Arontius of Bygelswade

…..There are a handful of us who have been engaging in a ‘discussion’ where the topic is whether or not ‘inspiration’ is considered a service. Specifically, a beneficial service to the Society at large. This all started with a statement made by the Beloved Laurellen whereas she expresses her opinion that being inspirational is not considered a service.

…..I disagree with this statement of course. After five plus days I am still finding it difficult to come up with the RIGHT words on why I disagree with this, but I’m going to try to put those words here to see if I can get them out correctly. Please bear with me if I wander a bit.

…..I’ve seen the discussion elsewhere and part of this is a re-hashing. Mainly I want to get my thoughts in print so that I can organize them a little better. The few times I’ve actually tried to discuss this with others this past week, I’ve really been at a loss for the words needed to express my own true feelings on the subject.

…..When a peer is made, they give an oath of fealty to the King and Queen. That oath basically boils down to them promising to live as best they can in accordance with the seven ‘accepted’ knightly virtues. This list of virtues and their applicability can of course be debated in and of itself, but is generally accepted as an easy way to define the character of a knight. In this case, we’re going to apply this term to all the peerages and call them ‘knights’. Even though they are peers for different reasons, the oaths of fealty that they give are virtually the same in this regard.

…..This holds true as well for the fourth peerage, Royal Peers. Perhaps even more so considering their experience as sitting royalty gives them more of an insight of the devotion of the populace and the seriousness of an oath, even in this ‘hobby’ organization.

…..The seven knightly virtues are courage, justice, mercy, generosity, faith, nobility and hope. Simple definitions are as follows:

…..Courage: the ability to face danger, hardship, etc. confidently and resolutely.

…..Justice: The upholding of what is right and lawful. The quality of being fair or impartial.

…..Mercy: Kindness, compassion. The ability to be forgiving and kind.

…..Generosity: Giving or sharing freely, including thoughts and behaviors.

…..Faith: Confident belief in the truth, value or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
…..Nobility: Having and displaying qualities of high moral character, (honor, generosity, courage, etc.).

…..Hope: To look forward towards something with confidence or expectation.

…..So, having defined the terms, let’s define how they promote the general welfare of the Society and how by living to these standards the Beloved Laurellen is providing a valuable SERVICE to Society.

…..Courage: This is need to right wrongs viewed in Society. Instead of staying silent, the courageous must speak up and SAY that something is wrong or must be changed. Even in the face of powerful opposition or other intimidating circumstances. They must, to the best of their ability, work to change that which they see is wrong. Marquessa Laurellen constantly questions attitudes, beliefs and statements made by those holding the perceived power in the Kingdom. She speaks up and makes people think about what they are doing and saying, and by doing so, changes their attitudes and outlooks.

…..Justice: This goes hand in hand with courage. When what is done is a detriment to the Society, creates a wrong towards certain members or is a burden upon the workings of Society or its members, it is important that someone identify this and strive to make the necessary changes. Marquessa Laurellen identified this in the office of Kingdom Arts and Sciences. She is someone who does not like administrivia, but because she saw the NEED to make changes and right wrongs, she put herself into a position that she knew would weigh her down eventually, but she felt the obligation of righting the wrong she saw there by organizing a defunct and non-functioning office.

…..Mercy: This is the virtue of kindness. When one sees someone struggling with a burden or being hurt by another or by some THING, mercy is what compels the individual to step in and help shoulder that burden or even take that burden away. I have seen the Beloved Laurellen step in on many occasions when she sees someone suffering. Sometimes this can be as simple as being an ear for someone as they vent. Or it can be helping them with a burden or chore. This has even extended to making them a gift (gifts from the Beloved Laurellen are treasured works of art, so this is a GREAT kindness on occasion). When people receive mercy from someone perceived as an established member of Society, they tend to look more favorably upon the Society as a whole and want to contribute more to its general welfare.

…..Generosity: This is more of the physical giving of materials or time or service. This is what makes our ‘Not-For-Profit’ Society truly rich. The Beloved Laurellen has donated works of art to the Kingdom. She has given time towards the leadership of Society by being Queen of An Tir. She has been a Kingdom Officer more than once. She has spent hundreds of hours teaching everywhere to everyone those arts and sciences in which she excels. By doing so she enriches the people around her with materials and knowledge with which they expand and teach others. One person can touch every single person in Society with his or her generosity of spirit, something that the Beloved Laurerllen has definitely done.

…..Faith: This is the belief that the end result is worth the struggle. This is what keeps Society vital and growing, even after forty years of existence. Many who do not have faith have dropped off the path and left Society, but those with faith persevere. The Beloved Laurellen has been playing for well over twenty years now. She has had to take a break every now and then to cleanse the soul, but she has always come back stronger than ever in spirit and willing to take on new challenges in the faith that she can make a long lasting difference.

…..Nobility: This is the ‘PRESENCE’ that people perceive when they are around those with a strength of will. This is real leadership tempered with the desire to protect those around them and do only that which will promote the common good. This is also that ability to be someone on the pedestal with the strength to remain on that pedestal, even if they stumble on occasion. The ability to recognize a wrong in yourself and make the correction for all to see is in itself noble. The Beloved Laurellen has no fear of others seeing her true nature and character. She discusses it often in Live Journal and in many face-to-face discussions. People seek her out for advice constantly as well as for instruction in all manner of arts and sciences. She also has an undeniable ‘PRESENCE’ that many recognize, even if they can not explain it, that draws people to her just to bask in that glow.

…..Hope: This goes hand in hand with faith. The ability to confidently say that there is a future in the Society and describes in detail just how Society is going to get to that state. Even when those who would seek to tear apart the foundations are at their fiercest, it is hope instilled in people that allow them to endure the evil with the knowledge that it will pass and there are good days ahead and good people surrounding them. By standing up and taking on the ‘bullies’ of Society, the Beloved Laurellen gives hope to all those around her. How often has she stood up to someone and called him or her out. This goes for her own personal life as well as those bullies in Society. She often talks with those around her about how Society can be bettered and how she is working towards this goal. The work that she accomplishes gives hope to those around her.

…..By upholding all of these virtues to an outstanding degree, I argue that Marquessa Laurellen provides a very valuable service to Society. This service should be recognized as such by both her and those around her as ‘inspiration’. This service is what inspires us to carry the burden, discover new concepts in the arts and sciences, fight for what is right and do what is needed to promote the ‘dream’ of the SCA. This is service in its purest form.

…..More to follow at some point when I get more organized.

…..Aaron / Arontius.