SC - OT/OOP: Gode Cookery site?

[Beatrix zumDunklenturm]

>I think a lot of it has to do with how long you've been in the SCA, how 
>you've
>moved in the circles that communicate with the "centers of power" within 
>your
>kingdom and the kind of relationship you have with the Crown.

Heh. I feel kind of sorry for my Crowns. I tend to let them know
what I think. Of course it does help that I knighted the past couple
and actually acted as a bit of a mentor when they were squires so
some of the discussions come out as "Listen Junior....".  But I'm
an arrogant lout.

>There are a
>number of people who, if they were King, I could talk to quite honestly, 
>and
>that honesty would be appreciated.  On the other hand, there are a few who, 
>when
>given an honest opinion, get angry...one even tried to banish me from the 
>SCA
>some years ago!

One thing that any Crown, or autocrat or seneschal or basically anyone
in power, needs to remember is that other people have valuable
ideas as well. And them's that's in charge need to be able to have
a valid and logical explination for doing what they do. And also
to acknowledge that they aren't all-knowing. The worst Crowns I've
seen are those that believe in the absolute power of themselves.
I was always willing to listen to what people had to say. I may not
have agreed with it but at least I had a reason for not agreeing
instead of "I'm King and how dare you question me?". Too many Crowns
forget that they step down eventually.

>However, that has never stopped me from being honest...and, at least
>diplomatically, letting the Crowns know how I feel!

As all members of the populace should do. For better or worse.
Crowns should know when they screw up and a good one will apologize
and try to correct it. But it also helps when they are told about
the good stuff they do as well.

An example of having a good reason for doing something and taking
the time out to explain happened to me. We had to make a decision
about changing Kingdom law. Some people viewed it that we were using
our power to help out a couple of friends. One Peer wrote to us and
basically said we should call a Court of Chivalry on Ourselves.
I wrote this Peer and explained why we made the decision we did. How
the law was a bad law and needed changed, how it was changed at the
request of the populace it affected and that we would have made the
change even if we weren't directly involved with the parties it
affected. I then told the Peer that we declined his request to hold
a Court of Chivalry on us but that he had our permission to take his
request to the BoD if my explination wasn't satisfactory. A few months
later this Peer approached me and thanked me for explaining the
situation and that he had just been representing some people who
didn't understand the situation. If I had taken the "Screw you, I'm
King and can do what I want" stance I could have been considered a
nepotist and power-mad. Instead I gained an ally.

I think all positions of relative power should remember this. Whether
it be seneschal, autocrat, head cook, baron or Crown. My apologies
for the rather long tirade.

>
>Kiri

Yers,

Gunthar
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