Re: FW: [sca-archery]: SCA archery peerage

[SCAVard@aol.com]

Poster: SCAVard@aol.com

Scriptsit krztina@mindspring.com:

> When this subject lastcame up, I hunted through my olde files and dusted off
> this draft and made some minor changes. It is kind of an end run
> around the idea of an SCA Archery Peerage.
>
> [snippage]
> 
> Most of the kingdoms already have their own archery orders, with some of
> the orders an Award or Grant of Arms is given as well.  But there is no
> Society wide order  recognizing outstanding skill in archery, as  the
> Order of Chivalry does tourney combat, the O.L.  excellence in Arts and
> Sciences, or the O.P. rewards service.

Hmmm... being an archer myself, I like the idea of recognition, however, I 
have to take a moment to split a hair here, my friend.

The Order of the Chivalry does not exist merely to recognize outstanding 
skill in tourney combat, and I for one am glad of it.  The Chivalry is 
supposed to be about skill AND behavior, not merely being the biggest, 
strongest guy on the block.  If membership were based merely on skill, there 
would likely be many while belts running around who would not, in my opinion, 
be "Knights".

As the saying goes, "There are Knights, and there are the Knighted".  I have 
met both.

There are many many excellent treatises which have been written by people 
much better-qualified than myself on this subject.  The writings of Duke 
Cariadoc, KSCA, OP, OL, etc, is as good a place to begin as any.  I can 
recommend a specific piece of his, entitled "Concerning Knighthood", which 
Master Gregory Blount, OL, maintains at 
<http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cariadoc/knighthood.html>.

Copora indeed states that a candidate must be considered the equal of his or 
her prospective peers with the basic weapons of tournament comba.  However, 
there are many, many other requirements.  It is encouraged reading: 
VII.A.4.a.(2). Likewise, the Laurelate rewards those who have not only 
mastered their particular art or science, but who have taught others their 
skill to a degree well beyond that expected of SCA members, and the Pelicanry 
(if that is indeed a word)  has similar above-and-beyond expectations.

I apologize for being so nit-pickish -- such is normally not my station, as I 
find I much more often the pick-ee rather than the pick-er.  However, there 
is a significant distinction between Peerage being earned as intended and 
Peerage bestowed merely as a merit badge for achieving a certain level of 
proficiency.  I do not believe that the original wording of your posting 
caught that distinction.

Yours in service,
// Vard //

Lord Edvard Gayer, Chronicler
Barony of Dun Carraig, Atlantia
http://members.aol.com/SCAVard
=======================================================================
List Archives, FAQ, FTP:  http://merryrose.atlantia.sca.org/
            Submissions:  atlantia@atlantia.sca.org
        Admin. requests:  majordomo@atlantia.sca.org