"Tradition" Getting in the Way?
The city where I live holds Pagan Pride in a large public park in the late summer. Unfortunately those organizing it are really into the excuse of “Pagan Standard Time” and as a result everything they try to do always starts late and then gets steadily worse. In long events like Pagan Pride, the whole schedule gets thrown off by two hours or more.
Knowing what the problem was, I joined the committee a few years ago, hoping to get them more motivated and organized - but they just weren’t having it.
Being a musician, one of my main concerns centred around the bardic competition.
In the past they had placed the bardic after the main ritual, which was scheduled to take place at sunset. Unfortunately due to PST and the lackadaisical attitude of the organizers, it would often be 7:30 or 8:00 at night before the main ritual even started - in other words, long after sunset. Most people with children go home long before this. The ritual typically takes 45 minutes to an hour to complete, and then the impromptu drumming session starts. By the time the drummers are persuaded to stop it can be anywhere from 9:00 to 10:00 at night, pitch dark, and getting chilly. Many people go home right after the main ritual, and others leave when the drumming stops. The few bardic competitors who have hung around all this time can’t see their hand in front of their faces, so those relying on music are SOOL. In addition, the cold and dampness wreaks havoc with harps and other wooden instruments.
Knowing that most people really enjoy watching the bardic competition, my suggestion was to hold it in the middle or late afternoon while the sun still shone and people were still at the park. The committee was horrified. The bardic always came after the main ritual. It simply couldn't be moved!
I pointed out that the main ritual was always late getting started, and seeing as how they were determined to keep the two events together, suggested that we move the ritual to earlier in the day so that more people could stay for it. The bardic could be held after, as usual. At this, the other committee members wanted to slap a net over me and have me committed. The one thing we couldn’t do was move the main ritual! It had to take place at sunset!
I asked why the ritual needed to be held then - it wasn’t a Sabbat ritual that was planned, and so there should be no problem holding it during the day. After all, they always held an opening ritual, so why not replace it with the main ritual instead? The opening ritual had always been, I pointed out, at least an hour late starting anyway!
They were appalled by this suggestion and annoyed at my reference to their disorganization. Not only couldn’t the opening ritual be scrapped, but the main ritual had to take place at sunset, and the bardic had to take place afterwards.
I asked why, and they replied that it had always been done it that way.
I reminded them that they had only been in charge of Pagan Pride for three years, and were perfectly free to make changes to the schedule.
No, they said, the main ritual had to take place at sunset, and the bardic had to take place afterwards.
I asked why the bardic had to follow the ritual, and they replied that it had always been done it that way.
Again, I pointed out that we could have the ritual at whatever time we wanted, and there was nothing in the rule book that said the bardic had to happen at night.
They insisted that they couldn’t possibly be re-scheduled because it had always been done that way.
This argument went back and forth a few more times before I gave up in exasperation. The logic of holding the bardic just before the ritual (while there was still light and people in the park) did not strike them at all. According to the other committee members, it was a “tradition” to have the ritual at sunset, and further “tradition” to hold the bardic afterwards. Pointing out that their “tradition” was only a few years old and not written in stone made no impression on them whatsoever. It had to be done that way, even if they did end up staying in the park until midnight.
I quit the committee shortly after that, citing the illness of a relative - but the real reason was my frustration at their lack of vision and determination to host another disorganized fiasco. I did not wish for my name to be linked with a fiasco, so I disassociated myself.
When is a “tradition” not a tradition but sheer bloody-mindedness?
Knowing what the problem was, I joined the committee a few years ago, hoping to get them more motivated and organized - but they just weren’t having it.
Being a musician, one of my main concerns centred around the bardic competition.
In the past they had placed the bardic after the main ritual, which was scheduled to take place at sunset. Unfortunately due to PST and the lackadaisical attitude of the organizers, it would often be 7:30 or 8:00 at night before the main ritual even started - in other words, long after sunset. Most people with children go home long before this. The ritual typically takes 45 minutes to an hour to complete, and then the impromptu drumming session starts. By the time the drummers are persuaded to stop it can be anywhere from 9:00 to 10:00 at night, pitch dark, and getting chilly. Many people go home right after the main ritual, and others leave when the drumming stops. The few bardic competitors who have hung around all this time can’t see their hand in front of their faces, so those relying on music are SOOL. In addition, the cold and dampness wreaks havoc with harps and other wooden instruments.
Knowing that most people really enjoy watching the bardic competition, my suggestion was to hold it in the middle or late afternoon while the sun still shone and people were still at the park. The committee was horrified. The bardic always came after the main ritual. It simply couldn't be moved!
I pointed out that the main ritual was always late getting started, and seeing as how they were determined to keep the two events together, suggested that we move the ritual to earlier in the day so that more people could stay for it. The bardic could be held after, as usual. At this, the other committee members wanted to slap a net over me and have me committed. The one thing we couldn’t do was move the main ritual! It had to take place at sunset!
I asked why the ritual needed to be held then - it wasn’t a Sabbat ritual that was planned, and so there should be no problem holding it during the day. After all, they always held an opening ritual, so why not replace it with the main ritual instead? The opening ritual had always been, I pointed out, at least an hour late starting anyway!
They were appalled by this suggestion and annoyed at my reference to their disorganization. Not only couldn’t the opening ritual be scrapped, but the main ritual had to take place at sunset, and the bardic had to take place afterwards.
I asked why, and they replied that it had always been done it that way.
I reminded them that they had only been in charge of Pagan Pride for three years, and were perfectly free to make changes to the schedule.
No, they said, the main ritual had to take place at sunset, and the bardic had to take place afterwards.
I asked why the bardic had to follow the ritual, and they replied that it had always been done it that way.
Again, I pointed out that we could have the ritual at whatever time we wanted, and there was nothing in the rule book that said the bardic had to happen at night.
They insisted that they couldn’t possibly be re-scheduled because it had always been done that way.
This argument went back and forth a few more times before I gave up in exasperation. The logic of holding the bardic just before the ritual (while there was still light and people in the park) did not strike them at all. According to the other committee members, it was a “tradition” to have the ritual at sunset, and further “tradition” to hold the bardic afterwards. Pointing out that their “tradition” was only a few years old and not written in stone made no impression on them whatsoever. It had to be done that way, even if they did end up staying in the park until midnight.
I quit the committee shortly after that, citing the illness of a relative - but the real reason was my frustration at their lack of vision and determination to host another disorganized fiasco. I did not wish for my name to be linked with a fiasco, so I disassociated myself.
When is a “tradition” not a tradition but sheer bloody-mindedness?
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