[MR] Tokens left for A&S entries was gift giving and A&S judging

[Olwen the Odd]

Somehow this is not the same almost at all but here goes.

I have seen folks who leave tokens of appreciation for A&S entries over the 
course of the last many years and have even gotten a few myself and found 
this a kind and encouraging gesture.

More recently I have watched this kindly gesture turn into something that 
holds almost no meaning any longer, on two levels.

Over time I have seen more and more computer generated business cards, 
sometimes with a bead or something attached and sometimes not.  Now, I know 
your heart means well, but let's face it, this is the SCA and we are trying 
to recreate the past.  So you plunk down your computer generated business 
card on top of a hand made re-creation to show you appreciate the 
workmanship and/or documentation.  hhhhhhmmmmmmmmm.........  But the part 
that I find worse is that more and more often people are just plunking down 
their cards or tokens on ALL the entries, magnificent, horrible, and 
everything in between.

Now, put yourself (if you have been there you probably know what I'm talking 
about here) in the place of the artisan who works very hard on a project 
that has sometimes taken over their life for a while; one who does the 
research and the documentation and sets forth a beautiful display which  
sits on the table next to a project that may be made by someone who has 
entered an ok piece of work with little or no documentation, or maybe 
something that is done by a complete novice in the skill set.  All of these 
happen, and that is just the way it is supposed to be.  Nobody ever came out 
with any more skills than the other - we all knew how to breath - that's it 
- everything else is a learning experience.  Ok, back to the topic... It is 
perfectly fine for any one of us to appreciate someone's work, even if it 
isn't the best "knock your socks off" thing on the table.  Sometimes the 
"knock your socks off" thing is not *your* thing.  Maybe the item by a 
not-so-good novice *is*your thing, leave a token!  It is even better if we 
let someone know that we really *LIKE* their project!  But how does an 
artist KNOW if they see the very same token at every piece of art on the 
table?

Of course we would all like to say how much we appreciate everyone for 
entering a competition or display, but if we all did then the arts would be 
buried in tokens.  Instead, we may consider getting back to the idea of 
leaving a small token of our appreciation for the particular items that we 
enjoy, thus giving more meaning to that token.

OK, I'm stepping down from the haybale now and readying myself for the 
pitchfork toss.

Cariad a heddwch (love and peace)

Dame Olwen the Odd
Laurel to Lady Katherine O'Carroll
Order of the Pearl
Bright Hills Cooks Guild
House Blackstar
Barony of Bright Hills
Kingdom of Atlantia!

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