politics and networking
May. 9th, 2017 05:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kareinaI found out yesterday that Duchess Elina of Beckenham, KSCA, OL, OP, etc. is running for US Congress in Indiana. I normally have zero interest in modern world politics. I start with the assumption that politicians are useless creatures who will say whatever they think will get them elected, and aren't truly capable of making good decisions while in office.
However, Elina is someone I have always admired. She is a talented artist, makes a very charismatic Queen and Princess, she is a talented fighter who is skilled at leading war units to victory, she has written a useful book on SCA fighting explaining how gender differences at the skeleton level can translate to different techniques being effective for different body types. She was one of the people who ran the recent SCA 50 Year anniversary event, held in Indiana. (I didn't go--my budget didn't extend that far, and the heat that happens in that part of the planet at that time of year didn't appeal, but I heard good things of the event from friends who went.)
I think that she would do well in any job she had, even dealing with idiots in Congress. Therefore I did something I have never done before, and contributed to her campaign (only the small amount left in my paypal account, but still, it was something). More importantly, I mentioned doing so on FB, where a number of my friends who also know her (pretty much everyone in the SCA in the states, and quite a few outside of the US at least knows of her, if they haven't met her) expressed surprised delight at the news that she was running, and promptly went to her web page and did their own contributions. When I woke up this morning my friend Samuil sent me a message saying that he didn't know the Becks that well, but I should let them know that he was willing to lend a hand, so, of course, I promptly opened a group conversation between she and he, letting her know of the offer, reminding her that he had been a Seneschal of the College of St. Katherine when I lived in the Mists and that he had moved to York for his Master's, which experience inspired him to become politically active, so that he has served on at least a couple of major campaigns that I know of. They exchanged a few messages and agreed to take the conversation to phone calls, so I am pleased with the outcome of that bit of networking.
I have no idea what sort of goals she has with this campaign--does she just hope to accomplish some good for her adopted home state, or is this a stepping stone to even higher positions? Yet I can't help but daydream of a time some years hence, when she is serving as the first female President of the US, hosting the local SCA fighter practice on her front lawn, leading the other fighters in war maneuvers, whilst the secret service carefully checks every fighter authorization card before letting people in to play...
However, Elina is someone I have always admired. She is a talented artist, makes a very charismatic Queen and Princess, she is a talented fighter who is skilled at leading war units to victory, she has written a useful book on SCA fighting explaining how gender differences at the skeleton level can translate to different techniques being effective for different body types. She was one of the people who ran the recent SCA 50 Year anniversary event, held in Indiana. (I didn't go--my budget didn't extend that far, and the heat that happens in that part of the planet at that time of year didn't appeal, but I heard good things of the event from friends who went.)
I think that she would do well in any job she had, even dealing with idiots in Congress. Therefore I did something I have never done before, and contributed to her campaign (only the small amount left in my paypal account, but still, it was something). More importantly, I mentioned doing so on FB, where a number of my friends who also know her (pretty much everyone in the SCA in the states, and quite a few outside of the US at least knows of her, if they haven't met her) expressed surprised delight at the news that she was running, and promptly went to her web page and did their own contributions. When I woke up this morning my friend Samuil sent me a message saying that he didn't know the Becks that well, but I should let them know that he was willing to lend a hand, so, of course, I promptly opened a group conversation between she and he, letting her know of the offer, reminding her that he had been a Seneschal of the College of St. Katherine when I lived in the Mists and that he had moved to York for his Master's, which experience inspired him to become politically active, so that he has served on at least a couple of major campaigns that I know of. They exchanged a few messages and agreed to take the conversation to phone calls, so I am pleased with the outcome of that bit of networking.
I have no idea what sort of goals she has with this campaign--does she just hope to accomplish some good for her adopted home state, or is this a stepping stone to even higher positions? Yet I can't help but daydream of a time some years hence, when she is serving as the first female President of the US, hosting the local SCA fighter practice on her front lawn, leading the other fighters in war maneuvers, whilst the secret service carefully checks every fighter authorization card before letting people in to play...
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Date: 2017-05-09 05:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2017-05-10 06:10 pm (UTC)Did you like the photo I linked to for him?
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Date: 2017-05-10 08:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2017-05-12 12:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2017-05-10 09:58 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2017-05-10 06:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2017-05-10 11:12 pm (UTC)warParty".