NR - Northern Regional Tribute

[Rebecca Heydon]

My apologies to all for such a late reply to the posting below.  I have been
without e-mail access yet again and am only now able to reply.  As HE Gitana
replied to me and my posting publicly, I see it as only fair that I return
the courtesy.

>In a message dated 1/1/01 9:04 PM Central Standard Time, HEGitana at aol.com
writes:

> Lady Rowan, as your group is hosting Northern Regional Tribute I would
hope
> that you would go, to work and support your Barony.  I would hope that
> everyone who attends every SCA event will have fun.

In looking through my archived e-mail this past week, I found the many days
worth of e-mail concerning the viability, intent, dislike by some of NRT
from last *fall.*  As I felt strongly then (and still do) about having a
successful NRT no matter what the politics surrounding it, I offered to help
with the event in any capacity that I could.  I even chatted with HE
Ceridwen from the Wastelands about perhaps doing some sort of autocratting
team in order to put together a bid for HL Ariane.  As I was informed that
other parties were interested in the event, I stepped aside.  My promise to
help, however, remained on the table.

Before Northkeep was asked to sponsor NRT this year, I had already been
approached to help with feast.  The fact that Northkeep is my home and is
now involved administratively makes it all the more fun for me--but very
much after the fact.  I would have happily helped any group involved with
NRT so please do not believe that my involvement with the event is born out
of a need to support only my own group.

> However, a fun (and even successful) event will not change the fact that
two
> Baronies in the Northern Region have now been shafted over that event and
> their Landed Nobility treated with complete disrespect, as if their
feeling
> and concerns just don't matter.  Nor will it change the fact that in
jumping
> in to "save the day" a third northern barony has condoned those actions.

You are correct, I'm afraid.  A fun, successful, good event does not erase
the hurt feelings, the politics, the nastiness, the politics, the ill will
or anything else.  (Did I mention politics?)  I believe several have spoken
to the issue of "shafting" and where responsibility/blame might be placed.
I personally do not feel that a group passing up on event (as HE Kat stated)
has been shafted but that's me.  As I do not know all the facts concerning
this second "shafting," I do not want to interprete that series of events at
this time.  I will admit to being saddened that anyone feels that they have
been "shafted" for that smacks of ulterior motives and revenge and has all
sorts of evil connotations.  I can't believe that any of us are that
embroiled in this game to have such a dark set of motives underlying
everything we say or do....

I must admit that I bristled at your accusation that Northkeep has condoned
such actions as "shafting" by agreeing to help with NRT when asked.  I don't
see agreeing to help when asked by Ansteorra's Crown (and Seneschalate) as a
political move one way or the other.  What I see is that Northkeep is being
recognized for being a strong and stable group.  It's one of the things I
love about Northkeep:  our ability to pull together and work towards a
common goal.  That we were given *this* goal by the Crown just makes the
challenge all the more exciting.  (If we are true to our notion of this game
and what power the Crown holds, how could TE Northkeep really refuse?)

> (Rowan's words)
>  >For those of you who can't attend, won't attend, don't want the
> event, your absences will be noted....but you'll certainly not be
> forgotten.
> (HE Gitana's words)
> I'm certain that you did not mean this to sound like a threat, though I am
> uncertain as to just what you did mean.

No, I did not threaten so I'm glad that you didn't take that as such.  Quite
simply, as the North is a fairly tight knit community in my eyes (at least
when it wants to be), those not attending for whatever reason will be noted.
It may be that glasses are raised, toasts spoken and names uttered.  Whether
I agree with your politics or anyone else's, I do notice when you (and
others) are not there.  I guess I'm a big believer in the more the merrier.

> Until all thought of sanctions against the Barony of Namron cease and the
> Baron and Baroness receive the apologies due them and their group by the
> Administration; until there is some assurance that Namron and Wiesenfeuer
> will not continue to be subjected to this kind of treatment, the Northern
> Region will remain divided and in turmoil.  Nothing you or I do, nor
anything
> said on this list will change that.

Again, you are correct--at least partly.  Nothing you or I say on this list
will change what has happened.  However, how you and I (and the rest of
North) react and respond to what has happened changes everything.  As has
been pointed out by many, these problems between the Adminstration and the
B/B of Namron (and even Wiesenfeuer if you wish) are local problems.  I can
only hope that the original intent of bringing the matter public was to
dispell rumours.  What I truly suspect is that the whole incident is being
used as a pawn in a much larger political game bent on derailing that whole
P-word effort....

All that aside, I am truly sorry that this matter is being used as fuel for
once again drawing lines in the sand.  Jevon is correct:  this is just
Medieval dress-up.  I, for one, am not going to invest the energy it takes
to continue to fume, ferment and boil over matters which cannot be changed.
I've been a Seneschal.  I know what happens when one does not let things go
in a timely fashion.  As much as I love the SCA, it's not worth an ulcer or
a heartattack.

> There are may who are really hurt and sadly will not be there.

And for those who don't come, I hope that your souls lighten over time.  It
must be awful to feel that all the time and effort you've invested in this
game has been disregarded and/or stomped upon.  I would help if I could but
I suspect there's nothing any of us on the outside can do.  More's the pity.

> Baroness Gitana de Castile
> The First and Fifth Autocrat of Northern Regional Tribute
>


Rowan

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