[Namron] Torsade Scroll

Wed Mar 8 07:04:50 PST 2006

I've always been under the impression that Captain and Admiral were separate
and distinct ranks.  Maybe it's my military background, but I have trouble
seeing someone as being both Captain and Admiral.  To my way of thinking,
that is the same as being both a Private and a Corporal.  I've always seen
an Admiral as commanding a number of ships, where each ship has a Captain.
The Admiral would control the "big picture" while the Captains controlled
everything on the ship.  An Admiral commanding a ship would either a VERY
unusual situation or an insult to the Admiral.  And when you throw in
Commodore (which is between Admiral and Captain), things get even more
confusing.  Any of these three ranks would control multiple ships.  But
being both Admiral and Captain, while reporting to a Commodore, is
contradictory.

I know that this pattern of rank has been in place for hundreds of years,
but I honestly couldn't say when it started, or even if this rank structure
is at all period.

I guess I should have stopped to consider that this is the SCA, where the
unusual is the norm.  And being a Captain as a head of household is
something completely outside of what I'd considered.

I'm not trying to cause trouble on this.  I just have trouble making your
ranks work within the rank structure as I know.  

  _____  

From: namron-bounces+matthiasthebrewer=cox.net at ansteorra.org
[mailto:namron-bounces+matthiasthebrewer=cox.net at ansteorra.org] On Behalf Of
Duncan MacNamara
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 1:40 AM
To: Barony of Namron
Subject: RE: [Namron] Torsade Scroll

For your first question, it is not that I feel any less worthy. If I did, I
would not wear the ribbon on my belt. It's a matter of simple equality.
Besides, it's not an issue now... As I said forget about it... it's not
important enough to keep ruffling the feathers, especially if that's the
primary response I am going to get from the Barony. However, I don't see why
it's such a problem that I like scrolls... and I wanted to hang it with the
rest of my and my Lady Wife's scrolls.

For your other questions, I would be more than happy to answer and shed some
light on the issues:

I am, and have been since it's inception, the Captain of the now HMS Iron
Lotus. We have, as a shiphold, 28 crew members on the books. We were
pirates, because *I* personally did not feel that it was Honorable to claim
to be Privateers of Ansteorra without a Letter of Marque in hand. It would
have been misrepresentation, and could have, ! if pushed, been regarded as
Treason to the Crown. Since I seemed to be black-balled from acquiring a
Letter of Marque from the sources I was consulting with, I instead opted to
join the Ansteorran Royal Navy, and go fully legit and legal so to speak.

I am the Admiral and Executive officer (Second in command for those of you
who don't understand military ranks) of the Ansteorran Royal Navy, by
appointment from the Lord High Admiral of the Ansteorran Royal Navy. I was
present at Their Royal Majesties' Coronation, where myself and one of our
Regional Commodores swore Fealty, as officers of the Ansteorran Royal Navy,
to His Majesty in person, and presented him with a gift basket. His Majesty,
Myself, and Commodore Honorable Lord Alric Morganwgg also discussed the use
of an ensign specifically designed for the Ansteorran Royal Navy, which His
Majesty Mahadi was pleased with, and approved, suggesting that we also
register it. It is currently ! in process, under ownership of the Kingdom of
Ansteorra directly.

At Round Table, I placed our proposed charter directly into the hands of His
Majesty. He said that he was pleased with our progress thus far, and that we
were making history. The only other officially commissioned and organized
Naval force that I've been able to find in the SCA is the Royal Crescent
Navy of Caid.

As far as being a Captain in the SCA, it's no different than being the head
of a household.

As for Commissioning Documents, we are in the process of making them, and
they are to be issued by the Office of the Ansteorran Royal Navy, as allowed
by Article IV of the Ansteorran Royal Navy Charter. As it's been so
eloquently pointed out already, documents take a bit of time to fabricate.

So I hope this answers your questions, and that it might clear up further
disdain. Or, to quote you ! directly Matthias, "Let it go. There are much
more signifigant things in life."

In Service,

Lord Duncan MacNamara

Admiral of the Ansteorran Royal Navy

Captain of the HMS Iron Lotus

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