[MR] From a SCA Cook

[Orla Carey]

Greetings unto the populace,


 For those who do not know me, my name is Lady Tirzah MacCrudden and I tend
to cook feasts as often as I can justify because it gives me the opportunity
to cook feasts for my friends (and I consider most of the people who attend
events to be my friend, even if I have not met them yet.)


 Perhaps I am unique in the way I price my feasts for SCA purposes but, as
my friend Orla says, I can make a penny cry. Despite being able to always
keep within budget I, in all my years of cooking for SCA feasts, have never
included the 8 seats at high table in my calculations of how much I can
spend. If I do something special for High Table, it comes out of my pocket.
If I were to go over budget it would come from my own pocket. Likewise, in
general, I supply such supplies as oil, spices, salt, pepper and sugar from
my own kitchen so as to spend more money on the actual main ingredients
served. I do these things so that my friends can have the best possible
feast I can give them; I do them because when I volunteer to cook a feast I
am not just donating my time and my experience, but from my own purse too.


 It would seem like I should be agreeing whole-heartedly with Their
Highness's letter in the August Acorn, so why do I have such a extremely
negative reaction to it?


 If I may quote from the letter for clarity and for those who have not seen
it:


 "On another note please know that We are deeply saddened to learn that some
group's financial policies include provisions for charging Our guests at Our
high table. This is simply rude and We find it unacceptable. Profit should
never replace the mark of a good host. As such We will not attend events
that have such a policy in place and urge any group with such a policy to
really sit down and examine their reasoning for it. We would encourage you
all to reconsider such policies and to embrace the joys of being generous
hosts and allowing those invited guests to be treated as such."


 Courtesy and honor are reflected in doing things without being told or
asked to do it. Were Their Highness' to have simply asked for groups to
ensure that High Table guests not be charged, without the threat of "We will
not attend events" that do, it could have been a gentle request and
reminder, instead of a Royal Demand. Worse, I feel that this demand impinges
on my honor and stands in the way of allowing people to do the courteous
thing. If I may quote from someone who's words so well sum up my belief on
the abuse of hospitality, an issue of this year's Pennsic Independent this
year held an article by Emily Postal, 'The Road to Ruination (or how to
wreck Pennsic in three easy steps),' "Treating hospitality as an obligation,
and not as a gift, even when custom or tradition obligates us to give it." I
feel that this demand from their Highness's does exactly this, turning
something that we do from our hearts into an obligation, rendering it
meaningless. Something that I used to do for the love of my friends and
Kingdom has been rendered to ash in my mouth.


 In simple words, I have been made to feel rude and discourteous by those
who should be defending my honor, not impugning it.


 From a hurt and saddened feast cook, who gives much for her Kingdom.


 The Honorable Lady Tirzah MacCrudden