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baronessekatI've been asked a couple times about my choice to give my Associate a Red Belt (the traditional belt of a Squire) instead of a Yellow Belt (the traditional belt of a Protege).
In September of 1995, on the day Morguhn and Meirwen were invested as Territorial Prince and Princess of AEthelmearc for the second time, I swore fealty to him. Not as a Squire to Knight or Cadet to Don, but as a Courtier to the Royal Peer. Sometime that winter he gave me my fealty chain.
Over the years he struggled to find a title for me. I was of equal rank as the Squires and Cadets but I was neither. Eventually he started calling me his Esquire.
In 2006 His Grace was elevated to the Pelican. At that Pennsic he asked me if I wanted a yellow belt and officially be his Protege. We had a long heartfelt conversation then. I expressed my very strong opinions on Yellow Belts. (If you want to know, ask me privately.) And said that after 10+ years of being his Esquire, I was very content in the role. There was nothing he could teach me as a Pelican that he could not as a Duke. I did ask for a Red Belt at the time due to some internal household politics. He agreed and a couple months later he presented me with a red belt with his name and my name written on the inside of it.
When I was elevated in 2008 he offered me to take my belt back to pass on to my first student (and since there are no sumptuary laws in AEthelmearc it's not a big deal here, just untraditional). At that time I had told him that he should pass it on to his next Protege/Student and make it the "ancestral belt" for his lineage. Unfortunately fate conspired that I would be the only one for that role.
When J and I started talking about a Pelican/Associate relationship between us, I told her about my opinion on Yellow Belts and how I would not give one to any student of mine. We discussed options and I presented her with one very important and emotional one. I offered to get my belt back from the Ladies and have her wear it, provided that the Duchesses approved.
It was agreed to by all sides.
When I got the belt back,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
dicea embellished the belt tip with both Boss' badge and mine to outwardly show the lineage. And when she passes a name in the SCA her name will be added to the inside as well.
So J now wears not only my former belt but she also wears my old chain as well. As is only right for the first student.
I have no plans to take any more Associates in the near or foreseeable future. If I do, I will talk to them as well about belt options. I may or may not present a red belt to them. That is for the future to hold.
But that is the reason for me, a Pelican, to have my Associate wear a red belt.
In September of 1995, on the day Morguhn and Meirwen were invested as Territorial Prince and Princess of AEthelmearc for the second time, I swore fealty to him. Not as a Squire to Knight or Cadet to Don, but as a Courtier to the Royal Peer. Sometime that winter he gave me my fealty chain.
Over the years he struggled to find a title for me. I was of equal rank as the Squires and Cadets but I was neither. Eventually he started calling me his Esquire.
In 2006 His Grace was elevated to the Pelican. At that Pennsic he asked me if I wanted a yellow belt and officially be his Protege. We had a long heartfelt conversation then. I expressed my very strong opinions on Yellow Belts. (If you want to know, ask me privately.) And said that after 10+ years of being his Esquire, I was very content in the role. There was nothing he could teach me as a Pelican that he could not as a Duke. I did ask for a Red Belt at the time due to some internal household politics. He agreed and a couple months later he presented me with a red belt with his name and my name written on the inside of it.
When I was elevated in 2008 he offered me to take my belt back to pass on to my first student (and since there are no sumptuary laws in AEthelmearc it's not a big deal here, just untraditional). At that time I had told him that he should pass it on to his next Protege/Student and make it the "ancestral belt" for his lineage. Unfortunately fate conspired that I would be the only one for that role.
When J and I started talking about a Pelican/Associate relationship between us, I told her about my opinion on Yellow Belts and how I would not give one to any student of mine. We discussed options and I presented her with one very important and emotional one. I offered to get my belt back from the Ladies and have her wear it, provided that the Duchesses approved.
It was agreed to by all sides.
When I got the belt back,
dicea embellished the belt tip with both Boss' badge and mine to outwardly show the lineage. And when she passes a name in the SCA her name will be added to the inside as well.So J now wears not only my former belt but she also wears my old chain as well. As is only right for the first student.
I have no plans to take any more Associates in the near or foreseeable future. If I do, I will talk to them as well about belt options. I may or may not present a red belt to them. That is for the future to hold.
But that is the reason for me, a Pelican, to have my Associate wear a red belt.
