Company of Saynte George

[Gerry Embleton]

Dear members,

As most of you know I am one of the oldest surviving founder member.  
With a small group of friends I created the basic philosophy of the  
Company of Saynte George and wrote the ordinances. These were  
carefully thought out to protect and preserve an unusual and unique  
style of living history where all work and all opportunities were  
equally shared and officers took responsibility for the harmonious  
conduct of the group. The Company has always changed and evolved,  
usually, one hoped, for the better.

I stopped being an officer of the Company some time ago but have  
continued as a sort of 'relic' and 'keeper of the faith',  
participating in the officer's forum. I have now resigned from this  
position because I see that for the first time in the history of the  
Company truly objective discussion and group decision making have  
become very rare things. Our Company secretary is now almost the sole  
decision maker and there is no serious objective response to  
criticism. The Company secretary has stated that, on two occasions,  
he has tried to remove the ordinances from the Company website and  
has already considered changing the company name. Curious in someone  
who claims that he wishes to preserve the original spirit of the  
Company and I see little practical evidence that he does.

Let it be clearly understood. A good deal of what he does he does  
very well indeed. I have absolutely no quarrel with the way he  
carries out his duties as Company Secretary and as an Events  
Organizer. He is good at it. He has strong ideas but is reluctant to  
consult more experienced members.

One sympathizes with his struggle against old rules that hold back  
his creative and progressive ideas, but they are ideas that are not  
openly discussed, nor always acceptable to all of us. His way of  
running our Company is so far removed from our original intentions  
that I see no solution but to suggest the following...
Let us bury the Company of Saynte George, with its old obsolete  
philosophy and rules. Bury it with the honours it deserves, instead  
of slowly dismantling it.
Let Christian and friends write new ordinances and fresh proposals  
for a new company with a completely new name (Company of Saynte  
Barbara?). Then, unrestricted by old heavy luggage they can be free  
to build up a new reputation instead of leaning on the old. They can  
explain and try out their new ideas and members can judge for  
themselves how sound they are. I am sure that most of the present  
membership, including myself, will support them. I sincerely believe  
that this would be an honest and clear solution to long standing  
difficulties and may produce an even better company.

It is time for members to voice their opinions and force, if  
necessary a clear, objective response from the officers.

Gerry Embleton, a member