[Northkeep] Question for the B&B candidates

[Dennis England]

Kevin,

I amire your eloquence and your thoughtful consideration on these issues.  I
respectfully ask that you read my and Francesca's responses (which were
written without colaboration) to see where we stand on these worthy values.

Balvin and Francesca

----- Original Message -----
From: "STEVEN RUARK" <DHSPA5F at dhs.state.il.us>
To: <northkeep at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 12:31 PM
Subject: [Northkeep] Question for the B&B candidates


It was good seeing so many of you Saturday night.  I hope I can again soon.

   Five years ago, when we prepared for the elevation and chose from among
ourselves two to represent us as required by the structure of the Society,
we worried about how our culture would change, whether while paying lip
service to the notion of landed nobility we could retain the feelings of
cameraderie, of equality and fraternity that had made Northkeep strong, made
it the greatest shire in Ansteorra. Or whether we would be swept into the
culture of class and privelege and rank we saw elsewhere.  We determined
that--whoever ended up as our spokesmen, our representatives, our titled
heads--we WOULD keep that part of our culture, and use it to make ourselves
the greatest BARONY in the kingdom as well.

   Now, five years later, it is appropriate to reexamine that attitude, that
determination, and how well it worked out.  Maybe we lived up to it, and it
led us to preeminence in the North.  Maybe it was naive, an ignorant,
provincial attitude that could not survive The Way Things Are in the Real
World.  Or maybe we grew confused and a little lost, and while we have the
opportunity we should take a look at ourselves, and make sure we are being
TRUE to ourselves.

   I said a while back--in response to a statement that the Society is not a
democracy--that I knew Democracy (unlike Truth, Honor, Justice and Chivalry)
was not an Ideal of the Society.  And I said we could discuss later whether
it was an Ideal of Northkeep.  It's later.

   Ultimately, WE define our culture, no one else.  We do it in how we treat
each other, and how we treat visitors at our door--whatever their station,
title, or rank--and how we treat those WE visit when we are elsewhere.  So
my question, to those who would lead us and guide the path our culture takes
from this point, is simple:  Is Democracy, or more properly, are Liberty,
Equality, and Fraternity, Ideals of Northkeep?  Were they before?  Should
they be?

Kevin


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