[Northern] The Ruckus

APRIL GILLILAN GILLILAN at ci.manhattan.ks.us
Tue May 15 11:07:16 PDT 2001


I usually try not to get involved in these type things, but I figure,
ehhh... What the hell.  So, I'm gonna try to piss everyone off in one fell
swoop, here goes...

For Ian and Maleah, on the committee idea - WooHoo!  Let's do it!  That's
the best thing I have heard so far. Only one personal caveat, there can be
no arguing within each group over who will be the representative. The whole
point is to make this happen without fighting.

For Ulf, on the principality evolution - I agree. I don't think it will
happen for the North this year or even next year. I think that eventually it
will happen, just as eventually Mooneschadowe will be a Barony and Spinning
Winds will be a real SCA group.  The world is getting bigger, not smaller.
Even Oklahoma will grow, bringing more people and more players. Eventually
we will have to become a principality.

For Sigen (and Catrin) - I admire you for trying to register this badge. I
think that it is a good badge, and so, apparently, have people in the past,
as far as 10 years ago when it was first introduced. It is my understanding
when it was first introduced that no other kingdom or principality was using
a gryphon on their device or badge, hence the more appeal it got. One of the
last noble heraldic beasts.  It is also my understanding that you, Sigen,
were trying to register it so that it would not be taken by another group
and could be used by the principality if it so chose, and you would release
it to them. As Emma and Morgan (and I am sure others) have pointed out,
there are now other groups in the SCA that use it. That part of me that says
I have to be different, just like everyone else, says that we should do
something different now. I like the gryphon, but I would not be adverse to
something else.

For Anya - the banner and tabard (wherever they are now) for the Northern
Regional Warlord were made by Honorable Lady Treschen von Asselen 3-5 years
(I can't remember exactly) ago. I remember seeing the tabard, with the
gryphon and black star on it, worn by Talon and Thorvald and remember
fighting under the banner at Gulf Wars in the past. I don't remember anyone
getting upset about these marks of office in the past, why so now?
Unfortunately, these two wonderful works of sewing have been misplaced (to
my knowledge). I also remember Treschen encouraging others to make tabards
with the gryphon on the sleeve, so everyone would know that they were part
of the Northern Army when we were at Gulf Wars and 60-odd strong. I
personally do not see the problem with Owen (who is not the Northern
Regional Warlord) wearing the tabard that Sigen made him, just as Treschen
suggested years ago.

To Robert (and Doireann, to some extent) - I too have noticed that the
landed nobility of the North have been all slandered up one side and down
the other in the past year or so.  I also remember when all of these people
were looked up to by everyone as epitomies of the Dream. Some of the best
times of my SCA life involve hanging out with Barn, trying to set me up with
Donovan; Kat, learning how to fight at Hilde's; Ulf, listening to him sing
around the campfire; Maleah, when she gave Gunhilda her butterfly baronial
hat to wear just after Gunny was elevated to Court Baroness; Thorgrim, when
he actually relaxes enough to start giggling; Sigen, watching her take off
her 20 pounds of amber just to put on the one strand we gave her when she
and Thorgrim stepped down from being Guardian; Catrin, well, Catrin belly
dances, and is very good at it.  ;-)  I wonder what has happened to bring
us, for it does involve everyone, to this point. But, I also wonder what we
all can do to go back to the way it was...

To the fighters - I agree that the Northern Army should have a badge or some
type of heraldry to wear when fighting.  I know what that did to the morale
of the Lion-Dragon Guard when we all showed up with the same tabard on. It
made us feel good about ourselves, which helped us kick a lot of uhhh...
hineys... at Gulf Wars VI, VII and VIII. I personally see no problem with
people making a tabard with the same emblem.  No matter what it is, a
gryphon or a hyena, it all serves the same purpose, to make the fighters
feel better about themselves. I also remember when I first joined the SCA
and was beginning the process of registering my device that I was told that
I could use whatever I chose within the group until it was passed by my
local herald. When passed by my local herald, I could use it locally until
passed by the regional herald.  When passed by the regional herald, I could
use it regionally. I hope everyone sees where this is going, all the way to
the high muckety-muck with the cool hat that everyone got to try on at
Winterkingdom a few years back. I know this statement is going to make a lot
of people mad, but I said it anyway. That is what I was told. I am not a
herald, never have been and never want to be. I could be wrong.

Gilyan



April Gillilan
GIS Technician
City of Manhattan, KS

Irish Wolfhounds:
Gentle when Stroked;
Fierce when Provoked!




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