Apprentice

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An apprentice is an associate of a member of the Order of the Laurel. Within the greater SCA community, the role may be considered under the broader term of belted student ¹; equivalent roles are squire (Order of Chivalry) and protégé (Order of the Pelican). An individual becomes an apprentice by entering into a formal relationship with a Laurel Peer with a commitment to skills predominantly within the Arts & Sciences.

Often, an apprentice is a student to a Laurel prior to both individuals accepting the formal relationship; however, this is not a rule. Likewise, many apprentices aspire to become Laurel peers, themselves, but this is not always the case.

Apprentice-Laurel Relationship

The core elements in the apprentice relationship are:

• The Laurel passes on skill knowledge and social etiquette to the apprentice
• The apprentice is expected to perform to a high standard of quality and knowledge
• The apprentice's conduct of self is a reflection upon their Laurel

Expectations, activities, interaction, and other factors within the apprentice-Laurel relationship vary widely throughout the Known World. Some Laurels may create a formal document and lay out specific projects or tasks for apprentices to undertake; other Laurels may provide a token representing the agreement of relationship to the apprentice and act more as a guide or archetypal 'sage'.

Customs

Within the greater SCA, apprentices may represent their role by wearing a green belt. However, the Kingdom of An Tir makes no mention of such in its current Kingdom Laws for An Tir (PDF). See Sumptuary Laws for information on apprentice belts.

References

¹ Petrov, Sir Nikolai Grigorevich (Craig Israel). "On Being a Belted Student in the SCA". Known World Handbook. 4th ed. Hanna, R. Wesley, ed. Milpitas: Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., 2010. 18-19. Print.