[Sca-cooks] Laurel issues and contests was: 13th Century Icelandic Fish Skin Tanning Techniques

[Peter Ryan]

One of the roles of a peer (and one would be well advised not to get me
started on this topic! lol) is to seek out those who are doing work, may
only need a bit of direction, and to facilitate admission of new candidates.
Peerage Council's should not be an exclusive club (I'm in, so no-one else
should be allowed to join). The peerage should signal the start of the real
work. You have been recognised for the work you have done, and the person
you are. The thing is that after one is made a peer you have that to live up
to, as well as continuing your work. A peerage is a recognition, not an
award.

I can't really speak for Laurels, except in general terms, as I'm not one.
However, I know that, as a Pelican in a Principality (soon to be kingdom)
that is the size of the lower 48 it is difficult to know exactly what people
are doing at the other end of the country. What I can say is that Royalty
and the Peerage Councils spend a lot of time and energy begging for
recommendations and information on folk doing good works. If you know of
someone deserving of recognition, whether it be for a Baronial Award, an AoA
or a peerage, take the time to write to your Royalty and your Peerage Order
Clerks/Principals and let them know about these people.

For mine, competitions and the like pale into insignificance next to
research, teaching and encouragement. With access to A&S newsletters,
Universities, the web, email etc one doesn't have to be geographically
proximate to teach, assist, encourage and communicate one's love, and
knowledge, of a field of learning. Witness the discourse on fish skin
tanning. The only problem is that, with the information I now have to hand I
am fast running out of excuses not to actually attempt the craft (other than
being pretty much flat out doing every thing else I do).


Gwynfor Lwyd OP, OLM, AA, PsC, OST etc
Canton of Krae Glas, Barony of Stormhold,
Principality of Lochac, West Kingdom
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wanda Pease" <wandap at hevanet.com>
To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2001 12:45 PM
Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] Laurel issues and contests was: 13th Century
Icelandic Fish Skin Tanning Techniques


> Okay,  I can't stand it any more! :-)
>
> Contests.... Hmmmm....  After nearly 20 years of Laurel Circles, I can
tell
> you that those who go out and knock themselves out winning contests really
> don't get that much more attention from the Circle than does the person
who
> shows up at a number of events over years and teaches, demonstrates, and
> encourages others with their enthusiasm.  Yes, by and large, to get the
> notice of the Circle in your first four or five years (yes, people Years!)
> it helps if you can go to events in all corners of the Kingdom, or are in
a
> very central region with a lot of other Laurels around.  (Don't complain
> that you live in the equivalent of Outer Slobovia, and don't have the
> money/time/freedom to travel.  The Circle can't help that any more than
you
> can.)  Making friends with a local Laurel isn't the guaranteed way to
glory,
> but if you like the person and admire what they do why not.  Afraid
someone
> will think you are "sucking up"?  Why in the world would you care about
the
> opinions of such a mean-spirited person.  Friends are where you find them,
> both high and low ranking.
>
> Good candidates in out of the way areas, or in esoteric subjects (Music
> Philosophy anyone?) do get recognized, it just takes longer.  Sort of like
> Saffron yellow seeping through a dish (obligatory food content).  It isn't
> impossible, it just takes a lot longer, and sometimes that is longer than
> the person working has, and I mean no disrespect to them.
>
> Why don't people get Laureled who work hard and consistently?  I don't
know,
> and if I did I couldn't tell them.  An amazing number of people who get
very
> close to being recommendable to the Crown (please note that the Laurelate
> can only Recommend to the Crown, who has the final say) shoot themselves
in
> the foot at the last moment.  They work intensely but the course is long
and
> hard, and just at that last moment something happens.  This can be either
a
> "one Awe Sh*T can cancel a hundred Atta Boys", or simply mundane life
> interferes and they drop out of sight for months or years.  When they come
> back the Circle is practically new, and has no "corporate memory".
>
> The idiot "mouthy Laurel" of this post is typical of a small and "mouthy"
> minority.  Do they have veto power in a Circle?  Certainly not.  In fact
> their opinions are likely to be treated with sighs and shrugs as the rest
of
> us go on to discuss the actual merits of the subject's work.  I wish we
> could put such people on a "Laurel hit list" to be brought before the Grey
> Council and lectured for the sin of pride.
>
> In the meantime.  Do as Bronwynmgm and Elaine are doing; things you love,
> and that give you pleasure.  Every time that someone admires your efforts
or
> thanks you for your help is the real reward.  Adding a medallion will not
> make these times any sweeter.
>
> Regina Romsey, MoL
>
>
>
> Bronwynmgn at aol.com wrote:
>
> > I wonder if it was the same "mouthy Laurel" (the Laurel in question
> referred
> > to herself that way, so I'm not insulting her) who once told me that
> > handsewing a new gown in the hall at an event, and explaining to people
> how I
> > did it and how I found out how to do it did not count as encouraging the
> Arts
> > and Sciences.  Apparently the ONLY WAY(tm) to do that is to enter and to
> run
> > Arts and Sciences competitions.  Kingdom level ones.  The local ones I
had
> > been involved with counted for so little that I was told I had no right
to
> > venture an opinion as to whether they were either useful or enjoyable.
>
> Ooh, OW! Been there, done that. Another of my sins- I don't enter
> contests. I have been told that was the only way to get 'noticed' on a
> Kingdom-wide basis.
>
>
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