[MR] Rumors and pollings

[Richard Fitzgilbert]

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


-----Original Message-----
From: atlantia-bounces at atlantia.sca.org
[mailto:atlantia-bounces at atlantia.sca.org] On Behalf Of Stan Harmon
Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2004 5:26 PM
To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
Cc: brnsacstone at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [MR] Rumors and pollings

        This past week a terrible rumor has past my ears.  I know this
to be 
a rumor because I know that the people who have control of such things
have 
great honor and intregrity.  This rumor goes something like this.  That
a 
poll once sent out for what ever reason is later shown the the people
who 
are involved in that poll.  I for one have been involved in more then
one 
polling with my name being submitted in those polls.  There may have
been 
people who have not agreed with that I should or should not be selected
for 
a certain honor.  To this date I have no idea od who they are nor who
stood 
by the selection of me for that award. This is how is should be.  I have
the 
great confidenced that should one receive a poll and cast thier vote
either 
yea or nay that that information will be kept in the strictess
confidence by 
those who receive them.  Vivat for the people of the SCA and Atlantia
for 
they are the living Spirit of Chivalry.



In your service
Lord Galen Storm

The secret to fencing consists of two things: to give and to not 
receive....Moliere [Jean Baptiste Poquelin] (1622-1673), French...

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