First, as to the baroness/ baron question, as courtier the tradition is that I actually swear to the baron while the rest of the sergeantry has sworn to the baroness. In Aquaterra we've actually moved to all members of the sergeantry swearing fealty to the baron and baroness while further swearing to protect and serve the barony as a whole and all those gentles in need (basically follow the rules of chivalry).
I also feel very strongly that the sergeantry is a job, not an award. I can't speak for all baronies, but our vows include our continuing to further and share our arts, whether marshal or otherwise. We commit to constantly improving ourselves and sharing with others, and as far as I'm concerned once members cannot or will not continue to do so it's time to retire or be made emeritus.
That leads me to the subject of emeritus- for some groups this is what happens if a member of the sergeantry should be recognized for peerage in their field. In Aquaterra this is now also an option for honorable retirement for those who are no longer able to carry on with their duties. They are still welcome to sit in council and voice their opinions, but are not given an official vote, but they are welcome to re-join at a later date if life changes to allow them to renew their vows and duties. If you think of it in potentially more historical terms of the guards, archers, artisans, etc. this makes sense as they likely wouldn't have continued in this profession into extremely ripe old age. :) If couched in this way, this might be a more gentle way of handling those who don't participate, but feel that they "earned" their buckle and don't want to give it up.
Another sticky point for me is that I also strongly believe that it's not simply the strict adherence to standards in testing (which I also believe is of utmost importance), it is also how the sergeants and candidates conduct themselves. They could score everything perfectly, but if they're unchivalrous, discourteous, or in any way dishonorable, that needs to be addressed in council as well as each member of sergeantry should be constantly aware that we each represent not only our Coronets, and Barony, but the Sergeantry as a whole. This is why honest discussion must be had about what to do if there's a need to remove a member of sergeantry as well- for conduct unbecoming or any other reason. I think some people's perceptions of the sergeantry have been directly and perhaps permanently effected by the behavior of one, or a few specific individuals- so this must be considered.
I think the sergeantry should essentially be a huge neon "ASK ME" sign, as they should be a resource of knowledge and courtesy. Regardless of what the original vision was, I think we need to reassess as a whole what the sergeantry can contribute to the kingdom, while still respecting traditions as much as possible.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2010-09-23 05:10 pm (UTC)I also feel very strongly that the sergeantry is a job, not an award. I can't speak for all baronies, but our vows include our continuing to further and share our arts, whether marshal or otherwise. We commit to constantly improving ourselves and sharing with others, and as far as I'm concerned once members cannot or will not continue to do so it's time to retire or be made emeritus.
That leads me to the subject of emeritus- for some groups this is what happens if a member of the sergeantry should be recognized for peerage in their field. In Aquaterra this is now also an option for honorable retirement for those who are no longer able to carry on with their duties. They are still welcome to sit in council and voice their opinions, but are not given an official vote, but they are welcome to re-join at a later date if life changes to allow them to renew their vows and duties. If you think of it in potentially more historical terms of the guards, archers, artisans, etc. this makes sense as they likely wouldn't have continued in this profession into extremely ripe old age. :) If couched in this way, this might be a more gentle way of handling those who don't participate, but feel that they "earned" their buckle and don't want to give it up.
Another sticky point for me is that I also strongly believe that it's not simply the strict adherence to standards in testing (which I also believe is of utmost importance), it is also how the sergeants and candidates conduct themselves. They could score everything perfectly, but if they're unchivalrous, discourteous, or in any way dishonorable, that needs to be addressed in council as well as each member of sergeantry should be constantly aware that we each represent not only our Coronets, and Barony, but the Sergeantry as a whole. This is why honest discussion must be had about what to do if there's a need to remove a member of sergeantry as well- for conduct unbecoming or any other reason. I think some people's perceptions of the sergeantry have been directly and perhaps permanently effected by the behavior of one, or a few specific individuals- so this must be considered.
I think the sergeantry should essentially be a huge neon "ASK ME" sign, as they should be a resource of knowledge and courtesy. Regardless of what the original vision was, I think we need to reassess as a whole what the sergeantry can contribute to the kingdom, while still respecting traditions as much as possible.