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
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credit to the orignator(s).

Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  Lord Stefan li Rous
    mark.s.harris@motorola.com            stefan@florilegium.org
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Subj: A&S and awards (long)
Date: 21 May 92 
From: cav@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>
Edited by Mark S. Harris	AS-ideas-msg