[Steppes] Fighter Practices Replies

[Michael Smith]

I just wanted to take a second and give the best clarification I can on what
has happened and what will happen in the future as far as if and when
practices will be cancelled.  I'm glad you asked the question because I
think that questions are always a good thing.  :)

For a brief period of time, there was some confusion as to what made a
practice official and who had to be in attendance and when waivers were
required to be signed and so on.  So at that time (from last fall until
early this spring) it was thought that the best thing to do was to cancel a
practice if the marshal in charge coudn't attend.  This didn't mean that
people couldn't attend, a fact that was un-said in those "official"
communications because it really shouldn't be said.  :)  We were merely
trying to keep everyone's back-side covered in the way we then thought was
best.  What we now know is that if a practice is published, it is required
that a marshal and a warrented officer must attend the practice, and the
warrented officer must obtain waiver signatures from those fighters in
attendance who both participate and are not blue-card carrying members of
the SCA.  It sounds simple enough now, but it was confusing for a while
there.  :)  Currently, I am the only warrented officer of the Steppes who
regularily attends practice (by regularily, I mean VERY nearly every week.)
I usually fill both rolls, as both a Marshal and as a Warrented  Officer,
but we have other marshals at the practice.  I'm working on a program to get
nearly every fighter (and a few non-fighters) in the Barony up to snuff as
inspecting and field marshals.  Once I have a bevy of marshals available, if
I'm unable to attend practice, all I'll need is to get one of the warrented
officers to attend in my stead, and we'll be golden.  Truthfully, getting
another marshal to practice if I'm unable to attend is really easy right
now.  It is my hope and apsiration to never cancel practice unless the
weather is TERRIBLE (I don't personally mind "kind of crumby" weather) or if
simply nobody will be there, such as Warlord Weekend.  This was the case
with Gothic, as previously stated.

On a side note, Francesca, could you tell me which offices are the warrented
offices?  That way when I can't attend, I can make personal contact with
those officers in order to round up the necessary coverage.

Gothic, by the way, was a blast.  It rained off and on the whole weekend,
but only VERY lightly during the day, so the dust stayed down, the heat
stayed down, and the fighting was a fantastic!

Yours in Service,
Lord Morgan
KM Steppes


----- Original Message -----
From: "Glen Wilkerson" <gdwilkerson at earthlink.net>

My thanks to Morgan and those others who replied to my last post, and for
the clarification they have provided.  I have been a bit out of the loop
lately, and apparently not keep up with things like I should.  Now that you
mention them, I do recall the recent rulings you mentioned.

As I said, it was just something I noticed, and I thought the question worth
asking.  Thank you again for all of the answers.

As for practices, I will see you all out there again one of these days...

My best regards to everyone,

Don Alaric