Recognizing Skill and Good Works

[maddie teller-kook]

Aodhan Ite an Fhithich wrote:
> 
> Dia duit!
> 
>< big snip >
> Frankly, I wish we could do away with our peerages - the only one with any real
> medieval precedent is Knighthood and we have it on the wrong end of the
> spectrum.  And the Grant level is a complete fabrication.

True, the grant level award may be a fabrication, but it is what we have
to recognize someone that has worked hard and contributed to the
society.  There is a lot we do that was never done in period (One
is...getting to a tourney site over 200miles away in less than 4hrs).

> 
> It was rare in the Middle Ages for one to receive recognition (by way of titles
> or land) from the Crown; it was *extremely* rare to recieve such recognition
> more than once in a lifetime.  Yet, we have a system in which people actually
> expect to get such recognition several times over the course of a few years.
> >From the records of the last few reigns during which I served as Zodiacus
> Herald, the Crowns of Ansteorra have been giving out, on average, over 500
> armigerous awards per year.  That's about 10% of the Kingdom being called up
> and formally recognized in Court.  Did 10% of England or France ever see their
> King in person, much less receive recognition in His Court?

Maybe not...but members of this Kingdom can go play elsewhere if they
feel they have never been recognized for their efforts.  If we played
exactly as history would have it.....i don't think the society would
have grown as much as it did.  Do you want to bring religious
persecution into the society as well?  They did that during the middle
ages as well and we have managed to survive without it.
> 
> We have too many awards and they are given out too freely.  What we have
> resembles, more than anything, the Boy Scout merit badge system. Is it really
> necessary to have awards and titles in order to recognize those who have done
> well?  Is not public acclaim from the Crown enough?

Yes, I can agree sometimes it has the perception that awards are given
out like water.  If our population has increased....wouldn't you expect
the number of awards handed out would increase as well.  Using your own
math 10% of 500 people= 50 awards.  10% of 5000 people= 500 awards.  So,
without increasing the percentage the raw number does go way up.


Mistress Meadhbh