A Thought On Sargeantry.

[arontius]

.....This is mainly to put thought to proverbial paper for future retention. But feed-back would be appreciated as well.

.....There is so much to think about when preparing for the Coronets. I probably should learn to stop over-sharing, to be honest. :-) But I like talking things out with people.

.....One of the programs that TBT wanted to concentrate on re-building was the Sargeantry Program. What we have in mind is definitely different than has been in place in the past. So that might make it a challenge from the start. Then there is the fact that we want to approach this with a wider viewpoint than as a Baroness' Guard. So the fact that the Baron would be as much a focus as the Baroness may be a strangeness that will not be tolerated either. We'll see. We intend to build the framework first and present it at a Baronial Town Hall Meeting and see how it goes over. Then it will either progress, go back for re-write, or be shelved all together.

.....All you can do it try something.

.....One of the things that always caused us paused whenever Their Current Excellencies discussed the concept was, what do Sargeants do once they earn the title? No one was ever enamored with the concept of Sargeantry as serving staff or Baronial Labor Pool. Being a Teacher or Leader is expected from anyone who has been playing for a number of years in the branch, so that was not something that really would set a Sargeantry apart. So we had to think of something different.

.....Something that I've been musing over for a while now falls in line with my Arthurian Romance stylistic musings. My thought was that when a Sargeant (or Yoeman or Lancer or Courtier or Gallant or...) is named their final act of the Trials would be to name their 'Quest' for the upcoming year. This Quest would be something that they would work on throughout the year. It should be something that was achievable. But still something that was a challenge to achieve. For a Sargeant this might mean that they fight thirty knights over the course of the year and gain their feed-back and insight. If they are a Gallant, maybe the Quest would be to learn and demonstrate a new and distinct style of weaponry. For a Courtier the Quest might be to research and demonstrate an entire new artistry.

.....Then after a year's time all the members of the Baronial Sargeantry would meet around a proverbial round table and discuss the Quest they performed over the past year. This includes their successes and failures. And how they grew within their discipline by undertaking this Quest. Others witnessing this Quest and listening to them speak at the round table might be inspired to greatness themselves.

.....Then, when all the stories have been spoke. The members all declare their Quest for the upcoming year and what they intend to do to achieve it.

.....This is rather simplistic in explanation and seems more self-centered rather than community building (which is what I would want to do as a member of the Sargeantry). But it is a starting point. My hope is to pull together a group of people to debate this to the nth degree and see what we could do to strain it into something purer.

.....TBT has been receptive, but there is still a lot of debate to happen and thoughts that need to get put down in black-and-white. :-)

.....Aaron / Arontius.

Comments

[tsuruko-sensei.livejournal.com]

The sergeantry no longer serves it's original purpose and hasn't for a while. I worked from the original template and tried to make improvements but change is slow especially when the status quo is challenged.

I NEVER thought of the sergeants as a free labor pool and took great pains to never treat them as such. However, they were the Baroness's Guard (Ralg and I agreed to keep things traditional that way) and were willing to step in and do something if I asked them to such as pinch hitting for the herald, setting up the Baronial pavilion if nobody else was around to do it, etc. They often volunteered to do these things too.

I considered them to be role models and as a result teachers by example both in DL and outside it. Some did not practice this. Others did, like going to fight practice and taught even though they lived outside DL or learning new things beyond their original discipline.

If you guys don't mind an old used baroness involved I'd like to work with you on developing your vision of the sergeantry.

[derekl1963.livejournal.com]

"The sergeantry no longer serves it's original purpose and hasn't for a while."

I suspect not since around the time An Tir became a Kingdom with enough 'home grown' (though created by the West) Peers and the ability to observe our own people in situ and make our own Peers. I.E. long before pretty much everyone around here but you and Ralg were around.

The system has been rolling on the inertia of custom for a long time.