A stroll is an activity where two or more kindred go for a walk through a pleasant location for conversation and companionship. Strolls are especially useful as they are easy to organize and allow more private socializing than other events without being unseemly, especially between male and female participants. It should be noted that not all walking is a "stroll". Only if the trip has no other purpose than to spend time together while enjoying the landscape is it considered a stroll or indeed, a social event. ==== Organization ==== Strolls can be planned by mutual agreement or they can be taken up spontaneously. It is not customary to make formal invitations for it. The formal suggestion to go for a stroll should come from the highest ranking lady in the company, based upon her judgement of the expected desire of others present. Lower ranking individuals should rather alude to the option, for example mentioning how wonderful the weather would be for a stroll. It is not, however, uncommon for this to be more than a mere implication. One key element is that a correct venue is chosen for the stroll. Palaces usually come with extensive gardens for this exact reason, and manors in the country may have lands nearby that will suffice, while in the city, various streets are considered safe enough for the purpose. Strolls only ever happen between people who are in one another's [[Social Circle]]. More explicitly, everyone participating should have everyone else participating in their social circle. ==== Social Customs ==== Unmarried ladies should not go on strolls with gentlemen unless they are accompanied by at least one other female companion, preferably one who is married. During strolls, pairs may form and fall back or move ahead of the rest a bit to give them opportunity to talk privately. However, it is important that the group keep visual contact with one another so as not to lose one another (and to make sure nothing untoward happens). ---- Route and duration ---- Strolls should take a slow pace, generally slower than normally walking from place to place. Gentlemen especially need to take into account that they are both taller and have more practical footwear than their female companions. Ideally, strolls should take an hour or two at most. The highest ranking gentleman in the company determines the route, speed and duration of the stroll. It is expected he take into account the time of sunrise (as well as any additional time necessary for participants to get home from where they return to). He must also account for the fact that not everyone may have his constitution or speed. Only if no gentleman is available, is this role taken by the highest ranking lady. Complaining about sore feet, being tired, needing to rest, the weather being bad, etc. is considered to be extremely rude, and is equivalent to saying that the person leading the stroll is an inconsiderate jerk. If the person leading the strolls direction is ignorant of his companions, another gentleman may take him aside and subtly and quietly hint that one of the ladies may be struggling. If there is no other gentlemen to do this, if he is ignorant as well, or if there are no ladies to refer to, then there is no way to resolve the conundrum and the group should keep going. ---- Clothing ---- Before the stroll begins, ladies will usually withdraw to change to a more suitable gown. Suitable here does not mean practical, but rather "of the correct style" - i.e. a promenade gown. These gowns should be dark in colour and have a high collar and long sleeves, but no train that drags along the ground. A cloak, decorative bonnet or large hat and gloves should be worn at all times, and a stole and muff if the weather is cold. Ladies do not carry their own umbrella's. Most gentlemen's outfits are well suited for strolls - more delicate clothes such as those for a [[Ball]] are generally worn to occasions which are not conductive to having a stroll anyway. If in doubt, a consideration of the weather and whether or not the clothes will stand up to that will help determine if a change of outfits is warranted. Regardless of the regular clothes, a Greatcoat, Inverness coat or cape or Ulster Coat and a top-hat is most appropriate, and an umbrella or walking cane is an excellent accessory.