Embellishers' Guidelines

Embellishers' Guild of An Tir Guidelines, Ranks, and Challenges Guild Guidelines Anyone is welcome to attend Guild Meetings. These are generally at every Crown Event. Membership currently consists of filling out a membership form. You can download the following information in pdf form here. NEW! Regional Guild Ministers/Deputies: In order to facilitate management of the guild over the vast distances of our beloved Kingdom of An Tir, the guild has developed positions for regional and/or group guild ministers (sub-guild ministers). These ministers have simple duties, mostly involving collecting new member applications and holding challenges at local events. The purpose of these is to create and advance interest and membership in the guild and encourage members to learn new crafts and skills. Please consult the documents Embellishers' Regional Guilds (regional_guild_guidelines.pdf) and How to Run Challenges (how_to_challenges.pdf) for more details. NEW! Guild Badge: The guild badge (designed and submitted by Alicia le Wilfulle; it is now an officially registered badge) can be used by any guild member. Those with the rank of member will be asked to use an uncolored/embellished badge. As the person rises in guild rank different colors can be used to embellish the badge in whatever manner/design (as long as the main structure of the badge is not infringed upon). Some ideas for this embellishment include having different colored threads threaded through the needle, simple decoration (e.g. circles) along the hammer handle, etc. To discover which colors correspond to which guild rank, see the guild ranking information. NEW! Guild Motto: The motto is 'It Needs a Little Something…' Guild Ranks There are six status rankings within the guild: Member -- has indicated interest in the guild and filled out a membership form. Junior Student - has submitted for judging and had accepted (one) piece at a working knowledge level. NEW! Color of bead or embellishment on badge: Blue. Senior Student - has submitted for judging and had accepted: One (1) piece at a competency knowledge level, and One (1) additional piece at a working knowledge level NEW! Color of bead or embellishment on badge: Green. Journeyman -- Has submitted for evaluation and had accepted four (4) pieces of which at l east two (2) must be of competency knowledge level and the remaining two (2) can be at working knowledge level and, one of the following: teach an accepted form of embellishment as a class at least once (see below, under 'Teaching' for more information) or, mentor and teach one (1) member of the guild to working knowledge level in an accepted form of embellishment NEW! Color of bead or embellishment on badge: Red. Craftsman - has submitted for evaluation and had accepted eight (8) pieces of which at least four (4) must be at competency knowledge level. The other four (4) can be at the working knowledge level and, has participated in evaluating guild challenges and contests, and, one of the following: mentor and teach one (1) member of the guild to competency knowledge level in an accepted form of embellishment or, mentor and teach two (2) members of the guild to working knowledge level in an accepted form of embellishment or, teach 1 or more of the accepted embellishment forms in which you have achieved a competency knowledge rating* for a total of two classes. and, one of the following: mentor and teach one (1) member of the guild to competency knowledge level in a second accepted form of embellishment or, mentor and teach two (2) members of the guild to working knowledge level in a second accepted form of embellishment or, teach 1 or more of the accepted embellishment forms in which you have achieved a competency knowledge rating* in guild challenges for a total of two classes. NEW! Color of bead or embellishment on badge: Purple. Artisan - has submitted for evaluation and had accepted twelve (12) pieces of which: at least four (4) must be at expert knowledge level, at least four (4) must be at competency knowledge level, the remaining four (4) pieces may be at working knowledge level. However the guild would like to strongly suggest that at artisan ranking a minimum of competency knowledge level be attained for these remaining four (4) pieces. If the guild member decides to submit working knowledge level pieces, please be aware that at the artisan ranking, even working knowledge pieces must be complete. A “work in progress” is not acceptable at this rank. and, has participated in evaluating guild challenges and contests and, one of the following: mentor and teach one (1) member of the guild to expert knowledge level in an accepted form of embellishment, or, mentor and teach two (2) members of the guild to competency knowledge level in an accepted form of embellishment, or, teach 1 or more of the accepted embellishment forms in which you have achieved an expert knowledge rating* in guild challenges for a total of six classes. and, one of the following: mentor and teach one (1) member of the guild to expert knowledge level in a second accepted form of embellishment, or, mentor and teach two (2) members of the guild to competency knowledge level in a second accepted form of embellishment, or, teach 1 or more of the accepted embellishment forms in which you have achieved an expert knowledge rating* in guild challenges for a total of six classes. NEW! Color of bead or embellishment on badge: Black. as determined by passing a challenge in that form at that knowledge level. Levels of Knowledge Working – must achieve a minimum of the following: Demonstrate a basic understanding of the work. Most mistakes should be recognized by the challenger and important concepts of the chosen form of embellishment understood for future correction; May be an unfinished work or a work in progress if the sample is sufficiently large to demonstrate ability. Note however, that If this knowledge level is to be used for challenging at the Artisan ranking, the piece MUST be finished. Competency – must achieve a minimum of the following: Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the work. Mistakes should be few and of minor impact; Must be a finished and usable work (i.e. on a garment or on a completed project); Must be accompanied by a minimum of oral documentation (see below for an explanation of oral versus written documentation); written documentation is strongly encouraged. Expert – must achieve a minimum of the following: Demonstrate a complete knowledge of the work. If there are mistakes, the evaluators should be very hard pressed to find them; The work must be authentic in concept and execution; It must be a finished and usable work (i.e. on a garment or on a completed project); The work must demonstrate the various aspects of that particular form; Be accompanied by extensive written documentation, mostly using primary sources. Where primary sources are not available, secondary sources and extrapolations may be considered; Anyone presenting expert level projects is strongly advised to discuss the entire project beforehand with the Guild Minister or another Guild Officer. Documentation Oral The challenger must be able to quote examples of when and where the form was found. The challenger should be able explain the parameters of the form in period, including materials (e.g. types of fabric, thread, wood, metal, etc), tools, and methods of construction. The challenger must be able to effectively defend any differences or changes made from the original methods of working (i.e. “I used a modern foil-wrapped thread instead of real gold thread due to the current availability of the latter”). Written The challenger must be able to show a minimum of two (2) different primary sources of each aspect of the form. These sources should be 'primary' in that they are actual extant examples of the form from period. The challenger must be able to prove the authenticity of style, concept, execution, and materials of the form. The challenger must be able to effectively defend any differences or changes made from the original methods of working (i.e. “I used a modern foil-wrapped thread instead of real gold thread due to the current availability of the latter”). Evaluating Rank challenges may be evaluated by any combination of the following as long as there are a minimum of three (3) evaluators: Members in the Embellishers' Guild who have achieved a knowledge level (via undertaking their own challenges) in the embellishment form at least equal to that being challenged. If this is not possible then the members can be of the rank expected to be challenged or higher, with achieved knowledge levels in different, ideally related, forms. Laurels who have an understanding of the embellishment forms challenged. Any past or present guild minister of the Embellishers' Guild. Any person recommended by a Guild member and approved by the guild minister. Rank challenges shall be open to anyone who has completed the requirements of the attempted rank or anyone who wishes to observe. Evaluators may confer in private regarding acceptability of each candidate. Rank is not conferred until the guild minister and webminister have received the appropriate paperwork. The challenger will be notified of the official results by the guild minister. The results will also be available on the website soon after the challenge is completed and the appropriate paperwork is received. Teaching Classes: Proof of classes taught will be evaluated much as an item is evaluated. The teacher is expected to speak to the evaluators, discuss their proof(s) of the class(es) taught and perhaps verbally demonstrate adequate teaching knowledge in the embellishment form(s) challenged. Obtaining proof of teaching is the responsibility of the challenger. Subjects of classes must be forms of embellishment accepted by the Guild. Each instance of teaching must be unique for each rank challenged. For example, an instance of a class used to obtain Journeyman Rank can not be used to obtain Craftsman. However, new classes taught in the same form of embellishment can be used. All classes must be advertised in SCA approved media and sponsored by a formal entity of the SCA Media include: email lists and/or newsletters and/or websites Formal Entity is: Kingdom or Principality or Barony or Shire or College/Canton/Etc Proof of teaching includes the following Class handout/plan presented/discussed during the challenge and Class roster with signatures of attendants or Verification from Ithra or other Kingdom/Principality accepted learning colleges or Signed acknowledgment by Event Steward, Baronial Seneschal, Guild Minister, Guild Officer, etc (basically whoever is organizing/overseeing the classes) that the class took place Mentoring and Teaching One on one teaching requires proof in the form of the student (a member of the guild) challenging and attaining the required knowledge level in an embellishment form accepted by the Guild. The student may only be used to satisfy the one-on-one teaching requirement once at the knowledge level challenged by the student. Proof of mentoring and teaching includes signed affidavit from student as to identity of mentor/teacher and record(s) of challenge(s) in the Guild successfully made by the student guild member Please note, the form of embellishment taught via mentoring (one-on-one teaching) must be a form in which the teacher has attained an equal or higher knowledge level than the student. Exceptions, Variances, Prior Guild Rankings, Etc. All challenge results, classes taught and other elements necessary for attaining rank in the Guild achieved prior to the date of issuance of this document are valid as long as: Form challenges: the guild has records of those challenge results or adequate substitutes for such records exist Classes taught: the classes taught and circumstances of teaching meet the requirements ordained by the Guild at that time those classes were taught or sufficient evidence of meeting the new requirements as outlined above can be obtained. Variances to the above guidelines may be granted by the Guild Minister in consultation with Guild Officers. For example, under certain conditions a written paper on an embellishment form may be acceptable in lieu of teaching or mentoring, or a class taught many years ago, but remembered by several students, may be acceptable to satisfy a rank requirement. Personal Record Keeping Mistress Alicia le Wilfulle has worked up a chart for tracking your progress through the ranks of the Guild. The chart has been updated by the Guild Minister, so it should be good to go. Check it out here. Accepted Forms of Embellishment Only one (1) piece per form may be submitted for each rank challenge with the exception of the OTHER category in which two (2) different forms may be challenged. A form may be consecutively challenged for increasing ranks up to three (3) times providing that each time the form is challenged it increases in knowledge. A form may not be challenged at the same level of knowledge twice, improvement must be shown. NEW! Note: Forms that are not completely documented as being period (e.g. we have tools but no extant pieces; for example, lucet cord in which we have tools but no actual cord) can only be challenge to competency level and no further. As soon as it is documented that these forms are period, they can be challenged to expert level. A list of the Forms currently accepted by the Guild is available here. To Arrange Challenges To arrange to challenge a level please contact the Guild Challenge Deputy if you wish to challenge at a Kingdom event. To challenge at a regional event contact the Guild Challenge Deputy or one of the Regional Challenge deputies listed on the members page (coming soon, hopefully!). For more about this see the guild ranks and guidelines page or the guild guidelines pdf. If you have anything you'd like to add to this website, please email the Guild Webmistress.