[MR] Rumors and pollings

[Richard Mowbray]

--- Richard Fitzgilbert <RichardFitzgilbert at JCSussman.org> wrote:
> Greetings and Felicitations from Richard Unto Lord Galen Storm!
> 
> This is just my opinion about pollings and you would probably get a
> different view from other members of our polling orders.  This is
> probably worth less than my two pence worth. 
> Lord Galen, I believe you have made a very common mistaken
assumption. It is incorrect to assume that polling responses are secret
> communications.  While we can all hope that these responses are not
> shared inappropriately, one should assume that the content of these
> will become know to others than the current Crowns.  It is easy to
imagine a situation where a Crown will pass along the responses from a
polling response to the peer or teacher of a particular candidate to
help them in their activities.  It is easy to imagine that peer or
teacher deciding to disseminate that information as well.
> 
> That hard cold truth of the matter is that the information in
> pollings, as well as opinions expressed in order meetings, is often
assumed to be secret and is almost always not kept secret.  Our modern
> sensibilities lead us to make this assumption.  If instead, we assume
that polling responses are made by people who are doing their best to
fulfill their responsibilities to their orders and that further use of
that information is also made with forthright intentions (and in
careful and courteous manner) then it's not so hard to deal with the
cold hard reality that reveals that this commentary is also grist for
the rumor mill.  
> 
> It is my contention that proper sharing of this information, in a
> clear and courteous fashion, is the best way to avoid the
misinformation and melodrama that the rumor mill generates.  For this
reason, I try to make sure that any candidate, that I've commented on
at length, knows exactly how I feel (if they care!) and has an
opportunity to explain anything they want to explain and ask me any
questions they want.  This is most often true for the knight
candidates, but it also applies to the other
> orders for which I have the privilege of being sent pollings.
 
> Yours In Service To Atlantia,
> Jeffrey Sussman
 
 I find myself to be in near total agrrement with this comment. Well
said, Your Grace.
it reminds me of the old and happily done-away-with policy about
anonymous polling responses. You got some weird stuff if you didn't
have to sign your name to it. Thank Goodness that's gone.

=====
I Live to Serve
Sir Richard

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