[Bards] Dream? What Dream? Did you see a Dream? I know I didn't!

[Emily Minier]

A) I will garb up for officer's meeting this evening.  New people may be
around and perhaps my garb will strike their interest.  I will make sure
that I'm not *too busy* to explain why I'm dressed funny and what fun we
have.
 
B) I will start a knitting class at our fighter practice.  I will offer
it to both children and adults. This will help to keep hands and minds
busy on period crafts.  (Yes, I know, knitting was man's work in period
times, but then so was fighting and well, if I can armor up, surely I
can wield a knitting needle or 5).
 
C) And perhaps the hardest of all for me.  I will take a break from
Titled Bardic competitions.  I will focus my energy on teaching and
entertaining instead of competing all the time.
 
These are simply the top three on my list.  There are lots more things
that I (and my family) can do to make a difference. We will have a
family meeting to discuss them and put as many of them into action as
possible.
 
As always,
Yours, In Service,
Lady Adalia VonderBerg
Titled Bard of Namron
Titled Bard of Eldern Hills
Apprentice to Sir Finn Kelley O'Donnell


________________________________

	From: bards-bounces at lists.ansteorra.org
[mailto:bards-bounces at lists.ansteorra.org] On Behalf Of Jay Rudin
	Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 10:26 AM
	To: Ansteorran Bardic list
	Subject: Re: [Bards] Dream? What Dream? Did you see a Dream? I
know I didn't!
	
	
	Anyone can complain that the roses have thorns.  Take a moment
to notice that the thorns have roses.
	 
	At my last three events:
	 
	Glaslyn: all the fighters came together to get into the spirit
of the tourney, a weird mixture of increasing heroc challenge and
increasing silliness.  In both the chivalric and the rapier lists, I had
fun, tried some unusual moves, and tested myself against great odds.  I
fought for a lady I rarely get to fight for, who came to the field for
each fight and showed me honor throughout the day.  I told my first
opponent to find somebody who knew how to kill me, and pointed out a
couple of people.  (It worked for him, too.  He got the first kill.  But
it was double-elim, and I adjusted to what he was doing.)  I'm sure I
talked to more than half the people present.
	 
	In the tourneys and the archery competition, the winners were
awarded, but also, the ladies' pavilion rewarded the person who
impressed them the most.  The ladies watched all the fighting, and
showed both knowledge and excitement.
	 
	It had a really fun bardic compeition, with a wide mix of joy,
tragedy, song, story, poetry, and homiletics.  Two people told us the
tale of where they found their dream -- Lord Fiacca, a burly fighter,
told us how he found it in duty and loyalty, while Violante, a fairly
new young lady, described how she was inspired by the fierce heavy
melees she watched at Gulf War.
	 
	Crown: I was only there for a few hours, and took part in no
fighting, fencing or bardcraft.  But did get to watch a great final
round, guard the new Prince, admire some weaving, walk around the field
and speak to people from all the regions.  I also did some important
work, talking to people about solving a political issue (which I'm sure
some people will dismiss as politics).
	 
	Home-school demo:  Yes, I'm actually listing a demo.  Just a few
hours in a city park.  But I served my baroness, saluted my lady and the
Queen, fought in both styles, performed and listened to other
performers, attended court -- in short, I was able to be Robin of
Gilwell.  I loved it.  The dream was there -- and we all shared it.
	 
	-----------------------
	 
	In my first Black Star, in summer 1979, there was a letter from
a baroness who was resigning her barony and leaving forever, because the
dream was dead -- people were being too mundane, politics was taking
over, nobody would talk to anyone who wasn't a close friend, etc.  I
asked Master Lloyd about it, and he said that people were always saying
that, but the truth is thatboth the joys and the frustration have always
been there, and will always be there.
	 
	Since then, I've never gone three months without hearing the the
dream was dying.
	 
	OF COURSE the dream is dying.  The dream is *always* dying.
This is, after all, an organization founded on the desire to do things
that died away over four centuries ago.
	 
	In the Renaissance, their tournament pageantry was intended to
hold onto the dying embers of the medieval ideal.  A great hero was Don
Quixote, a madman trying to keep to the ideals of knighthood.  In the
Middle Ages, they wanted to hold onto the ideals of Rome, and the great
hero was Arthur, a king who wanted to build a knightly order to defend
the dying ideals against an encroaching barbarism.  In Rome, they all
pined for the lost glories of Greece, and the Greeks were mourning the
lost Golden Age.
	 
	The dream is always and forever on the brink of death, and will
always and forever need emergency first aid.  From you.  From me.
	 
	Go sing of your dream at a bardic circle.  Offer your favor to
someone you normally wouldn't (or carry a favor you've never carried
before).  Go up to somebody you don't know and introduce yourself.  Help
some strangers put up their pavilion.  Hold a revel.  Help somebody sew
a costume, research a name, or learn a new combat move.
	 
	And hurry.  The dream is dying.
	 
	Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin
	 
	P.S.  DON'T nod thoughtfully and agree with me.  Instead, nod
thoughtfully, agree with me and MAKE AN ACTION PLAN.   What will **you**
do in the next couple of weeks to make things better?
	 
	My plan:
	A.  On Tuesday, I will teach a period move to everyone at
fencing practice, and focus on the joys of combat in every bout.  I will
deem it a successful practice if some of them start using the move, and
all my opponents walk off the field laughing or smiling.  I will fence
with *every* newer fencer.
	 
	B.  I will finish the last lines in a praise piece of Elfsea
warriors, to be fully memorized for performance at Elfsea Spring Fair.
	 
	C. One more, but I won't announce it until Elfsea Spring Faire.
	 
	What's your plan?
	 
	RoG / JR
	 

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