[SCA-AE] Crown Tourney Question/personal banner display?

[Michael B. Greenstein]

Greetings, all, from Michael Alewright.

>  I have to admit the one I'm not so fond of is the must have letters of  recommendation from 3 Peers if you aren't a peer. I can sort of  understand the reasons but it would eliminate me from fighting if I  were able to at this point.
>  
>  I don't know any 3 Peers who know me well enough to write such a letter.

This might sound a tad self-serving, being a Peer, but I'm feeling manly enough this morning to take that risk: the Peerage as a whole is one of the cornerstones of any successful reign, and they are thick enough on the ground now that they long since have been taken off the "endangered" list in AEthelmearc.  If you -- as a Crown Tourney contender -- don't know three individual Peers well enough to ask them to stake their reputation on your reign by speaking out in favor of it, are you really ready not just to win a tournament, but to assume the duties and burdens of SCA Royalty?

Recall the example of Kyl the Wild, last reigning Prince of AEthelmearc and perhaps the only one not to be named a Count thereafter, who had little enough invested in the game (and seemingly knew little enough coming to the throne), that he found himself having to choose between his romantic relationship and the completion of his reign.  Other Kingdoms (but thankfully, not AEthelmearc) no doubt can offer even more egregious examples.

Does that mean that someone not already recognized as a Peer who cannot meet that requirement would make a bad King?  Of course not.  Does it mean that a Peer will certainly make a good King?  Same answer.  BUT, there is a certain logic not only in requiring any contender for the Crown already to be "plugged in" to the Peerage that he proposes to rule, and also to require such a contender to forge those connections before he steps on the Tourney field.  After all, if he fails to win *this* Crown, there will be others, and those connections forged for this one Tourney might well benefit both contender and Kingdom in the future.  Is it too much to require that someone who will *make* Peers has to know a few, going in? 

The moral of the tale:

Get to know your local Peers
(Folks who have such great reknown).
Buy them fine imported beers;
They'll support your bid for Crown!
Do not shrink away from that,
If you want to wear the Hat.

This message brought to you by Tears for Peers.

In service,
Michael