An idea.......

[patgund]

At Queen's Champion, my friend Rachael came out to pay a visit to Caid and the SCA.

Or, as she calls it, the Laurel Kingdoms. Rachael, you see, is also Dame Kendra, Herald/Sovereign of Arms for the Kingdom of Terre Neuve in the Adrian Empire.

Mundanely, she's a theatrical costumer as well. Her husband and their two daughters also play in Adria as well, and she's been on the throne of Terre Neuve once already.

She said the most fun she had was, other than seeing me and meeting my daughter, was:

1) Discussing costuming with marymont
2) Discussing heraldry with scottishdm
3) Seeing the chivalry calendar that is being sold to raise money for new thrones. (with a few "Oh My!" comments on the eye candy)
4) Meeting various "cousins in the dream".

This got me to thinking of something.......

How difficult would it be to, some weekend or another, have a heraldry.....I dunno what to call it. "Party"? "Symposium"? "Collegium"? "No s**t, they submitted this...."? Basically a day or even two for interested SCA and Adrian heralds to get together, chat, share notes, trade ideas, gossip, or otherwise "geek out" on matters heraldic.

Would this be a bad thing?

The SCA and Adria are different expressions of the same dream. There has been some negative attitudes on both sides towards the other in the past. Nevertheless, as Dame Kendra said, we *are* cousins in the dream. We have very simular interests, very simular reasons for spending our weekends going back into an idealized time on nobility, honour, and chivalry. Everytime I have visited Adrian events, I have been treated with the courtesy of my SCA title and rank, and I was overjoyed to see my fellow Caidians extend this courtesy in return to my friend. This tells me that maybe having both groups talking to each other about things in common may not be a bad thing.

And we may, just may, have things we can teach each other in the process. As protege to a herald, and friend to an Adrian herald, I can see where heralds in both groups would have a field day chatting shop with each other. As a chirurgeon, I can see where SCA chirurgeons and Adrian physickers could have a lot to say about health and safety (and armor extraction) with each other. And so on.

I have no problems with the two groups being seperate expressions of the Dream. But that being said, how difficult would it be for either group to start talking and learning from the other?

(crossposted to patgund and caid

Comments

[electorprince.livejournal.com]

You'll probably have better luck cross-pollinating with these guys at a heraldry symposium than you would, say, Amtgard, where the differences are so vast that they overwhelm the similiarities. I wish you fortune in this endeavour.

[peaseblossom03.livejournal.com]

Someone once said that it's not the Dream that's the hard part, it's the "the".

I've long said that SCAdians and Rennies could teach each other lots of things. They could teach us how to talk. We could teach them how to dress. They could teach us how to let loose and have fun a little more. We could teach them about How It Was Done Back Then. And that's "teach", not "force". A lot of longer-time SCAdians seem to forget the difference.

Adrian Empire is not Rennie

[mysryael.livejournal.com]

My dear gentle,
The Adrian Empire was created some 17 years ago by very good people
who disagreed with points in the organizational makeup of the Society for Cretive Anachronism. It was unfortunate that the gentles who felt the need to express their idea of the dream had to leave our good company.

It is encouraging to see that forays from both sides are "happening".

It gives me hope that elements of both sides have seasoned their tolerance
well enough that we may eventually be able to all play together with some
simple modifications on both sides.

AnneCathryn of Wicken Bonhunt,
Kingdom of Caid

Re: Adrian Empire is not Rennie

[patgund.livejournal.com]

Getting both sides to talk, especially informally, is a step. What we saw sunday with one person chatting shop with someone else in the other group, was a step. The question is, how can we encourage such?

I like the idea of a "party"-type day, a chance for heralds on both sides to let down their hair, break out the books, and "geek out" for a day or two. The idea on the Caid LJ community thread also had merit - inviting Adrian heralds to the KWHS in Caid next year.

Both groups can learn from each other - the question is how to arrange the teaching?

Oh and by the way...

[peaseblossom03.livejournal.com]

"Chivalry calendar"? E-me...

Fence, what?

[shinobimaasch.livejournal.com]

Having also stepped on both sides of the Adrian-SCA gap, I think that it is an entirelly do-able event to have a meeting of like minds and learn. Unfortunately, I also believe that it depends greatly on the open-mindedness of the people meeting. I know that there are many people (yourself, myself, Rachael, Jolie, Lisa, and others) where swapping information and humor would be no problem. But there are others, who come to mind, where proving a point (Kurt) is more important than sharing. So then, the more important aspect would be if the sharing out weighs a possible descenting situation. For my own oppinion, I think it won't hurt to try. If I can come up with something to help prevent a "my-way-is-better-than-yours" situation from getting out of hand, I'll repost here to let you know.
Goodluck and Happiness to you always ^_^

Re: Fence, what?

[patgund.livejournal.com]

Which is why I was thinking something more informal. Just a chance to sit down and talk shop about their field of interest, without trying for a "my/our way is best" penis length contest. Small steps....

Re: Fence, what?

[patgund.livejournal.com]

The problem - There are people on BOTH sides with a knee-jerk reaction to the other. I know SCA members that dismiss anything Adrian out of hand as a bunch of "wannabes", and Adrians with a deep-rooted dislike - if not hatred - of anything SCA related.

There's only two ways to solve this problem - education, and communication. Both sides have much to teach each other, both sides have much to learn from each other. The first step is to open lines of communication. As equals.

From what I understand, the Known World Rapier Symposium invited Adrian members to take part. That was a good step. Let's see what we can do to encourage more interaction between the groups.

I admit, there's a few pie-in-the sky ideas that come to mind. A mutual collegium sometime. Maybe something silly like sending gifts to monarchs on both sides on the occasion of their stepping up. But those are in the future. Baby steps now.

There are, as you said, those (on both sides) that feel proving a point or "my way is better than yours" will be more important. Let's see what we can do to make that an exception, rather than a rule.

[maedb.livejournal.com]

Good gentle,
It would be wonderful to see more cross play between the two groups. I know that it is encouraged from our side and we have many SCAdians as Adrian members (we even offer discounted membership to SCA members to help encourage it). I've been in Adria since 1996 and I have watched with joy as attitudes seem to have softened on both sides. I liken it to a child growing up and cutting the apron strings. For awhile, it's difficult for both the parent *and* the child, but with maturity (on both sides usually), the bond can reform. We have more in common than we have in difference. I know that I have many friends, both in "real" life and in cyberspace that are members of the SCA, and I love to "talk shop". I long ago would have joined the SCA but health issues have prohibited it. I did make it out to one event last year that was a real kick in the pants. My husband and I were guests of Aeddie and Mary (forgive me - I'm absolutely horrible about formal titles and such, no disrespect is intended), and their Baroness. We had a blast. An absolute blast. We encountered no ill will toward us or Adria, and it was heartening to see that. I can only hope that the welcome we received there is an indication of the warmness of the rest of Caid. If so, I can guarantee there will be much cross play and enjoyment between the two groups.

[patgund.livejournal.com]

Good lady

Agreed. I've kept up my Adrian membership even though I don't play often there, (and not at all over the last year due to being in the Middle East for a year). Chuckle - first I've heard of a discount :-D

We *do* have more in common that not. And encouraging communication in those areas we have in common - communication as *equals* - would do both groups good. Both groups can learn from each other.

I'm not going to say there will be a universal feeling of good will from either side - I know some SCA members with a low opinion of the Empire, and several of my Adrian friends have, not to put too fine a point on it, a dislike bordering on hatred for the SCA. I would like to believe such is the exception rather than the rule, and that the negative attitudes on both sides can be overcome in time, patience, and communication.

The feedback I've gotten from both groups for an informal heraldic get-together - much less the idea of inviting the heraldic colleges from Esperance and Terra Neuve to the NWHS in Caid next year - has been very positive. Now, let's see what we can do to turn it into reality.

(Chuckle) How's this for a far-fetched idea - running a joint collegium someday. It might have to be unofficial, but maybe the best way to get things running is to have people in both groups teach mixed classes.

In service to our mutual Dream
Padraig o Connell