From: salley@niktow.canisius.edu (David Salley)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: safety for marshals (was: Re: Town Battle at the War)
Date: 6 Sep 92 14:41:42 GMT
Organization: Canisius College, Buffalo NY. 14208

Aldric MacGlynn writes:
> vance@control.com writes:
> <<<stuff deleted>>>
> >I would rather see some arrangement where the marshals can keep an eye
> >on the fighting without risking injury as in the Bridge Battle. Any
> >suggestions that address the safety of the marshals would be much
> >appreciated.
> 
> This is an idea that I've been kicking around for about a year now
> and would like some feedback.  It would help *all* field
> noncombatants.
> 
> In some heraldry, there are 'stains' which are basically a few
> 'natural dye' colors.  One of these is a rusty-orange color (I think
> it's called 'tenne').

Correct!  'Tenne' is orange.  The other often used one is 'sanguine' which is
blood-red.    Only senior heralds could tell sanguine from 'gules' (simple red)
on sight and then it would be a function of distance.  Tenne looks like a
gules tabard that was washed with just a little too much bleach.  This is one
of the reasons SCA doesn't allow stains.

> Now, for the rest of this article, I'll use the abreviation "SO", to
> stand for "safety orange".  Now, I'm not sure that I really mean SO,
> but I want a hue that is *bright* enough to be *quickly* recognized
> but not so bright as to be *jarringly* out of place.
> 
> We get the BOD to allow SO for a *few* devices.  One for field
> noncombatants (marshals, water bearers, field heralds, etc) and a
> second one for (ummmmm???) "semi-combatants".  I'm not really sure
> about *what* semi-combatants are because I've never seen them.  What I
> mean by semi-combatants are those people that you can walk "X" feet
> from and say "m'lord, you're dead".  I believe that some form of
> archer is in this class and so would scouts. Is this right and are
> there others that should be in this catagory?  A third device (and one
> that might not actually be needed) would be used to mark the "edge of
> the world" in things like Woods Battles.

You left chirurgeons out of non-combatants.  The class you call semi-combatants,
is known as lights.

> When I say device, I'm thinking that it would be on the front and back
> of a tabard.  However, perhaps a *wide* baldric (over 6" wide) of some
> set pattern could be done.  ...*can* a baldric-like device be done
> with proper heraldry?  I know there are rules for making various
> 'flags' (such as a standard or an ensign) from a device.
> 
> So, basically, these would be the *visual* equivallent of saying
> >>*HOLD*, do NOT hit me<<.

Essentially, you're describing the system that's already in place.

BATTLE RULES FOR STICK JOCKS (EK VERSION)
----------------------------
1.) If it's wearing a baldric, do what it tells you.
	Serious effort has been made to follow the KISS rule (Keep It Simple,
Stupid!)  Marshalls wear black, water-bearers blue, heralds green, chirurgeons
red.  Yellow, white and purple are still unused.  And I think one of the
first two would be better than safety orange.  Want lots of cheap white?
Go to Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.  and pick-up a few dozen used bedsheets.

2.) If it has an _open-face_ helmet, tell it it's dead.
	Eastern scouts are NOT permitted to wear closed face helms.  We don't
want them mistaken for fighters in the confusion of battle.  Scouts are
used for reconnaissance.  We pride ourselves on our invisibility.  [I was
once killed by the warlord of the ealdormere forces who found me only because
he tripped over me while walking through tall grass.]  We _AREN'T_ going to
wear 'safety-orange' clothing in the woods.

3.) If it has a _closed-face_ helm, hit it. 
	This is why we don't allow scouts to wear fighter's helmets.

                                                       - Dagonell

SCA Persona : Lord Dagonell Collingwood of Emerald Lake, CSC, CK, CTr
Habitat	    : East Kingdom, AEthelmearc Principality, Rhydderich Hael Barony
Disclaimer  : A society that needs disclaimers has too many lawyers.
Internet    : salley@niktow.cs.canisius.edu
USnail-net  : David P. Salley, 136 Shepard Street, Buffalo, New York 14212-2029

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_C_hristopher fighting for the wife of Sir Carthalo of Rhydderich Hael
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