As many people already know, the path of the white scarf is not one I am interested in pursuing.  There are several reasons for this that mainly have to do with the selection process, politicking, participation, goals, skill levels of inductees, and other such matters that, in short, led me long ago to believe that the white scarf has strayed from the meaning it once held.  And it is not just here, but everywhere.  I have traveled far more than most you presently consider well-traveled ever will, and I can tell you this problem is prevalent everywhere.

            Now I know there are those out there who will turn up their nose at me saying, “well, that’s just what you think,” but they would be wrong.  Though it is indeed what I think, I am by no means alone.  Just ask around.  You’ll find likeminded individuals across the board; from the newest fighters to members of the white scarves themselves who agree with what I am saying.  For most of you, this is no surprise.  After all, this is hardly a closet topic I’ve just blown the dust off of and unceremoniously thrown down on the dining room table.  Despite this, change within the SCA comes ever so slowly—when it comes at all—which brings me to why I bring this up now.  I have recently been made aware that some within the Order of the White Scarf are trying to address at least one of their problems by bandying about the idea of a white scarf president of sorts.  A white scarf to serve as the elected head of the order who would then execute whatever powers they deem such a person should have.  For the moment I am led to believe that the creation of this position is being considered, more or less, to moderate the problem of bickering within the ranks—which, if true, is fine but misses the opportunity to kill the two proverbial birds with one stone.

            So what then am I talking about?  I’m glad you asked.  The white scarves do not need one head of the order, they need two.  One of the biggest problems the order faces today is how low the standard of skill has been set in order to become a member—which isn’t a surprise when you look at how 85-90 percent of those who get their scarves are never seen on the tournament field again (which can also be fixed, but I don’t want to hit you with too much at once).  It’s really quite simple: when you stop fighting, your skills regress.  The next thing you know you’re voting on a potential new white scarf and comparing their skills to what yours have become, rather than what they should be.  And if they meet such a low bar, how much more do the skills of the new recruits regress when THEY stop fighting and are asked to vote?

            The problem is that the preferred method of becoming a white scarf is more about the politicking and the schmoozing than it is about skill with the sword.  The sword has become almost an afterthought.  And though my bias obviously lends itself to skill—which is what the white scarf was created to recognize at its inception in the first place—I nonetheless recognize that a white scarf is about two halves.  One half is the pure martial skill with a blade, the other is about teaching/credibility/courtly manners/grace…all the other noncombat aspects which must also be present.  In order to ensure that you have both halves present in any candidate you first need a judge each who is an expert in their respective halves to evaluate them.

            So, yes, the white scarves should gather up the members of their order and vote upon whom they believe is the shining example of all the noncombat aspects being a white scarf entails.  This person will be one half of the vetting process for potential new members.  As for the other, you must hold a tournament and find out who is--hands down--the strongest among you.  Nine times out of ten, the one who emerges on top will be the one who cares the most about personal skill, and the least about politicking and bickering and the whining that results…  In short, he/she is the perfect judge of skill and, thereby, where to set that bar.

            Obviously, these positions will come with no small amount of responsibility.  It will be up to these two people to get to know and evaluate those cadets under consideration.  And, as such, if either of these two say a candidate is not ready then it, quite simply, does not happen.

"I'd contend that it's not our place to concern ourselves with the qualifications of others, be they marshal or otherwise, and we should focus on our contributions to the community, not the contributions others have made to be designated as prominent leaders (unless you're looking to help someone be recognized, of course)."

Here I have to disagree with you.  If we do not concern ourselves with the qualifications of those who would enter the order then the decline so many hope to reverse merely accelerates.  The award itself would be nothing more than candy.  You have to have standards--and when it comes to those who are to be looked upon as the elite they must be high standards indeed. 

As for your suggestions, you aren't far off.  As you said, you have only met me a couple of times but I do not think we would have to meet too many times more before you came to understand I have already made it my mission.  Not just for the white scarves but rapier as a whole.  And, yes, I have heard it said many times before that I should try and fix the system from within.  Until recently I have not even considered this as an option as I did not want to lend my own credibility to a system that was broken.  To be honest, however, despite some progress--albeit slowly--that has been made with the help of certain like-minded scarves and non scarves out there I have started to wonder if my initial hesitance to take up the scarf might not have been misplaced.  Let's just say the jury is still out on that.

In the interim, if they are to save themselves as a credible order, the white scarves have to insist upon a higher bar...and meet that bar themselves.

First to Simon: though I don't know who the Student is either, your post seemed to suggest the same thing to me that it did to him.  It sounded as though you were saying that if you don't like something, or the way it is played, then you should just quit.  Glad to hear it was just a misinterpretation.

And I do agree with you that many people take up the scarf when they are not ready.  Whether that is because they never really looked inward to ask themselves if they were truly ready...I can't say.  I'm not them.  But I do know that if they do not have a shining example of a bar to compare themselves to then there is no way they could know.  You are right, however, in that I cannot expect a say in how the white scarves select candidates if I am not one of them.  Nothing to prevent me from making--what I think anyway--are some suggestions I believe might help them.

To Luciano: to clarify, when I say that 9 times out of 10 the one who comes out on top of such a tournament as I mentioned is more concerned with the development of personal skill and less so about the politicking, I am speaking not about the individual who just happens to be the biggest fish in the local pond but the great white in a much larger ocean.  It has been my experience around the world that the person who is the strongest fencer in a much greater sampling across a region spends less time concerning himself with internal politics and more so with his or her own training and development as a fighter.  Not saying it is any better than the person who spends less time with it, only that their priorities are such that skill development takes a much higher placement on that list.

As for that person judging a candidate's skill, well, that is really up to them.  Whatever they decide, though, I would bet they already have an idea for a tangible, discernible bar that they would use to gauge the readiness of the candidate.  I have it for my own students, and it it is the same no matter where they are in the world.  I'm sure it would take very little effort on the part of that white scarf to come up with their own gauge of readiness as well.

As you mentioned, yes, it also means that person would have to get to know that fighter.  This person would have to travel some--at the very least make arrangements to meet with these potential candidates at some chosen event--so as to learn and determine the suitability of this person's standard of skill.  Royals do this kind of travelling all the time.  I do not think it would be too much to ask of someone who shoulders this kind of responsibility to do some of the same.

In terms of the number of white scarves I see sidelining themselves, I'm glad you agree the number is too large even if we disagree on how prevalent and widespread the problem is.  I've been watching, though.  Many times have I been sad to count the number of white scarves present at an event only to watch a fraction of them actually participate in the fighting.  I am a strong advocate of leading by example, and while there are certainly white scarves out there who are doing that very thing they, unfortunately, are in the minority.

Is it irreversible? Absolutely not.  Can the prestige of the order and the awe with which they were once viewed be restored?  You'd better believe it.  I know because it is already happening in another kingdom I once called home.  I just don't want to see the white scarves of Antir having to play catch up.  Or worse, never catching up at all.

For Morleigh: I think you might be looking at the once sentence and forgetting the rest of the paragraph to which it was attached.  Any person put into such a position as to decide who does and does not meet the standard for entrance into the order would have a “tangible and discernible” bar that must be met.  I have just such a standard within my own school.  After earning their black scarf, every rank subsequent has very hard and fast goals that must be accomplished before the student can wear that rank.  This gatekeeper, as it were, would serve to make sure this standard was met.

For Lucien: Your teacher and I were very much in lock step about what we believed should happen after receiving the white scarf.  Similarly, she recognized the problems that have arisen since its inception.  Had she been given more time with us I have no doubt we would have made great allies.

I like your idea for a white scarf council chosen by combat; it has potential.  Such a council would take the great responsibility off of the one individual and distribute it across five or so of the strongest white scarves in the kingdom.  A suitable bar of skill would certainly come from a gathering of such minds.

As for your challenge, it is…under consideration.  I have heard from a great many of late—scarves and non scarves alike—who say I should take it up.  To be clear, I have always thought that one day I would indeed do just that.  I had, however, envisioned it to be after seeing a much higher standard put into place, and then being considered based upon having met that standard.  Perhaps, though, you are right.  Maybe it is time to stop shouting at the walls and instead walk through the gate where I might better be heard.  The much larger question I suppose then is whether or not the white scarves, knowing more fully what I am about, would still feel comfortable with someone like me standing amid their ranks.