Learning from the past

[Cecily Garland/Deborah Raney]

My two farthings.

I see that the below would have some good advantages over the current
policy on handing out awards [be it something lowly as an AoA (and, boy do
I love my AoA; got it hanging on my 'Self Love' wall; though it is lonely
right now being by itself and all), to a Sable Thistle or higher honor],
but I kinda enjoyed being surprised as I was the court herald for His
Excellency, Jeremy James Scurlock, when the court herald for (at that time)
Rex and Regina, Mikael and Mikaela, announced my name to recieve my AoA. In
fact, James ap Benal was continually passing on information on what to do
as herald, keeping me quite busy and I heard my name but it did not sink in
that it was MY name. At least not right away ;-) I did a double take and
saw everyone staring ( ... er ... looking) at me. Then it sunk in that they
announced my name.

Now, my S.O. was there. I was dressed for court (in full Scot fashion ;-).
And I was very honored to recieve this award. If any of the above were not
so (especially the presence of my S.O. and my feelings toward the award),
then I might have not enjoyed that presentation, and wished that the ones
in charge of the presentation had made me aware of it in private.

We are then looking at the obvious balance between how many people would
rather have the announcement made in private, and how many look for that
surprise? That IS the question, is it not?

Angus

Barony of Bryn Gwlad:          http://www.eden.com/~aquinas/bryn.gwlad/
Crossroads to the S.C.A.:     http://www.eden.com/~aquinas/sca/
Laird Angus mac Taggart:      http://www.eden.com/~aquinas/sca/angus.html 
aquinas at eden.com
Lady Cecily Garland:             http://www.eden.com/~cecily/ 
cecily at eden.com

>
>As for what will happen: a real Crown, HM Queen Elizabeth II of the
>UKoGBaNI, has her people mail notification of upcoming awards to each
>recipient, and each recipient can then decide whether they wish to
>receive it or not.  In the rare cases that they don't, they notify the
>royal officials and nothing more is heard of it -- it was handled
>quietly and privately, without public refusal or a "think fast"
>problem.  I often think this would be a better model for the SCA.  Or
>perhaps the Crown / Baron/ess summon the person into private audience
>and offer the award to be given later, and the recipient has a chance
>to refuse, to change into better clothing for court, to ask that it be
>put off until Foomass when their S.O. can be there, or whatever.
>
>Note that surprise peerages don't happen any more -- surprise
>*offers*, but not elevation.
>
>--
>Daniel de Lincoln
>Tim McDaniel; Reply-To: tmcd at crl.com