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AS-ideas-msg - 1/9/96

 

Thoughts on and ideas for SCA Arts & Sciences.

 

NOTE: See also the files: 5x8-Doc-art, AS-compet-msg, AS-classes-msg,

AS-events-msg, AS-food-msg, AS-classes-lst.

 

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NOTICE -

 

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that

I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some

messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

 

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium.

These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

 

I have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with

seperate topics  were sometimes split into different files and sometimes

extraneous information was removed. For instance, the  message IDs  were

removed to save space and remove clutter.

 

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I

make no claims  as  to the accuracy  of  the information  given  by the

individual authors.

 

Please respect the time  and  efforts of  those who have written  these

messages. The  copyright status  of these messages  is  unclear  at this

time. If  information  is  published  from  these  messages, please give

credit to the orignator(s).

 

Thank you,

    Mark S. Harris                 AKA:  Lord Stefan li Rous

    mark.s.harris at motorola.com            stefan at florilegium.org

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Subj: A&S and awards (long)

Date: 21 May 92

From: cav at bnr.ca (Rick Cavasin)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.

 

Unto the good people of the Rialto does Balderik send

his greetings.

 

I have been following the assorted threads on this and

would like to contribute some thoughts on the matter as

this is something that has been much on the minds of

myself and a number of my associates.  Graydon has posted

some interesting and thought provoking comments on

authenticity and awards (By the way Graydon, if you really

do turn green at the thought of hand forged tools, you need

only come out to Wednesday A&S nights and you will find all

the equipment needed to forge your own tools).  One of his

comments that set me pondering was the one about someone

entering the society with a missionary zeal about authenticity

and being turned to crispy toast.  What of those people who

aquire an interest in authenticity AFTER joining?  I did.

If we allow that an appreciation for authenticity is a

good thing which we should encourage in the SCA populace

at large (and many of us seem to agree that it is), should

we not try to identify what it is that makes certain people

develop this appreciation? If such an appreciation can be

acquired by some, may we not try to alter circumstances in

such a way as to encourage it to be aquired by others?

In my case, I think it had alot

 

to do with the people I hung around with in my early days in

the SCA.  They weren't authenticity mavins.  They weren't dull

or stuffy.  They were folks. They were fun to be with.

What they did was never perfect, but they knew what the

goal was, and were always trying to get closer to the mark.

Back in those days, A&S was very big in Ealdormere

(then known as the 'E' word). One could reasonably expect the

number of entries at regional A&S to number in the hundreds.

All sorts of people entered, even people mainly known as

fighters.

 

Although some of these entries may not have been great, there

was an atmosphere that this was an integral part of participation

in the SCA.  People sat around and gabbed about their current

projects.  People who did research and produced projects

which were good recreations were held in no small esteem (regardless

of whether or not they had any danglies to show for it).

Such people were regarded as worthy of emulation.

Collegium type events were a regular thing.

 

The arts and sciences, though usually practiced on an individual

basis (as it often must be), was still very visible.  Since

then, interest seems to have plummeted.  The number of A&S

entries has dropped every year, and this year was a full order

of magnitude below what it was when I joined (despite an

increasing population).  Some people object to competitions,

others dislike the criteria, others dislike documentation,

some feel there is nothing to be gained, some (like me) have

been too busy researching and gathering equipment to actually

finish projects.  One important function of A&S competitions

that must be remembered is that it puts your work on display.

This will get you recognition (which you can take or leave),

but more importantly it lets people know what is being done.

There is much worthy work which might inspire others along

similar lines if they only knew about it.  While it is true

that we should all be doing good work for its own sake,

it helps to create an atmosphere in which the enthusiasm can

become contagious.  As Eiltinn na hUisnech pointed out, we

can learn some important leasons from how fighting works in

the society.

 

My postings seem to be aquiring a rather nostalgic flavour.  

Must be getting old.  

 

Cheers,

Balderik

 

<the end>



Formatting copyright © Mark S. Harris (THLord Stefan li Rous).
All other copyrights are property of the original article and message authors.

Comments to the Editor: stefan at florilegium.org