[Artemisia] Coronation Schedule

[Bruce Padget]

(Disclaimer:  I know not why there is not a firm
Coronation schedule, tho for reasons set forth I don't
see it as much of a problem.  I don't know who's
"fault" it is, nor do I particularly care to find out.
 [I have heard rumblings.  I choose not to play.  I
have better things to do with my limited SCA time.] I
can only admire the ability of those who can clearly
and publicly point the finger without investigation. 
If there's one "tradition" I'd dearly love to see
Artemisia lose, it's the Aerie bitchfest that seems to
surround nearly every major event. -- N.)

I have seen Coronations that were scheduled to the
hour.  Indeed my (admittedly aged) memory tells me
that's been the norm.  And, in every case, those
schedules end up being a cruel joke, at best.

Most of us who participate on this list have been
around the block a few times.  For those who haven't,
here's how a one-day Artemisian Coronation breaks
down:

Final court of the outgoing Crown.  Has *never*
started before 10 am.  When scheduled, usually
scheduled for 10 or 10:30 am.  Usually starts well
after, whether scheduled or not.  Latest I can recall
is 2 pm (in that case, it was set for 11 am).

Coronation court.  Usually follows the preceding item,
sometimes follows the tourneys.  Sometimes by 15
minutes, sometimes by two hours.  Never as scheduled.

Various Champion's Tourneys.  Again, when scheduled,
they never start as scheduled.  Indeed, because of
over-scheduling, one or more of them often end up
frantically thrown together.

Feast.  Anywhere from 6 pm to 8 pm, regardless of when
scheduled.  Never (in my memory) before 6 pm.  Latest
I've ever seen was 9:30 pm for one scheduled at 6:30
pm.

Evening court (optional).  Follows feast, or sometimes
during feast.  Follows no schedule, whether scheduled
or not.  Often runs past scheduled site close.

Meetings of various polling orders.  I may be speaking
out of turn here, but I have on good authority that
Their Highnesses plan no such meetings for tomorrow.
When they happen, they are often scheduled to the
minute.  I cannot remember the last time a polling
order ended its Coronation meeting within the time
alloted.  Since these usually happen in the afternoon,
they often bollix up the tourneys and/or feast pretty
nicely.

So, what to do, without the guidance of a schedule?  

Show up when you can.

Leave when you must, whether for real-world
obligations, or the site owner shooing us off.  (I
tend to choose the latter. :D)

In between, revel as you like.

Someone may point out that I don't have to travel far
to this Coronation.  However, I do things precisely
the same when I drive 500+ miles for a day event, or I
do real-world work on the event day.  It's not the
autocrat's job to make my fun -- just to help me find
a space in which I can make my fun.

At a day event, the only thing I can actually plan on
is socializing with friends between the time I arrive
and the time I depart.  I have found this to be true
whether the event is scheduled to the half-hour, or
only the site open and close times are scheduled.

I'm no expert on period coronations, but I'm pretty
sure my persona would not have spent a Coronation day
frantically scrambling between meetings or watching
the clock.

If I had to name the one key weakness of Artemisian
events, it's that our personae do very little without
direction.  Nobody has to schedule the activities on
Bruce's days off.  Why should Maestro Niccolo be
unable to revel without a schedule?  More to the
point, as a peer shouldn't I be leading people to
learn how to find their own fun?

Regards,
Niccolo
Abbastanza Buon Non E Abbastanza Buono
bapadget at yahoo.com