We begin our story in the first turn of the Seventh Pass, where an Interval of complacency and traditionalism has contributed to the ill-prepared status of Pern to meet the demands of such a time. Holds and Halls have reverted to their conservative ways, casting judgment on the weyrfolk who have sworn to fight Thread and protect them from this menace.
It is a breeding ground for discontent and resistance, an excuse for argument, and an opportunity for malice — from holders and crafters more than a little hesitant about sending their youth for search, to tithes being short and sometimes spoiled, to disagreeing neighbors finding someone to blame it all on. Even within the Weyrs themselves, tensions are on the rise.
Though the golds have begun to rise more frequently, the devastatingly low number of dragons is no boon; the Sixth Pass’ plague and the subsequent Interval brought down numbers drastically, and now, with more than a few fatalities due to Threadfall, weyrleaders across the continent are desperate for new blood for their eggs. All unmarried, fit-to-stand, and of age weyrfolk are eligible for search, but will that be enough? Or will dragonriders have to resort to the old ways of poaching from the Holds and Halls to fill their barracks?
It's accepted as established fact that dragon populations are stronger when bloodlines are cross-pollinated, and in living memory that has resulted in a regular tradition of transferring junior queens between Weyrs, particularly when certain characteristics are desired. Generally, the trade of a queen also includes the trade of a wing of chromatic riders, though a savvy Weyrleader threatened by an up-and-coming young bronzerider might well include them as a bonus. As a result, Weyr culture often shifts and turns according to its leaders quite markedly; and though loyalty to a Weyr is not unheard of, many choose instead to be loyal to an individual.
This tradition in no way diminishes the traditional complex relationships between the Weyrs, of course: politics will still politic, especially when it's likely that the senior of one Weyr has ridden previously for another, with good or bad experiences.
During the comparatively placid Interval, with no need for true fighting wings, most Weyrs have found it useful for the Weyrwoman and Weyrsecond (often but not always a veteran brownrider) to provide long-term leadership continuity. A Weyrleader always has his perks, of course; it's just that less is expected of him, beyond keeping the bronzes—the drones—out of more trouble than can be excused. How this changes during Pass, with a real need to channel dragon instinct, remains to be seen.
Dragons are not especially large; most greens can carry 2-3 people and their gear, and it goes up from there. Blues, browns and greens Impress to any gender; browns fly queens only very rarely. Timing it is a skill as yet unknown.
To make it to Journeyman is a sign of both dedication and talent: one does not coast through. Indeed, entry requirements are often very strict, and even those who make it past that aren't guaranteed not to wash out before they walk the tables. Of course there are differing levels of this in different crafts, but as a general rule craft rank is an indication of definite talent. Those who wash out may still be skilled, and are likely to be in demand across Pern as non-crafted (and thus cheaper) talent: if you can't afford the work of a Weaver, a craft-trained seamstress is not to be sniffed at.
Indeed, washing out of a craft doesn't even mean cutting ties. Moreover, it is expected that those who have washed out will still maintain the secrets and traditions of the Hall: a craft-trained cook does not teach craft techniques and recipes to an outsider. The Halls are possessive of their people and their techniques; new apprenticeships are often expected to sign a document swearing never to share what they learn, regardless of if they make it to journey-rank or not.
Accepting Search as a Journeyman crafter is practically unthinkable; few Halls would ever permit their Journeymen to walk away, after the expense and effort involved in training them. There is a little more wiggle room for apprentices, but those who choose to accept and then fail to Impress may well find their apprenticeship at an end regardless. Interestingly, those who have already washed out and then accept Search may well find themselves courted by their former Hall, if it means the possibility of gaining influence.
On the whole, however, the Halls are dubious of the Weyrs. The Interval removed the urgency of their need, and though the return of Thread is certainly a good reminder, it's all wholly inconvenient... and rightly or wrongly, it's easy to blame the Weyrs for this sudden change in lifestyle.
Like most of Pern, Halls tend towards the conservative. They generally subscribe to binary concepts of gender, though see women and men as equals (at least officially; in practice, some may vary either way). Postings to major holds are the most sought-after; postings to Weyrs are seen, by many, as an indication that you have made some kind of mistake.
Without speedy long-range communication beyond drums and dragons, tightly controlled by harpers and riders respectively, Holds have grown to vary widely in how they operate. Almost all cling to Bloodlines, but many are matrilineal (to the point that a particular holder's children may each have a different father), some choose their leaders from the Blooded adults available, and so on. Harpers may think what they want, and some holders will listen, but a major Holder's word is generally law in their domain.
Traders trade.
On a larger scale, some provide convoys for Holds and Halls: you supply the baggage (plant, animal, or mineral) and they'll provide the wagons, knowhow, and safety. Send your representative if you want more oversight, but that'll be an extra fee. (Naturally, Thread has made this all more difficult.)
Myth and legend. Which does not mean they could not be rediscovered on camera...
Everyone knows it exists out there, but it is largely seen as empty space, too far from anything to be useful and important.