[Artemisia] RE: Artemisia Digest, Vol 6, Issue 8

[JgS]

I was going to delete parts - but your whole post is fabulous!  I
completely agree (especially the gift-giving and announcement parts)

Well said,

Ja'mala

Greetings.

Keep in mind that awards ceremonies are for the persons getting and 
giving the award.  Those moments in the sun don't happen all that often,

and we want to make sure the recipients get their due, because usually 
they more than deserve it for their hard work/research/accomplishments. 
  If you listen closely, you will usually hear the reasons why the 
person is getting an award, that you may emulate them.

A tradition I would like to see changed is the awarding of prizes for 
contests during court.  Court is for legal business which must be 
witnessed by the populace to make it official, such as the awarding of 
an Award of Arms, or raising some one to a peerage.  Prize giving is 
just that and ought to be separate from court. Prize giving ought to 
take place at the venue where the contest was held, as soon as the 
contest is over.  That way the recipients are all there, as are the 
people who care about that particular contest.  (I suppose I could 
tolerate the giving of one grand prize at court.) Making people sit 
court for a gazillion minor prizes takes away from the atmosphere that 
ought to hold sway in court, and the knowledge that they will be 
subjected to hours of rambling lists of stuff keeps people from 
attending.  Court is a civic duty, but it oughtn't be a four hour 
punishment in the hot sun or cold  wet night.  Exchanging gift baskets 
comes under the same heading as prize-giving, and so do announcements 
from any one besides the pointy hat folk, autocrats, mundane authorities

and real emergencies. Also, entertainment, except under very few 
circumstances, shouldn't normally be part of court.  Court is for legal 
business.  If royalty or whoever want to have a bunch of people over to 
the big tent so there can be entertainment, host a bardic or something. 
  Just don't award twenty seven bardic prizes during the next court, 
with detailed stories about who won what and why.

Way more than two pence.

Jehane