The fun never stops
Jan. 19th, 2009 07:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gurdymonkeySo, there's been an ongoing thread on the Authentic_SCA Yahoo Group about the A&S competition process, pros, cons, alternatives and so forth. This evening someone chose to interpret what had been a perfectly civilized discussion as "uncooperative, isolationist, and disrespectful," clearly ignorant of the fact that some of the parties posting these suggestions were, in fact, members of the Order of the Laurel.
She writes: We've all on this list either joined the SCA, or at least paid to walk in through troll at an event or two, correct? With that in mind, I ask of us: why did we join? And I also ask of us: did we join only to renounce the policies of the very club that we sought out?
While there are certainly cases here and there of Laurels and other Peers doing things that are not very peer-like, the overall consensus among folks who join the SCA is that Peers are the big shots in this
game we're playing, and we treat them as such. The fact that the vast majority of Laurels earned their peerage through good research and sound craftsmanship is just part of what makes it easy to give them
the requested respect. No disrespect to talented people who have not yet made Laurel, but hey, why not give those leaves their due?
I am puzzled at the notion of joining a club only to renounce it's traditions, snub it's activities, and to additionally proclaim that the club's most esteemed and senior members "ain't so special."
Entering A&S, teaching a class, sending an article into an SCA publication, and yes, honoring Peers .... these are all examples of the kind of participation expected of SCA members. (something about
being an educational non-profit, I'm guessing. not just 'cause it's nice.) For those of us so fortunate as to have the focus and interest in better quality historical research, the call to participate in those ways is even more pronounced.
Perhaps being uncooperative, isolationist, and disrespectful is more historically accurate than participating, teaching, publishing, and honoring Peers.... but I don't think so.
I coulda just stayed home and admired my own handiwork. Instead, I joined the SCA, so I could participate with everyone and play by the rules.
My response: "What Corpora says:
"A. Society Events Defined
The term "Society event" refers to tournaments, feasts, and other activities whereby participants can display the results of their researches into the culture and technology of the period in an environment which evokes the atmosphere of the pre-17th century European Middle Ages and Renaissance. It also refers to educational activities involving either one-time classes or ongoing Society university organizations, and meetings where participants share skills or discuss the business of the group.....
B. Requirements for Participants at Society events
Anyone may attend Society events provided he or she wears an attempt at pre-17th century clothing, conforms to the provisions in Corpora, and complies with any other requirements (such as site fees or
waivers) which may be imposed. At business meetings and informal classes, the requirement to wear pre-17th century dress may be waived. All participants are expected to behave as ladies or gentlemen."
That's it. That is ALL that is expected. Show up in an attempt at pre-17th century dress and behave as a lady or gentleman. Technically, if one shows up wrapped in a bed sheet and sits quietly in a corner for the entire event, the requirements for participation has been fulfilled, though I can't imagine it would be much fun.
I teach. Sometimes at events, much more often on electronic SCA fora or via email.
I write about any number of projects I work on and I share it at http://www.wodefordhall.com - because what I do should be available to SCA members, cosplayers, and anyone else who gives a rat's backside
about said projects. (I did publish one of these in TI a number of years ago, but this way people can read it for free.)
I don't need a single peer to mentor me because I prefer equal opportunity brain pickage (peer and non-peer alike) to limiting my options.
Personally, I find competitions non-productive and aggravating. (I did use a recent kingdom championship as a bully pulpit to display some of my Japanese research and I managed, to my great glee and profound
relief, to get away scot free without seeing a single judging sheet reduce my hard work to a bunch of arbitrary numbers or having to feel like my art was part of a horse race. If anyone saw my work and learned something from it, great. If not, great.)
So I don't have to write it again, I append a link to an entry from my journal, written in answer to an Arts Minister who wanted me to drag something I made to use in my camp to a display and why I objected to
doing so. Be sure to read the comments as well. I think you will find that a number of people have considered other ways to participate besides the ubiquitous A&S competition:
http://gurdymonkey.livejournal.com/213461.html
The strength of the SCA is its flexibility. You put in what you get out and if you want to dress up and party, and if you want to hit people with sticks, that's OK,and if you want to go sheep to shawl and put it on a table for all the world to see, that's ok, that's OK, and if you want to create and research items for your own use and not put it on a table where you can't use it, that's OK too.
Jehanne de Wodeford, Armiger, artisan, devil's advocate
West Kingdom
She writes: We've all on this list either joined the SCA, or at least paid to walk in through troll at an event or two, correct? With that in mind, I ask of us: why did we join? And I also ask of us: did we join only to renounce the policies of the very club that we sought out?
While there are certainly cases here and there of Laurels and other Peers doing things that are not very peer-like, the overall consensus among folks who join the SCA is that Peers are the big shots in this
game we're playing, and we treat them as such. The fact that the vast majority of Laurels earned their peerage through good research and sound craftsmanship is just part of what makes it easy to give them
the requested respect. No disrespect to talented people who have not yet made Laurel, but hey, why not give those leaves their due?
I am puzzled at the notion of joining a club only to renounce it's traditions, snub it's activities, and to additionally proclaim that the club's most esteemed and senior members "ain't so special."
Entering A&S, teaching a class, sending an article into an SCA publication, and yes, honoring Peers .... these are all examples of the kind of participation expected of SCA members. (something about
being an educational non-profit, I'm guessing. not just 'cause it's nice.) For those of us so fortunate as to have the focus and interest in better quality historical research, the call to participate in those ways is even more pronounced.
Perhaps being uncooperative, isolationist, and disrespectful is more historically accurate than participating, teaching, publishing, and honoring Peers.... but I don't think so.
I coulda just stayed home and admired my own handiwork. Instead, I joined the SCA, so I could participate with everyone and play by the rules.
My response: "What Corpora says:
"A. Society Events Defined
The term "Society event" refers to tournaments, feasts, and other activities whereby participants can display the results of their researches into the culture and technology of the period in an environment which evokes the atmosphere of the pre-17th century European Middle Ages and Renaissance. It also refers to educational activities involving either one-time classes or ongoing Society university organizations, and meetings where participants share skills or discuss the business of the group.....
B. Requirements for Participants at Society events
Anyone may attend Society events provided he or she wears an attempt at pre-17th century clothing, conforms to the provisions in Corpora, and complies with any other requirements (such as site fees or
waivers) which may be imposed. At business meetings and informal classes, the requirement to wear pre-17th century dress may be waived. All participants are expected to behave as ladies or gentlemen."
That's it. That is ALL that is expected. Show up in an attempt at pre-17th century dress and behave as a lady or gentleman. Technically, if one shows up wrapped in a bed sheet and sits quietly in a corner for the entire event, the requirements for participation has been fulfilled, though I can't imagine it would be much fun.
I teach. Sometimes at events, much more often on electronic SCA fora or via email.
I write about any number of projects I work on and I share it at http://www.wodefordhall.com - because what I do should be available to SCA members, cosplayers, and anyone else who gives a rat's backside
about said projects. (I did publish one of these in TI a number of years ago, but this way people can read it for free.)
I don't need a single peer to mentor me because I prefer equal opportunity brain pickage (peer and non-peer alike) to limiting my options.
Personally, I find competitions non-productive and aggravating. (I did use a recent kingdom championship as a bully pulpit to display some of my Japanese research and I managed, to my great glee and profound
relief, to get away scot free without seeing a single judging sheet reduce my hard work to a bunch of arbitrary numbers or having to feel like my art was part of a horse race. If anyone saw my work and learned something from it, great. If not, great.)
So I don't have to write it again, I append a link to an entry from my journal, written in answer to an Arts Minister who wanted me to drag something I made to use in my camp to a display and why I objected to
doing so. Be sure to read the comments as well. I think you will find that a number of people have considered other ways to participate besides the ubiquitous A&S competition:
http://gurdymonkey.livejournal.com/213461.html
The strength of the SCA is its flexibility. You put in what you get out and if you want to dress up and party, and if you want to hit people with sticks, that's OK,and if you want to go sheep to shawl and put it on a table for all the world to see, that's ok, that's OK, and if you want to create and research items for your own use and not put it on a table where you can't use it, that's OK too.
Jehanne de Wodeford, Armiger, artisan, devil's advocate
West Kingdom
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 03:47 am (UTC)Curiosity is now piqued.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 03:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 04:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 12:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 03:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 07:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-21 03:02 am (UTC)