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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Good evening my Brothers and Sisters of the Bow. For those of you not on Facebook I saw a post today by Baron Ursus and I couldn’t stop thinking about his words. It really also applies to our archery community and I wanted to share it with you all. So here is what he posted:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333'>Since the Crown Tourney, I have been in contact with several of the fighters who participated, and they were almost unanimous in condemning their own performance. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333'>“Oh, some performance. I went 0-2…”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333'>...<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333'>“Sorry I didn’t win. I’ll try harder next time.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333'>This saddens me. I think (without naming names) that some of you have lost your way. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333'>Please allow me to make some observations and offer my opinion as a retired fighter and dedicated spectator for many, many years. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333'>The intent of participating in the Crown Tourney (and any Tourney) is not to win, but to fight with honor and make your Kingdom proud. If you win, that’s fantastic, but in my mind at least, it’s more important to stride on to the field with honor in your heart, fight the best you can, congratulate those who win and even those who lost. As long as you have remained true to yourself and fought honorably, you have helped to glorify the Kingdom and your fellow combatants. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333'>After all, in any Tourney, there can only be one winner. Does that mean the rest of you are losers? No, it does not. You took the field to honor your consort, yourself and your Kingdom. If you fought hard and the best you could, you are a winner also.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333'>Never forget that. Be proud of the fact that you faced the best your Kingdom had to offer, and helped make the Crown Tourney even more special by simply walking on to the field. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333'>Everyone who fought in the Crown Tourney are champions in their own right. There can be only one ultimate winner and future King, but you did your consort, yourself and your Kingdom proud by just being on that field.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"'>These very wise words also apply to us and our community. After this year’s Kingdom Archery Championship, I had discussions with many of you and I was shocked at what I was hearing from many of you. We are all competitive and there is nothing wrong with that. I joined the SCA for one reason, fun. Ever since I joined, I cant think of a time when I did not have in our archery community and it is the commradrery, friendships, laughs and stories that make me smile and come back. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"'>So I thought this was fitting to post and I hope you all agree, everyone who shoots at an event or Kingdom Championship are winners and Champions in my opinion. It is not an unknown fact that Atlantia has some of the best archers in the known world. If we can ever get the Known world archery championship we have been working on for years off the ground, we would show the world this for real. I am proud to be an Atlantian archer and so should you!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"'>In Service<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"'>Janyn<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"'>“Those who stand for nothing, will fall for anything!” –Alexander Hamilton<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>