[Sca-cooks] A & S question

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Ilia (and Greg) are in the Principality of the Mist, so while this 
doesn't have much to do with this list as Cooks, maybe this will be 
of some interest to folks in other places trying to experiment with 
A&S, or who might have some suggestions for me...

Ilia wrote:
>Personally, I like competitions. I like getting the feedback from 
>the judges. I dont enter A&S competitions much because they havent 
>had competitions involving things that I am terribly interested in.

So, other than brewing, which has a guild with its own competitions, 
what sorts of stuff would you like to see in the competitions?

>I believe this coronet has one that I am interested in. I think it 
>is medieval remedies. If I can get my butt in gear, I would like to 
>enter that one.

Yes, it is the Sciences competitions. And please do enter it :-)

>  > We have inherited pre-planned competitions in our first year in
>  > office - now half over. We're considering doing away with them,
>  > however, in our second year.
>
>I would be very sad to see that happen. I may not always enter them, 
>but I do like having the option. I am less inclined to do something 
>for a demonstration. I like the impartiality of someone being able 
>to critique what I have done without me standing there. I can always 
>go to them later if I have questions, but if I am standing there I 
>feel that they would be more apt to temporize what they were going 
>to say.

For Principality A&S displays, we don't require people to stay with 
their stuff in a display.

Documentation is optional for displays, so far, but it is certainly welcome.

And we have optional comments cards - that is, anyone with stuff in 
the display has the option of having comments cards, or not. That way 
a person can get feedback. It's true that the commenting procedure 
isn't as formalized or as stringent as it is for competitions. 
However, we've also be thinking of having displays with optional 
judging - so people can choose to have judges discuss their stuff (on 
paper) or not...

maeve wrote:
>Here in An Tir we used to have the erroneously named Laurels' Prize Tourney.
>It was not a tourney, nor were prizes given not were laurels only permitted
>to enter.

In my limited experience of Laurels' Prize Tourneys, it's Laurels who 
give prizes, in the form of little tokens, if they like someone's 
stuff - we've just started having them here - but on the Kingdom 
level. And i suppose one could take it as a tourney - see who 
collects the most tokens...

I participated in one at Estrella 2001. It was great to see so much 
good stuff in one gigantic pavilion. I hadn't intended to enter, but 
i was encouraged by someone who i only later discovered was a 
Laurel... from An Tir... Gaukler...

>It was intended to be a venue where you could see cool things being
>produced, (often works in progress as well as completed projects) or have
>your things seen and get feedback.  It wasn't always very successful.
>
>In the past few years we have gotten away from the title.  The concept has
>expanded, and by the way is now called a Fred (the fighters have Eric....)
>don't ask me, I think it was countess Elizabeth who started that one.

Ooh, i like that ;-)

>A typical Fred (if you can call it that) has lots of people showing what
>they are doing, there are little hand bound books given to each participant
>for comments.  Participants can be there or not.

Sounds like a good idea. The one i attended at Estrella had no 
booklets, so i had no concrete comments. And we were expected to stay 
with our display. One Laurel barely looked at my stuff (Medieval 
Egyptian knitting), but her nose was so high in the air i figure she 
didn't see too many of the other participants either (i have no idea 
who she was nor where she was from). Most Laurels were quite 
gracious. And of course the populace comes around and gets to look, 
too. And i encouraged people to ask me questions, although few did.

>This
>was at a regional camping/war event, they happen at crown events as well
>as local (at least where the branch is fairly sizable) ones.  The skill range
>is broad, laurels show things, everyone can comment either by talking or
>writing in the books.

Local Laurels were asking to be allowed to enter competitions, since 
many, if not most, have gone on to study other areas than those for 
which they got their Laurels. A review of the rules indicated that 
Laurels were never forbidden from entering, so we allow Laurels to 
enter our Principality competitions... In fact, we have had some 
enter and not win - Laurels can be new to a skill or technique, too.

Of course, i am only speaking of the Principality of the Mists. I 
cannot speak for the other Principalities in the Kingdom, nor for the 
Kingdom of the West.

Anahita