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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Esther wrote:</FONT></DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT>
<DIV><BR><FONT face=Arial size=2>> A thought -- just a
thought....<BR>><BR>> What if the Eisteffod was a bard off of the branch
champions? It would</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>> both strengthen the competition for local
titled bards, and in turn</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>> strengthen the Kingdom
competition.<BR>><BR>> Thoughts?<BR><BR>It sounds good in theory, but what
actual effects will it have? People become local bards for the wrong
reasons, people kept out of the competition for the Premier Bard for the wrong
reasons.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>1. I don't want anybody trying to become Bard of
the Steppes for any reason except because he or she wants to be Bard of the
Steppes.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2. Six people entered Kingdom Eisteddfod last year
. Six. We simply don't need any rule to reduce the numbers of people
entering.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>3. The first time I won Kingdom Eisteddfod I was
Baron of the Steppes, and therefore was not willing to become a local
bard. (The baron's first duty is to extol the virtues of his barony; the
branch bard's duty is to that branch.) I would therefore not have been
allowed to enter to be the Premier Bard. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>4. Consider the final local bardic championship
before Eisteddfod. Somebody is stepping down as that local bard. If
she was conscientious about her duties, she may have refused to enter other
competitions while she was the bard of that branch. So she is now
ineligible to be our Premier Bard precisely because she won a bardic
championship and treated it as a high honor and duty. Is that a good
plan?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Again, it sounds good in theory, but the measure of
an idea is what effect it will actually have on people.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Robin of Gilwell / Jay
Rudin</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>