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

[Cecelia Hughes]

Lady Blitha here in Sudentorre leaves what might look like
insignificant beads attached to a card to the uninitiated, but they are
actually hand-made glass beaded veil pins.  It is sometimes difficult
to identify things when you don't know the background of the piece.

Graidhne
 
--- Martelle von Charlottenburg <baronessbrighthills at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hmmmm, very good points you make Olwen. 
> 
> I like to use my card not only as an ID of who left the token but as
> a small note card for leaving a comment. Cards can be made to look
> more handmade or can actually BE hand made. I am fortunate that my
> cards were designed by one of our artisans and have a nice
> illumination design and calligraphy hand.
> 
> I have to say I personally treasure the notes or tokens of
> encouragement. I have my own "I don't suck" box that I save each and
> every token and note in for those days that I'm having a bad time in
> my SCA art. I can open the box and read the kind notes and be
> reminded that, hey, maybe I don't really suck. I save the beads up
> and make Viking Necklaces out of them.
> 
> Folks should not feel their tokens are unappreciated. They are a
> small gesture that has a lot a bang for the buck. 
> 
> These are good words for thought and I know I will consider how I
> give tokens so that they can be the most meaningful to the artisans I
> wish to honor.
> 
> yours,
> Martelle
> 
> Olwen the Odd <olwentheodd at hotmail.com> wrote: 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!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Come and visit the Bright Hills Baronial Household list.
> It is open to all who would like to help me with my Baronial
> duties and projects. 
> 
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BrightHillsBaronialHousehold/
>  
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