Summary

The Rose Ceremony is a unique ceremony within the Order of the Rose and is designed to inspire introspection for a Swordsman who has completed their Tabard and is prepared to wear the Rose on their left shoulder. It is the only ceremony that does not require an oath or mandate connected to the group. In this ceremony, for a single moment, a Swordsman sets aside the group to focus purely on their Rose and Tabard, and what they mean to them. There are no specific guidelines for what the Rose should mean to a Swordsman, rather it is something they decide for themselves, it is a deep level of individual commitment to a worthy ideal. It is not something that can be dictated. 

There are two parts to this ceremony. The first is the Rose Authorization and the second is the Fight of the Tabard. The Rose Authorization is an opportunity to reiterate the values of the Order of the Rose and inspire the Swordsman whos ceremony is to choose an ideal for which they are willing to stand and fight for both on the fencing field and in their personal life. The purpose of the Fight of the Tabard is to initiate the new tabard into the group and is a physical representation for the Swordsman of the combining of their Rose and the Company in a single uniform. In the Fight of the Tabard all Swordsman with a tabard fight against the world as a united symbol of what we all are willing to stand and fight for. It is this combination Of worthy individual ideals that makes us the Order of the Rose

Materials

1. All swordsman wearing tabards
2. Loaner tabards
3. Rose patch
4. Long stemmed Rose

Preparation

All swordsman should be invited to bring and wear their tabards.

The ceremony should take place before the Fight of the Tabard with only Tabard bearing Swordsman involved. All the Swordsman will gather out in the field away from the rest of the group to discuss and participate in the ceremony.

Procedure

Rose Ceremony

Call forth all Swordsmen with Tabards to form a circle in the field.

Call forth the Swordsman whos ceremony it is to come and stand in the center of the circle

Address the group and talk about what The Order of the Rose is and why our symbol is the Rose. Feel free to emphasize different things for different ceremonies. The Ceremony to a certain extent should be individualized. The following are a few appropriate ideas: 

• Talk about the founding principles of the Order of the Rose
• Talk about our values and the 4 Levels
• Share some personal reasons why the rose means so much
• The Rose isn’t just on the Tabard it is on your heart it goes with you into every fight but also into every part of your life. It should be a noble ideal,  a foundational guiding principle
• Take a moment for everyone to reflect on their rose
• If it feels right invite someone to share their purpose

Remind the inductie that this moment is a chance for them to realize their rose. And Authorize them to wear it.

The Rose is a representation of their ideal but it doesn’t belong to them, it belongs to the group. 

Ask all those who will defend the Rose to stand and salute with hand or sword.

While everyone is still saluting:

“For the Glory of the Rose! — “To the Rose!” (x3)

Proceed with Fight of the Tabard Scenario

Fight of the Tabard

All Swordsman will have only one life and face off against the rest of the group, who will have unlimited lives. The goal is to kill as many non-tabard fencers as they can before all tabard-bearing fencers are killed.

Each time a non-tabard fencer dies, they will return to their Rez point and count a kill before returning. The scenario ends when all tabard-bearing fencers are dead.

Non-tabard fencers are only allowed single short sword, while tabard-bearing fencers are allowed anything they wish.