Greetings, Northshield!
The various communities have very well received the holding of Champion’s tournaments, and we are seeking feedback on making the office of Champion of Northshield a year-long position for six areas of interest: A&S, Archery, Bardic, Rapier, Rattan, and Thrown Weapons. We see many benefits to this arrangement: competition spurs excellence; competition provides a platform to display talent; the Kingdom would always have Champions to help lead their respective communities; Champion-themed events can be huge Kingdom happenings, and they can generate considerable excitement. We have been counseled with a few concerns we would like to address.
1. “Crowns like to choose their own Champions.” They still can choose a reign Champion to serve in addition to the current Kingdom Champion—even better, if they don’t have a specific Champion for an activity, that community still has a representative at the Kingdom level.
2. “What if the Crown doesn’t like their Champion?” Well, you can pick a Reign Champion and … are we not adults? Seriously.
3. “Some people don’t like competition.” No one has to compete if they do not want to. One of the best fighters in the world has never fought in a Crown tournament, and it does not make anyone doubt his talent.
Please let us know if you favor or oppose this idea. We may be missing something and would not want to act if it was not going to be for the good of the Kingdom.
We look forward to the heart of the summer and some of our Kingdom’s premier events, as well as the great adventure that is Pennsic. Some people have asked why we seem so intent on Pennsic, and there are a couple of reasons. We have both been in the SCA for most of our lives and attended Pennsic for years. For us it has become part of what the SCA is, and as summer monarchs, we feel obligated to lead the Kingdom to war. Pennsic offers such a huge array of activities, as well as talented individuals from all over the world that we can go and learn from and against whom we can test ourselves. Many of us grew up dreaming of great deeds and playing the hero. Pennsic is a vast and unforgiving stage where you can rise up and live out those dreams. We hope that when we lead you at Pennsic you will feel some of that magic, that you see yourself as part of an epic as the tale unfolds. Are you the stout warrior holding the line? Maybe the epic singer of songs? Is yours the arrow that slays the enemy commander? Do people come from lands far away to seek your wisdom? Is yours the effort that brings the story to life? It can be if you wish to join us and believe, see you at Pennsic.
Konrad And Aibhilin