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Alternate methods for choosing Royalty




Poster: "Richard A. Wilson" <ravenglas@mindspring.com>

>Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 19:00:32 -0400
>To: atlantia@atlantia.sca.org
>From: "Richard A. Wilson" <ravenglas@mindspring.com>
>Subject: Alternate methods for choosing Royalty
>
>Good Gentles all,
>
>It is rare that I have the desire to post in such a venue; normally I read
what I find here merely to keep track of what's going on and occasionally I
find something that gives me a good chuckle.  However, as a Royal Peer (and
one of those "elitist" thugs), I thought that I might share my opinions on
this most recent thread.
>
>First, let me congratulate you on coming up with a very UNoriginal idea.
The MSR (Medieval Studies and Recreation, I think) is a splinter group from
the SCA that was founded some years ago by a man who couldn't win Crown.
The MSR has a very similar selection process for their Kings and Queens.
They hold a preliminary tourney to the Quarter-Final stage.  The eight
finalists each must raise a five-man melee team to fight in the following
tourney, which is fought round-robin style to the Finals.  The two
finalists must then raise an army for a third event, the Grand Melee, the
winners of which are the Rightful Sovereigns of Acre.
>Did I forget to mention that you don't have to fight in the Tourney
yourself, you are permitted a champion?
>     If you want political intrigue, you really open up the possibilities
with a process like this one or the one mentioned by  Gene Bonar.  We are
all honorable people, or at least we all claim to be, but can you imagine
"I'll fight for your faction if "X" gets "Y" award if you win."  I'm not
saying it WILL happen, only that it COULD!
>
>     Any process that we use to select Royalty will be unfair to somebody.
 Personally, a fighting, fencing, archery, A&S entry-style Crown Tourney
would suit me very well.  Actually, you can all just stay home, Because
I'll be the Once and Everyother King of Atlantia.  (The preceding was
humor, laugh or get over it!)
>My point is, whatever method we choose will be "elitist" in some respect.
Winning is "elitist" because we're choosing the best in some category.  Let
me put forth a thought for you all to chew on.
>
>You become a top-quality heavy fighter the same way you become a Laurel or
a Provost or any other endeavor that you think should make you eligible to
win Crown.  You train, you work hard, you study and as the Nike commercial
puts so aptly "JUST DO IT".  Fighting is an art and a science.  Its not a
matter of size or reflexes or speed.  It's a matter of desire and training
and experience.  Notice that I put desire first.  It's important.
>
>When you are talking about the selection of King and Queen, by whatever
method, there are no disinterested parties and if you think differently,
Alice, go back to Wonderland.  You're not living in anything remotely
resembling reality, either mundane or Our Current Middle Ages.  The next
thing that will be suggested is voting for Royalty.
>
>If you want an historically-oriented method of choosing Royalty, how about
letting the Royal Family decide?  Of course, the Royal Family would be
comprised of the Dukes and Duchesses, Counts, Jarls, Earls and Countesses,
but it would be more correct than the system we have now.
>
>This whole thread is basically about the "Haves" and the "Have-nots".
Changing the system will only change the contents of those sub-sets, not
the feeling of being excluded because "I'm not good enough".  If you have
the desire to be "good enough", then use the system we have in place.  It's
not perfect, but it's worked for over thirty years.  It's certainly not
"Broken"!!!
>
>And for those of you who are not watching your scorecards, I have not yet
won an Atlantian Crown Tourney.  Desire? Hmmm.
>
>Count Kai de Ravenglas
>Tsuranaga-dono, 51st King of the East
>KSCA, CTC, CS, ad infinitum, ad nauseum
>
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