From: bq434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Michael A. Chance)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Midrealm Crown Policy
Date: 28 Dec 1992 19:09:03 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: bq434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Michael A. Chance)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu



Master Bertram poses a typical Bertramesque question about the Midrealms
policy of an invitational Crown Tourney.  He writes:
>
>Historically, this restriction is in place because -- many years
>ago -- a man with little experience in the Society made a REAL
>mess of things.

And to that end, IMO, the policy has worked.  While there have been some
foibles made by Crowns (Kings _and_ Queens) since, there has been
nothing that even remotely approaches the disaster of the reign of
Michael of Boarshaven (not to be confused with Michael of Bedford) and
Zarina.  I'm not sure that the other kingdoms can say the same.

>
>My question is this:  
>
> Does the Middle Kingdom's current 'invitation only' Crown 
> Tournament policy provide a benefit to the Midrealm that
> could not also be gained by setting some sort of 'minimum
> level of SCA activity/experience' needed to enter Crown,
> as many other Kingdoms do?

Again, IMO, it does, but not, perhaps, the benefit that it was
orignially intended to provide.  True, the process of invitation by the
in-coming Crowns has not been uniformly applied (and, in some instances,
perhaps unfairly so - you mileage may vary).  Persons and entire regions
(such as Calontir before its' advancement) have been slighted, ignored,
or deliberately left off of the unbelted list.  This could, perhaps, be
remedied witha clear cut set of minimal requirements.  A possible list
could include:

	- A certain number of years of continuous, demonstrated
participation in martial activities.

	- A requirement for active participation in local activities,
possibly including serving as a local officer and/or running one or more
events.

	- A requirement for a demonstrated level of activity in the arts
and/or sciences, such as a Kingdom-level honor.

Note that these are only suggestions; feel free to comment.  I've tried
to include the things that folks close to several Crowns (and a few past
Crowns) have told me that they would look for in potential candidates
for the unbelted list.

But the invitational list, with all of is real and potential flaws, now
serves another purpose - to hold down the size of Crown Tourney.

Consider - the West Kingdom, which is (if memory serves) half the
population of the Midrealm, is now regularly holding Crown Tournies with
80-100+ participants (with 2 principalities co-located with the main
area of the kingdom).  The East Kingdom, with a similar population as
the Midrealm, is doing the same.  But (unless things have change
significantly in the last few years), the East is very big into
tournement fighting.  In fact, there are few (if any) large tourneys
between Fall Crown in late October or early November until Ice Dragon in
late February/early March - over four months.

The Middle Kingdom, on the other hand, seem to love tourneys.  The tourney
season never ends.  In fact, there is at least 1 large (over 60-75
entrants) tourney every other weekend all year 'round (with the
exception of the 2 weeks for midwinter festivities).  Many weekends may
have 2 or even 3 such tourney, some where within the kingdom.  Granted,
the Midrealm covers a huge area, but there is generally a large tourney
within 8 hours of most of the kingdom at least ever other weekend, all
year.

The last I heard (and perhaps Sir Alan Culross, or Duke Palymar can
provide more accurate numbers), the Midrealm had somewhere between 1000
and 1500 authorized fighters.  Most of whom fight all year in large
tourneys.

My experience with open lists (in the East, Drachenwald, Ansteorra, and
Calontir) leads me to the following general categories of entrants:

A)  About 25% are cannon fodder.  These folks, though well intentioned,
have no business in Crown Tourney.  They've been in the SCA less than 3
years, have been fighting for less than 2, can (with difficulty) barely
tell you who there local officers are, let alone who the Kingdom
officers are.  These folks are out in the first elimination round
possible.

B)  About 25% are junior journeyman level fighters.  More experienced
than group A, with usually 2 or 3 competent fighting styles, they are,
none the less, speed bumps for the next two groups.  Will probably win 2
or 3 fights in a double-elimination tourney.

C)  About 35% are "possibles".  These are the folks that, "on any given
day", may win Crown Tourney.  Experienced, well known fighters, with
solid credentials.  Usually 1 or 2 of this group gets to the
semi-finals.

D)  About 15% are the "sure-bets".  These are the folks that you can lay
even money on one of them winning the tourney.  Includes past Crowns, and
semi-finalists.

The Midrealm system eliminates the first 2 groups entirely.  Even so,
the list for unbelted fighters has been well over 50 for several years now.
With the number of Chivarly in the Midrealm, the potential size of Crown
tourney has rivaled that of the Easts actual size for the past few
years.  If a Crown were to open the list to groups A and B, the size of
the list would be in the 200-300 range, and take 2 days to fight.

The Midrealm system isn't perfect; no one has said that it is.  But is
does serve a useful purpose.

Mikjal Annarbjorn
-- 
Michael A. Chance          St. Louis, Missouri, USA    "At play in the fields
Work: mc3078@sw1sta.sbc.com                             of St. Vidicon"
Play: bq434@cleveland.freenet.edu
      mchance@nyx.cs.du.edu
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca