[MR] peerage confusion from newcomers

[Dryw Freed]

Although I think even here, there's a lot of wiggle room. Define "willing to
teach." Taking on one student at a time and doing a really great job with
them? Teaching lots of local people a couple of times a month? Teaching at
events? What is a "working knowledge of chess?" Know the pieces and how they
move, or be able to win on occasion? If the latter, how often and against
whom? And don't even get me started on the "proficient in fighting"
question! (I've listened to waaaaay to many conversations between fighters
to think that that's a clear-cut standard.)

I would have similar concerns about the other peerages. Exactly how do you
quantify the  qualities required for those peers? I'm imagining some crazy
formula for pelicans where running an event is X points, and serving as a
baronial office is Y points, and helping new people get their kits together
is Z points...and what about the people who serve by cleaning toilets? How
many toilets does it take to equal running the local fighter practice? What
about the people whose service isn't on said list of traits?

I agree that the current system has its definite down sides, but I'm not
sure that there's a really good way to make peerage cut and dried, either.

Regards,
Dryw

On Tue, Jul 26, 2011 at 1:52 PM, Tom Conti <sir_theron at hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> Honestly your really close to what we discuss..
> Aside from the dancing (which Mike has declared we must make amends for) we
> still require the rest. All these years and we still want and require a
> Knight (all peerages actually) to be an ambassador for the Kingdom and the
> Society.
>
> Sir Theron Andronikos
> Order Principle (Chivalry)
> Atlantia
>
>
>
> > Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2011 10:35:25 -0700
> > From: gwynwilf1wolf at yahoo.com
> > To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
> > Subject: [MR] peerage confusion from newcomers
> >
> > one of the chief complaints I have heard from newcomers is, just how  do
> you become a peer?  many other groups have clear rules for advancement in
> title or rank, but ours are rather fuzzy and end up sounding too much like a
> popularity contest.
> >
> > way back a million years ago, to be a knight in the SCA you had to be
> proficient at arms, be willing to teach , have a working knowledge of chess,
> be able to perform at court, and know three dances well enough to teach
> them.  I know , it's been extinct for decades  now.  University has clear
> guidelines for their awards, it would be simple enough for the peers to lay
> out a basic guideline of what is expected for each order, and still involve
> polling the orders.  But at least when someone says, how do I become a
> knight, or a pelican, etc. we can give them something to get them on the
> path and avoid some of the frustration  of  "I've been in the SCA ten years
> and so and so has only been in one year....." I have heard it many times.
> > ========================================================================
> > The Merry Rose Tavern at Cheapside
> > List Info: http://merryrose.atlantia.sca.org/
> > Submissions: Atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org
> > Subscriptions:
> http://seahorse.atlantia.sca.org/listinfo.cgi/atlantia-atlantia.sca.org
>
> ========================================================================
>                   The Merry Rose Tavern at Cheapside
>    List Info: http://merryrose.atlantia.sca.org/
>  Submissions: Atlantia at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org
> Subscriptions:
> http://seahorse.atlantia.sca.org/listinfo.cgi/atlantia-atlantia.sca.org
>



-- 
“When test scores go up, we should worry, because of how poor a measure they
are of what matters, and what you typically sacrifice in a desperate effort
to raise scores.” -Alfie Kohn

Live life one CUPCAKE at a time!