[Northkeep] Acting apropriately

[Darlene Vandever]

*Greetings Northkeep!*
**
*On a historical note, requests by the nobles or the populace for a return
to courtesy and respect are a time-honored activity in the SCA. I remember a
court where the King and Queen stood up in the middle of the court,
startling everyone into standing, and they swept out of the court with their
entire entourage of champions etc. scrambling to keep up. After a few
moments of shock, the King's herald returned to the front of the court and
called for silence. Boy, did he get it! *
**
*Then the King came back down the aisle with his Queen on his arm and
addressed the populace. He explained that HIS court was not to be
disrespected by the few who could not control their tongues. He laid down
the law and said that he expected people to whisper or to excuse themselves
to go outside if they needed to chat with each other. He hinted that if he
noticed people disrespecting his court by talking and carrying on in an
inappropriate way that one or more of his champions might visit with the
offending persons to personally invite them to take their conversations
elsewhere.*
**
*The remainer of the court was quite respectful and I did notice some people
took themselves elsewhere instead of continueing to be a disruption for the
rest of us.*
**
*If memory serves me, that King was Patrick Michael Gordonne in his second
reign and it was at a Stargate Yule. So discourteous persons have existed
throughout our history and are no respecters of whether it was a baronial or
crown court. And these same discourteous persons stretch from the most
Southern regions of our kingdom even unto your far flung Northern realms. *
**
*Perhaps if more of our reigning nobles made better use of their Champions
which guard their thrones and sent them to gently remind offending persons
of where they are and what they are expected to do, there might be fewer
instances of such behavior. *
**
*I hope you have enjoyed this moment from our history. Until then, I
remain...*
*Forever in Service,*
*Mst. Annes*
*Kingdom Historian*