With St. Valentine’s Day around the corner, we thought it might be worthwhile to distribute this handy guide. If you’re stuck for a gift, or aren’t sure what might be appropriate, we present the definitive, universal and foolproof manual for demonstrating every possible level of affection or regard for another person.
Just kidding, we didn’t do all that. But it might be a useful thought-starter if you need one. Have fun, and be excellent to each other.
Courtesy, as one of our Twelve Virtues, is more than just being polite. To our knightly forebears, courtesy meant those manners necessary for interaction at a noble court.
So what does it mean to us now? How do manners and etiquette affect our everyday interactions, and how do we apply chivalry to those interactions and our social behaviors? In many ways, this is at the core of our discussions.
A somewhat SCA specific topic, prompted in part by a recent survey. Our plan was to get some input from the general population at a local SCA event. Well, attendance wasn’t what we’d hoped for and discourse was limited. But, we are pressing on with our own opinions. Big surprise, I know.
We discuss what Peerage Orders are, some of their history and where they might be headed. We also touch on what we call things in the Society, how they affect our perceptions and in some ways lay the tracks for our future.
It’s a New Year! We hope that everyone had the Holiday they wished for. It seems appropriate that at the time when many are making resolutions for the coming year that we discuss Humility.
Among all the Virtues, we believe that Humility is one of the most elemental. Honest self-appraisal is at the heart of personal growth and true progress in virtually every endeavor. Whether it be in sports, martial arts or professional pursuits, true humility, the ability to acknowledge shortcomings as well as strengths is essential to progress and improvement.
The American Western was central to the national identity a generation ago. Through most of the 1950’s westerns dominated television prime time programming. It’s virtually impossible for that to have had no impact on the American collective psyche. We look at how those tropes and conventions echo to us now, and how they helped establish ideals of behavior, for better or worse, in the US.