[Steppes] FW: Twelfth Night -- major decision in front of us.

[AlKudsi at aol.com]

The point I made last night is that we haven't usually given precedence types 
of awards at Artisan typically.  We did a few years ago, but I don't think we 
did even at last years.  We try and keep Artisan for the artisans, not for 
all the other Baronial business.  Title awards like Artisan don't grant 
precedence, don't require a Crown-sanctioned court (i.e. calendar publication and the 
Crown approval), etc.  Can't we have one local event that doesn't get 
overloaded with other stuff?  Artisan is a DAMN hard event to judge, a DAMN hard event 
to compete in, and doesn't NEED to be wrapped up with another event!  
 
I see constant complaints about the fact that we have overloaded Warlord and 
12th Night with too much other stuff already.  Do we really want to open this 
can of worms with adding Artisan to one of them?  I don't think so.  It will 
mean a requirement for an air-conditioned hall (if at Warlord), with facilities 
for heating food, tables and chairs, and sufficient room for more than 50 
competitors to set up their displays.  50 is just average...we have had up to 80 
at a couple of Artisans.  And again, you wipe out a significant portion of the 
time at the event for the competitors and the judges, and tie up the 
facilities for an entire day (like 12th Night).  Artisan requires a separate event, or 
get rid of it.  It cannot be done in a reasonable manner in conjunction with 
another major event -- PERIOD.  I speak here as someone who competed in 7 or 8 
Artisans, and have judged every one since I won the title.  I used to come 
home drained as a competitor, and now I come home exhausted after spending up to 
7 hours judging.  Load up a body of work display, set it up, be judged by 
10-12 judges over the course of 6-7 hours (not counting the Laurels who come 
through and check out the competition), and then, after all is done, tear it down 
again and lug it home.  Repeat on average 8 times.  THAT'S what it is like to 
be in the competition.  See if you get any willing to do that at a camping 
event like Warlord!  NOT A CHANCE.  
 
Please, please, can we be reasonable?  Do we have to have Artisan a kingdom 
event?  In reality, no, we do not.  It hasn't been for the majority of the 
years it has been around, and we've done quite well without it being a kingdom 
event.  Do we want to give up Steppes 12th Night or Warlord as kingdom events, 
since both actually predate the foundation of this kingdom?  I would hope not.  
 
HL Saqra



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