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<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>I have noticed a trend lately, when marshals are
travelling to out of town events, of cancelling official regularly scheduled
Sunday fighter practices. It has never been standard practice in my 25
years in the SCA, and until only recently was just never done. Where did
this idea suddenly come from that if the marshal couldn't attend practice,
practice couldn't happen?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Practice is going to happen, fighting is going
to occur, the recent e-mail traffic is proof of that. Marshals, if you are
going out of town - even if the majority of local fighters are going out of town
- you don't cancel practice. That's what deputy marshals are for, and
unofficial deputys of deputys.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>When you return from your event you find out who
went to practice, you interview them to find out what happened, and that's what
goes in your report - not "practice was cancelled." Fighters,
keep an eye on what goes on at practice as a courtesy to your marshal when he is
absent, and report to him afterwards. And if the marshal receives several
such reports, all the better. The more information he receives, the better
he can make an informed montly report.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>At least that's what worked for me during the
five years I was Rapier Marshal of the Steppes, and while I haven't been to any
practices for way longer than I like, when I do finally come back I want them to
still be there. There has only ever been one reason to cancel a regular
fighter practice aside from weather, and that's when a close neighboring group
had a major event. You cancelled your practice as a courtesy, and an
occasion to go visit your neighbors.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Don Alaric Greythorne</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>PS - And of course, those wonderful combined
practices we used to have...</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>