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The Necessary Servant

by THL Catelin Spenser of Newmarket, Member of the Wyvern's Council

I had one of those “deep philosophical conversations” recently with a friend, a knight of An Tir and mentor. We’ve been having these conversations for a number of years and the subject matters have run the gambit. This most recent one centered on the subject of PLQ’s or Peer Like Qualities, those behaviors which go beyond the fighting prowess of a member of the Chivalry, beyond the artistic talents of a Laurel and exemplify the “people skills” of courtesy, sportsmanship, honor etc…

I left the Pelican and service from the aforementioned list for reason, as it was pertinent to the conversation, and is the subject of my missive. It was his ascertain that recognition for service was not medieval, in the context of the game. He surmised that a Knight, by virtue of his skill at arms, in the recreation of period combat was medieval and that a Laurel, by example of their endeavors in promoting period arts and sciences was medieval and as such, should be recognized for the contributions. He opined that a “protégé relationship, the one between a Pelican and their student was far from medieval in its concept, that while artists took students and knights took on squires, no one took on students to teach them to be better administrators. My philosophical partner-in-crime, also involved in many of these discussions, and I jumped in trying to affect a change of Sir Knight’s opinions.

I don’t know about you but I tried my hand on the marshallate side of the house. I fenced for a while for the fun and adventure, knowing full well that my talents were a far cry from the masters of the sport. Equestrian activities are my first love, but the vagaries of the activity in its infancy and my horse’s predilection to choose mule as his persona meant that I had little future in that. I tried my hand at the finer arts; remembering fondly the event where three well-meaning ladies tried to teach me tatting to no avail. Costuming was right out, my mantra “hems aren’t period” the battle cry when I got to the end of a project and just couldn’t stand the thought of more handwork. I can weld a calligraphy nib and can illuminate with ease but neither of those skills will ever put bread on the table so to speak.

“Darn! There’s got to be something I can do, that I enjoy doing, that I can make a meaningful contribution to the society…” The thought rumbled around and around in my head. “What do I do well, that I can share?” By day I’m a creator, an imagineer, an organizer, and an administrator, I take other peoples’ ideas and bring them to fruition. And thus began my efforts in the not so glamorous world of SCA admin. It started out innocently enough, a deputy, to a deputy, then an actual branch office, regional then kingdom. An event needed an autocrat, “heck, it’s just like putting on a fund-raiser” and voila, a small event, then a bigger one, then a June Faire and two Crown events. “Hey this is fun…. it’s a lot of work, but this is fun.”

In the same way a fighter finds joy in mastering a technique guaranteed to drop an opponent, in the same way an artist finds satisfaction in the culmination of a finished masterpiece, I find exuberance in an event well-run or an office well kept. While the fighter or the artist enjoys the fruits of their labor in a very medieval context of a medieval themed game the administrators and autocrats work behind the scenes to make sure that there is a venue for the fighter and artist to thrive and grow. Where a fighter feels the stings of a well, or not so well struck blow, Where the artist knows the frustration of a project run awry, I know the angst of remembering that no matter what you do you can’t please everyone in the decision making process. I know that what is correct isn’t always popular and what’s popular isn’t always correct.

“So, Cate, what’s your point?” You are asking by now. There are many ways to make meaningful contributions to the society, locally or on a larger scale. Be a participant instead of a by-stander. If fighting is not your thing, if the idea of cartridge pleating gives you anxiety attacks, consider making a contribution in another way. Coordinating an event or tending an office isn’t for everyone but even the simplest effort can make the work easier for those who do. Find an area of interest and investigate the ways you can enhance it by offering of your time and talents.

Service is a genuine and meaningful contribution to the Society, in or out of the medieval context. Administration is a necessary “evil” to ensure a venue for the magic of the “Dream” to come to life. Just as there are true virtuosos in the arts and heroes of the marshallates, there are extraordinary servants behind the scenes making it possible for the artists and fighters to bring their craft to the public eye. My partner-in-crime and I were unable to sway our friend, but we’ve not given up the fight, he’s a reasonable kind of guy.

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