Or perhaps that should be Anchronista and her views on Laurels…

At any rate, I left her a question on her blog, about the Laurel system, because she mentioned it, and I am a good audience.  I ask questions.

She answered it!  And she visited and everything!  (I am always uncommonly flattered to be noticed by those with more blog history than I have.  I don’t think I’ll outgrow that one.)

So here’s my question, and her answer.  You should go there, and increase her stats.

Oh, very well, I’ll reproduce the whole thing.

Can
you tell me where to find out more about the laurel/apprentice system,
and how it works? I’m not really concerned with earning rank in the SCA
– in fact I think I’ll embody the ‘jack of all trades, master of none’
apellation, and I have no idea how I’d choose one of my interests above
the rest anyway- but I am curious as to how it works. Most especially
to avoid embarrassing anyone – particularly me!

~Greet

I’m
in exactly the same boat – I’d rather know a little about a lot of
different things, instead of mastering one craft. Which is why I’ll
likely never reach Laurel status. Not that that is what I’m in the SCA
for, but there are plenty of people for whom the achievements/awards
are the reason they play.

A
newbie to the SCA is afforded much latitude in respect to embarrassing
statements or moments. We were ALL new once, and we learned what was
and was not acceptable…eventually. I would advise anyone in the SCA
less than a year against
taking on the huge responsibility it can be to be a student, just in
case you haven’t figured out the social norms of your local group or
household yet. Get comfy with the SCA first, then look for a teacher.

It
is my understanding of the Laurel system that if you have talent(s),
they will seek you out for apprenticeship. I think they use some sort
of ‘talent radar’, but I cannot confirm this, as I am not a Laurel
myself. I do know they have a secret decoder ring,
which I suspect enables them to communicate without the knowledge of
the populace or Crown. Maybe they are just discussing the latest
blackwork embroidery techniques, but I haven’t managed to find anyone
to break the code as of yet….

If
you’ve found the Laurel of your dreams, it is NOT considered gauche to
ask if you can apprentice to them. However, just like a Knight/Squire
relationship, they do NOT have to say yes to anyone who comes along and
asks to be their student. So you may get rejection, and that’s OK. Move
on.

Here’s
the secret: you can learn from any Laurel you wish! If there is one
with a particular skill you’d like to learn, go up to him/her and start
asking questions. Laurels can’t resist
answering questions about their chosen field of study. They will talk
your ear off, so bring a notepad or recording device. Just in case, have an escape route planned, or you may find yourself in a five hour conversation about medieval glue-making.

Get
to know your local Laurels. Then you can ask about an apprenticeship if
you deem one of them is worthy enough to teach YOU. By worthy I mean
‘compatible’. Don’t ever accept a student (or Squire) status from
someone you’ve never hung out with in the mundane world.
Make sure that you are both socially on the same page – if one of you
is a heavy drinker and the other abstains at events, well, that can
make for some really interesting entertainment for the rest of the
group you camp with. Not to mention possibly dissolve your
student/Laurel or Squire/Knight relationship into ugly screaming chaos.

In the Outlands,
the making of a student is usually informal, but sometimes it can
happen in court. It usually consists of the Laurel presenting the new
student to the populace (and/or Crown), and saying nice things about
him/her and why they want to take them as a student. Then the student
reaffirms his/her desire to be student to the Laurel, and the Laurel
will attach a belt to the student (which depending on the Kingdom can
be a number of colors) to signify the students’ status as a ward of the
Laurel. The student may also make a ‘favor’ for the Laurel to wear as
well. Everybody cheers – huzzah!

At
this point the student becomes an extension of the Laurel, so it is
important to know just what perception the Laurel would like to student
to ‘give off’ in public at events. Embarrassing behavior will surely
upset the Laurel, so it is key to act according to the Laurel’s wishes.
Communication with the Laurel is most important! If yours is the type
of Laurel who sits in the shade needleworking while everyone else goes
to watch the tourney, you should know that. If you’ll be called upon to
mend the royal regalia with
your Laurel on the friday night preceding an event, you should know
that. If your garb needs to be the same period or quality as your
Laurel, you should know that too. Nothing funnier than a late period
Elizabethan Laurel showing up to a grand court processional with her questionably period pirate lass of a student. Ahoy!

Being
a student to a Laurel is very much like being a Squire to a Knight, but
without all the physical requirements. A Squire has no guarantee that
he/she will eventually become a Knight, just as a student has no
guarantee of becoming a Laurel. On the flip side, it is not required
that one be a Squire to become a Knight, or a student to become Laurel,
as I have seen many cases where such awards were given without the
‘normal’ hierarchy being followed.

My advice to you would be to enter into any ‘Laurel’s Prize’ A&S events in your Kingdom. This is the natural habitat for Laurels,
as it is a prime hunting spot for new students. In these types of
competitions, Laurels are not allowed to enter any of their crafts,
only judge entries. This makes for a great learning environment, plus
you can pretty much tell if a Laurel has their eye on you. He/she may
leave a mound of tokens next to your entry or even bring other Laurels
over to your entry to show you off. There may be a ‘winner’ of the day,
who has the most tokens, but truly you are all winners from the
critique, creative direction, and ego-boosting experience that comes
from having people drool over your work. Laurels are usually good about
awarding effort vs technical skill in the newbies, as they want to encourage the artist to flourish.
Let
me tell you though, never let a Laurel judge your work who has just
endured a 16 hour road trip complete with flat tire and screaming baby.
You could have a completely period model of the Sistine Chapel and you might still get snarky comments on your judging sheet. As I’ve said before, take it all in stride, it’s just a game!