2006-04-20 - 5:30 p.m.

An Open Letter to All Atlantian Squires (posted on SCA-Squires elist)

My Brethren,

We have been called forth by our King. We represent the future, the group that they expect their knights to come forth from, and we have shown ourselves to be remiss in our development. Just as his Majesty and the knights of Atlantia have claimed to have not pushed us enough, we need to push ourselves and each other to develop our skills, endurance and finesse' to be the "knights-in-training" that we should be.
There are those of our brethren (and let me add this includes the female squires collectively as well) who were recognized by the chivalry both in public and private at Tournament of Chivalry for being examples of what we all should be. This wasn't an affront to those who were not recognized, it was an aknowledgement of what they saw.

I, for one, was not performing where I should be, I need to increase my pell time as well as my general time fighting, and match it with endurance training. I currently am doing one day each of fight practice, slow work, pell work and endurance for a minimum of 2 hours, with adjustments due to my work schedule. This sometimes gets trumped by work. I need to not let that happen and force myself to make sure I get that time in, no matter what, each week.
We all have excuses to "not get it done" but what we need to do is to force ourselves to make it "must do's" not just for our fighting abilities, but for our health and mental well beings. Do you not have a feeling of accomplishment after a good day's practice? Does it not feel good when your knight gets into energetic discussion with you on your fighting? If these are questions you are answering no to, you need to ask yourself "Why did I take this belt?"

I know I took my belt in oath to my friend and teacher, Robert. I knew that there was many things I could learn from him, and their were things he could learn from me. That belt is a bond of promise. A promise to him that I would learn, strive, and not yield in my quest to join him as a knight of our realm, to represent him in his absence, and to be an example of the honor of his household and his knight's before him.

This should be the goal for each of us.

I make this as a statement now that anyone that is a squire or strives to be one, as long as I wear a belt of red, if I am not ingaged in other service for my knight or crown, I will be willing to work, in armor or out, for each of our own improvement.

THL Manus O'Kean
Squire to Earl Robert de Rath
ATLANTIA!

Signed this day, April 20th, Anno Societatis, XL
Two Thousand and six of the Common Era

Note: I am open to ANY commentary on this posting.
Jack

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