There shall be six ranks in the Academy:
- Patron
- Cadet
- Scholar
- Free Scholar
- Provost
- Dean
The officers of the Academy shall be:
- The Praeceptor is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Academy, including supervision of Prize attempts. The Preceptor is entitled to wear a blue scarf with gold/yellow edges to symbolize their position.
- The Proctor is the academic soul of the Academy, guiding and evaluating the research projects of its members.
In keeping with the tradition of the London Masters of Defence, advancement to higher ranks shall be accompanied by the member seeking advancement (the Prizor) calling a Prize. The Prize is a display of skill in which the Prizor shows his prowess in different weapons forms. The Prizor will fence a number of duels to display his or her skill. When the Prize is completed, if the requirements of the Prize have been met, then the Prizor is invested in the new rank.
Members of all ranks are highly encouraged to do research into the art of rapier play. There are a number of period manuals by rapier masters available. Also encouraged highly is service to your group, and the members of the fencing community as a whole. Assisting in training and marshaling lightens the load on everybody else, and allows all of us more time to have fun! Not to mention the experience you will gain, and the relationships you will forge with other fencers.
Most of the duties of each rank are presented with the rank. Some are repeated between the ranks to emphasize their importance. There is a duty that applies to us all, fencer and non-fencer. We’ll state it here to emphasize it:
Honour, Chivalry, Courtesy, Gentility – Learn it, Live it!