On Being a Pelican.

.....Greetings!

.....I am pondering a conversation I had with someone at Crown this last weekend. Let me set the scenario here. It’s Monday morning and I’m on my way to the Seneschal’s meeting. Master Ljotr had asked me to take on the duty of taking notes for the meeting (a while back, maybe a year and a half ago) and I said that I would.

.....This person asked me why I was doing this and I told this person that among other things this gives me a chance to listen in to what is going on with the Seneschallate and the current challenges and triumphs happening around the Kingdom. It also gives me some exposure and experience in what a Seneschal think, says and does. It has been a goal of mine for a long while to be a Seneschal.

.....This person then suggested to me that as a Pelican shouldn’t I be stepping back and letting others take on the tasks that need doing, such as being a Seneschal? I was taken aback for a moment and said that I had never been a Seneschal and would like to experience the role. Where being an autocrat is rewarding in that you get to guide a group of people towards a common goal, the end is finite and always in site. Being a Seneschal can give you, at least in my opinion, an even deeper satisfaction. You have the opportunity to guard and guide your SCA family and influence them ever so slightly in your vision of what the SCA is and what it represents. It is something that is long term, a marathon as opposed to the sprint that being an autocrat is.

.....This person went on to suggest that it was also something of a disservice to those coming up in the ranks to be taking on a job such as this as I was taking away opportunities for others to excel.

.....I’ve done a number of things in my SCA career. I’ve held the offices of Constable, Chronicler, and Exchequer (as well as a handful of Lesser Offices and Guilds). I’ve autocratted a number of events, both large and small. But the Office of Seneschal presents a unique challenge. It is something that intrigues me and something that I’d like to experience.

.....And it’s not like this person is a fringe personality or is unintelligent or a unmitigated freak or anything of the sort. This is the sort of person for whom I have a great deal of respect and normally listen very attentively if they have anything to say in my general direction. The fact that I disagree with them so much on this issue is part of the weirdness I feel on this whole issue at the moment.

.....So, as a peer (Pelican), is one supposed to step back and merely be a guide to the 'younger' generations? Are we expected to no longer get involved in what we consider the fun aspects of administering the Kingdom? Believe it or not, I enjoy meeting the challenges of an administrator. It can be hectic sometimes and a real nail biter, but it feels good to have done something good to help our your Kingdom.

.....Pelicans were made Pelicans because of the service they have given to the Kingdom and to the SCA. It feels like a shame to step back on the level of service just because you have a new dangly around your neck. In fact, it seems like a disservice in and of itself. But maybe I'm looking at it incorrectly.

.....For some reason, when I was made a Pelican I was not given a copy of the bestseller, ‘How to behave like a good peer’. I’ve had to learn through trial-and-error. :-)

.....I'll have to ponder on this.

.....Arontius / Aaron.