ANST - Giving Awards to SCA Youth

[Chris and Elisabeth Zakes]

At 10:25 AM 7/6/98 -0500, you wrote:
>At 05:00 PM 7/3/98 -0500, you wrote:
>>At 03:40 PM 7/3/98 -0500, you wrote:
>>>The problem, however is bigger than a group sometimes.  Like,
hypothetically
>>>speaking, of course:-), whena kingdom seneschal tells you don't bother
>>putting
>>>them in for an award, they are too young in his opinion.
>>
>>
>>Except that the kingdom seneschal has very little say in who does or
>>doesn't get awards. 
>>
>>If the local baron or seneschal, and several people from the kid's local
>>group send in recommendations, I would think the Crown would at least look
>>into the matter *despite* the kingdom seneschal's opinions. I can
>>understand being cautious--I recall a kid who was around 1 or 2 being given
>>an AoA many years ago. (It was basically a "cookie" for her mother, the kid
>>wasn't even old enough to know what was going on.) But I haven't seen
>>another such bad example in a *long* time.
>>
>>	-Tivar Moondragon
>
>I protest!!! Use some other office as the example next time.  I already
>have enough slings and arrows coming my way :)

But if I pick on the Marshals, they'll hit me; if I pick on the Heralds,
they'll mispronounce my name; if I pick on the A&S folks, they'll get one
of the bards to sing silly songs about me; if I pick on the Chroniclers,
they'll "lose" my newsletter; and if I pick on the Chirurgeons, well... I
don't even want to *think* about what they might do to me. <G>


>Seriously, this topic comes up from time to time.  The only real problem I
>see from giving awards to youths is that many of them drop out within 2
>years of getting involved.  You just have to balance the need to recognize
>good work with the possibility that the person my decide that High School
>activities are more important next month and disappear for a long time.  We
>always charge our award recipients with furthering the work that got them
>the award, this is hard if they drop out.  I am not saying that you should
>not give youths awards, I am just saying that you must consider it hard
>before you do it.  Also, this is one of the reasons that the rising star
>was created.


Fair enough, although I would have the same qualms about an adult who
seemed a likely candidate to drop out. I can understand being cautious
about giving kids awards, but I don't think a blanket "no" policy is the
way to go.

	-Tivar Moondragon
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