laurelate seems to point to the latter.  If that is the case, then 
somewhere in the process you've convinced/fooled/conned the order that 
you are already doing the main of the job, and that you have the 
potential to continue to do so.

The good side?  You still get to be you, you still get to encourage, 
and you still get to have a good time.  The bad side?  Alden and I are 
STILL planning on drinking your beer.


> > 3) Help raise the bar.  Encourage an improvement in the quality 
> of 
> > performances, either directly (by teaching) or indirectly (by 
> inspiring 
> > others with your performances).
> > 
> I'll try, but I expect to be lost in the rising tide of dedicated 
> performers in this kingdom, each one pursuing their own 
> improvement. The bar has raised substantially over the years and 
> I'm not sure there's any stopping it. I plan to buckle in for the 
> ride with some of those plans I mentioned earlier.

One thing you can do with your newfound super-powers is to help 
provide a voice for the performance groups as a whole.  Master Ihon 
has been working on this as deputy to whuzzername....;-) (love ya', 
Gwyneth!), attempting in his travels to try to gather information and 
act as sounding-board as well as a voice for the performers in 
general.  Including performance arts in general A&S discussions as 
well as providing those _not_ familiar with the ins and outs of 
performing with as much insight as words can provide.  There are 
several within the laurelate who are performers, and now there's 
another.  All you have to do is to take up that yoke with YOUR peers, 
and you'll find you're in good company.