[Artemisia] Court (Long, again, aaugh!)

[Mary Hodges]

Kay Moore wrote:
<snip of earlier paragraphs>
> Yup - long courts suck - for many reasons.   If those reasons are not 
> addressed, people begin to have negative feelings about Court, and, as 
> we have begun to see, don't attend.   The ONLY reason *I* go to Court is 
> to see my friends get the recognitions they deserve.   Warms the little 
> cockles of my heart!    I absolutely HATE it when you get someone coming 
> into Court 'on business' and then they stand up there addressing only 
> either the K & Q, or the Ruling Noble up there, or the visiting Royalty, 
> and there's this long private conversation where nobody in the populace 
> has a CLUE as to what's going on, there's laughing with this person and 
> the Thrones, and all this inside stuff - and we all have to sit thru 
> this for like 5-10 minutes.   Then here comes ANOTHER guy wantin' to do 
> the same thing...............aaarrrrggghhh!    This is where the Herald 
> would come in.

Sitting in state might help this.  I know there are royal peers on this 
list, are any willing to discuss sitting in state?

I haven't seen much the private discussion at the front kind of thing 
that you describe; I have seen much more time abuse by people who wanted 
to make sure that their activity got as much attention as their competitors.

Also, what is it, exactly, that you expect the herald to do?  Tap 
His/Her Majesty on the shoulder and say "You don't have time for this."? 
  Tackle the presenter on the way to the front?  Most heralds are 
reasonably forceful personalities, but they don't get hazard pay.  :)

 >
 > sorry.  Didn't mean to rant....   We DO need some new directions in
 > Court - but people have to speak out, people need to contribute ideas
 > (which you all are doing) and this info, these suggestions, need to get
 > to Them What Count.  (in Court matters)
 >
 > Keep up this vein!  Let's hear other ideas!!!
 >
 > Dutch

As long as you asked.........

(N.B. The following remarks apply to large events, especially those held 
outdoors.)

There could be more than one kind of court, formal and informal, or high 
and low.  High court is for important stuff, low court is for 
announcements, prize-giving, etc.  Who decides what's important?  Their 
majesties, excellencies etc. or their designated representative.  This 
is not a democracy, remember?

The powers-that-be could announce early in the day that only items on 
the agenda will be addressed in court, then have some one available at a 
central place (heralds' point?, royal pavilion? baronial pavilion?) to 
collect items people wanted on the agenda and give them to the court 
herald with enough time to weed through and schedule, and get messages 
back to would-be presenters.  That would mean more organization, more 
work for the court herald, meeting at least two deadlines, and getting 
reliable messages to people, all things that can be rather difficult. 
Some one is bound to be miffed about having to schedule things, or about 
not getting to do whatever it is they wanted to do in court, so there 
may be a social or emotional cost, as well as extra labor.  Organized 
agendas would allow time for entertainments, ceremonies would take place 
close to the times they are scheduled, a lot of deadly boring stuff 
would go away, the elements of "rite" and theatre that make courts 
special would be enhanced, and most people would be happier.

Another tactic would be for all of us to ask ourselves if it is really 
necessary to make announcements.  At an event with several hundred 
people, if your activity involved seven people, and all of their 
friends-and-relations were there to see them, do you really need to take 
fifteen minutes in court and announce who won, who participated and what 
they did?  I know people want to publicize their activities, but unlike 
the real middle ages, most of us can read.  It is unkind to take time to 
do this at court because you have a captive audience.

If your activity needs more publicity, you could hire a herald to go 
around and announce the event.  You could put an ad in the newsletter 
announcing your activity before the event.  You could put up a sign or 
pass out broadsides ("This way to the all-kingdom outdoor sheep-shearing 
final.  See Jehane the Doughty battle Ginger the Vicious, in an epic 
contest between woman and ewe!") Having more people come and see and/or 
participate in your activity is a lot better than trying to gain 
attention after the fact by taking court time.

If you wrote a nice note, or even just asked nicely, a peer would come 
and give out the prizes at the end of your competition, with plenty of 
time to talk about what happened.  That would be a nice way to recognize 
people at your activity. Write up the results and post them at your 
group's web page, or in the newsletter.

Courtesy applies to taking people's time at court.  If what you have to 
say is of interest to only a few people, say it to the people who are 
interested.  If you must use court time, or are invited to use court 
time, be brief, loud and concise.  If you are allotted two minutes, 
resist the temptation to take ten minutes because Lady 
I'mtalkingandIcan'tstop took ten minutes to report on her pet competition.

I am,
your obedient servant,
Jehane de Saint Michael

I bear the arms "Per pale gules and argent a bordure indented sable."