[MR] Do we live the Dream?

[Drake Dawson]

Greetings everyone,

In the middle of a conversation with someone from another Kingdom
tonight the subject of "The Dream" was brought up.

This prompted me to think a bit and in turn ask you the good people of
this great Kingdom on your opinions. As we as members and people who
put into the SCA what do we put into it and take out of it. Do we live
the dream if you will. I have noticed that more and more I have seen
people who use the Society as a place to wear old clothes, get drunk
and have relations as if it was no more than a place that turned a
blind eye to debauchery. I'm not pushing a temperance motive here but
more of a question of why do we do this thing called the SCA.

When we go to an event, do we actual play the part of our persona's or
do we go as our mundane selves but in different clothing. When we go
into the lists, do we do it in search of the thrill of fighting,
honing our skills so that we might better serve the Crown in time of
war and defend the honor of our Consorts or do we do it because we
like hitting each other with sticks and feeling powerful.

When we attend court do we do it out of respect to the Crown and what
might be said, to honor those that have been recognized by the Crown
for service, skill or other reason. To show our love and respect to
the Kingdom or do we do it so that we can go and hope to get an award
and feel that we are better than those who are not SCAdian because we
have royal courts and things of that nature.

When we do A&S is it to show respect to the traditions of the ages
gone by, to learn a new skill or learn more about the ages past or do
we do it so that we might get recognized for it or show that we are
better than others or anything like that.

What is "The Dream". My opinion it is The Dream that we can keep the
middle ages alive and well in the modern times, not to loose the
history that was there and the skills and notion of honor chivalry and
courtesy that once reigned in those days and to try to make our
mundane lives better by taking those virtues and applying them to our
mundane lives and touch that which we can to make it better. The Dream
was very well put in an article that i saw long ago come across the MR
and wish someone could post it again it was called "Stardust". If any
have it please post it or email it to me personally.

I suppose we must ask ourselves what it is we do this for and work to
that goal, I just don't want to see our fair Society turned into an
Anachronism itself by leaving the roots and the dream that it started
out.

I do apologize to any I may have offend with this and if you would
like to speak with me privately about it please do not hesitate to
email me at drakedawson at gmail.com, these are just my thoughts at 2:30
in the morning and it struck a cord with me. I am not accusing anyone
of anything but just wanting to find out what people perceive the
Dream as, what it should be.

This is a snippet of the conversation that started this edited for privacy

Me:but what of the dream?

X:the dream?

X:oh gods

X:you mean the "in service to the dream" thing?

Me:there is something i got years ago off the MR list that defined the
dream....was something called Stardust

Me:aye, the dream of keeping the historical ages alive

X:that's for pompous asses who think they deserve awards for each and
every thing they do, or think they are "more period" than anyone else,
even if they aren't

This is not really what the dream that the Society was build on has
become, at least I hope not. We pretty much all are amature historians
reliving a part of the past that feels close to us and honoring that
time period in reenactments to me. Let us keep "The Dream" alive and
continue to make Atlantia a shining example of what that embodies

Once again I mean offence to none and if you wish to speak with me
about this personally please email me

In service to the Dream
~Donngal MacGregor
mka Drake Dawson