Awards Policy

[Jeanne C. Stapleton]

> 
> 
> On Wed, 15 Jan 1997, Jeanne C. Stapleton wrote:
> 
> > > In Ansteorra, Shires may submit their members for the Sable
> > > Comet of Ansteorra, which is an Award-of-Arms level award
> > > designed to recognize individuals' efforts to a group lower than
> > > Baronial level.
> > > 
> > The Outlands has a similar one,the Trefoil (but I believe it's
> > specifically "service to a shire"...but it doesn't have to be
> > "your" shire, which means it can apply to travelling to other
> > shires and helping out there, teaching, fighting, helping with
> > demos, etc.
> 
> I really like these awards.  I often felt like I was being
> terminally ignored by my own shire, and I do enjoy being in other
> groups.  If I had more time and money, I think I would almost live
> in Northkeep SCA-wise. 

I love to travel; that's one of the big reasons I stay with the SCA.
I love meeting new people.  If I had the time and money, I'd be more
often in the Barony of Wastekeep (Tri-Cities, WA) and the Barony of
Western Seas and the Barony of Madrone (Seattle, WA) and the
Barony of Borealis (Edmonton, AB).  But I'm pretty happy here.

> > > All this notwithstanding, I would argue
> that a person who doesn't > > support local groups and, in fact,
> undermines the group's efforts by > > discouraging other members
> from participating, shouldn't get any > > kind of award.  Even as I
> hold a deputy kingdom office, I still > > participate in my local
> group's activities and support the groups > > around us.
> 
> I do have memories of certain persons who could be counted on to
> have an activity at their own place at the same time Grimfells would
> be having feast or whatever.  I am extremely wary of
> "counter-revels" or anything that could be described as such. > >

I haven't heard the term "counter-revel" in a long time, and when I
did, it was in Oertha, which is a political crucible.  Truly.

> discouraging other members of their household from doing so:  well,
> > it's still up to the individuals in question whether they take
> that > advice or not.  Households are a weird organism--I don't know
> where > they fall on the scale of things in Ansteorra.  They're not
> at all > big in the Outlands, in An Tir they're a huge social
> factor.  > Households are not official SCA groups, and therefore
> they fall > somewhat outside the pale: 
> 
> In Calontir, I *think* it's more of a low-key social thing.  Real
> friends don't manipulate each other in any kingdom.  I would never
> activly discourage someone from joining Grimfells.  If they ask, I
> would tell them I am predjudiced and why, but I wouldn't say don't
> do it.  That would be unethical and too much like some folk I am
> unfod of.
> 
I don't think of presenting your honest objections to a group to your
household is "manipulating".  I'd rather know someone's reasons for
doing or not doing something than assume.  If they're putting 
pressure
on them akin to kicking them out of the household, that's another
kettle of fish; but households not being official, it's like 
intruding too far into the family by the government.  It's up to the
individuals involved to decide to what pressure they will bow or no.
Like you, I'd say I didn't want to play there and why, and that I
wouldn't be going to events there with them.  But they'd still be
free to make up their own minds.


> Kateryn
> Grimfells
> 

jstaplet at adm.law.du.edu
University of Denver
College of Law
Ext. 6288