ANST - Powers of Baron/esses

[C. L. Ward]

Alina said:
>Is it for those in power, kingdom or baronial, to make judgements on the
>people they serve? In references to judgement, I mean to use your power to
>hold individuals back and/or to refuse awards they should have been given?

First off, let's be VERY clear that the barons and baronesses don't "Hold
anybody back".  It is the SOLE right of the Crown to decide who actually
gets an award.  Barons and baronesses can only recommend, they CANNOT decide.

In Bjornsborg, the officers and baronial order are closely involved in
recommending folks for awards, and I can speak with great authority that
lots of times folks who the baron, baroness, AND the officers and Ursae
recommended STILL were not granted an award because the Crown disagreed.
The baron and baroness have NO control over this situation -- all you can
do is wait six months and try again.

And, though it SHOULD be obvious, let me emphasize one more point.  If you
are recommending a person for a Peerage, it is NOT just up to the local
recommenders.  The Crown MUST consult with the Peerage Circle.  It is still
the Crown's decision, but a wise Crown respects the word of their Peers in
such matters.  And if the Circle doesn't agree, chances are good that the
person isn't getting the award no matter how many glowing letters anyone
writes.

And what if the baron or baroness IS saying, "This person does not yet
deserve this award" or "This person just got award X -- we should wait
another year before they get award Y"?  Almost always our territorial
nobles are seasoned members of the SCA, with fairly broad experience and
enough time in the Society to understand the award system and local
traditions -- therefore when they make a judgement like this, they are
almost always right.  When your territorial nobles are Peers of the
Society, as one or both often are, then it's just that much more likely
that their call on delaying an award is a good one, because Peers deal all
the time with award considerations, not only for our Circles, but we also
look at those folks in our area of specialty and recommend lesser awards to
the Crown as well.

It NEVER hurt anyone to wait an extra 6 months to a year for an award -- if
a person leaves the Society because they didn't get an award, then they
were here for the wrong reasons from the git-go!  The Society is not about
getting awards -- it's about trying to re-create aspects of an earlier
time, and to interact with your friends and have fun.  Awards are merely
your friends and neighbors' way of saying, "Hey, you've done something cool
here, attaboy!"  If your friends and neighbors are NOT saying that, getting
an award is like buying a trophy in a hock-shop -- it means NOTHING.


There are VERY good reasons not to rush awards:  

(1) If you give a person awards too close together, you condition an
unreasonable expectation -- if a person received an AoA after 6 months in
the Society, then a Thistle after another six months, then a Crane after
another six months, then it's likely that they will start expecting a
Grant-level award to be given them after another half-year has passed.  And
that may not happen - the Crown may not agree, or the person may not
understand that more is expected of a person before Grant-level awards are
given.  What happens to that person then?  They get upset, and often mouthy
about the award not being given "on time" and thereby nuke their chances of
getting that award -- nothing can kill getting an award faster than
bitching to all and sundry about those bastards who won't give it to you!  

(2) If you give awards too soon, then they don't mean as much.  The best
time to get an award is right after you decided, "Screw the award, I'm here
to have fun!" -- then when you do get it, it's a big surprise and the
bestowal means more.  Most of the people I know would MUCH rather be
totally surprised by an award -- I know that I would!  

(3) If you rush awards, you eventually get a fairly new person who has
everything except a peerage -- and to get a peerage, the candidate MUST
show maturity and leadership!  Skill in the field is NOT enough!  But if
their lower-level awards are rushed, they simply won't have enough time in
the Society to have the maturity and the understanding of the Society that
makes a Peer.


Furthermore, even if the baron and/or baroness don't think that a person
needs an award, what's stopping this "deserving person's" friends from
writing the Crown a recommendation letter?  EVERY person in the Society has
the right to recommend ANY person for ANY award.  It is wise to explain in
detail to the Crown just exactly what it is that the person has been doing
that makes them worthy of the award.  You should also make sure that you
provide the person's full SCA name, properly spelled.  Oh, and include some
clue as to where the Crown might be able to find this person to bestow the
award. 

Alina went on to say:
>I hear over and over that kingdom and on down to barony positions, it 
>is felt those with the power feel the right and just cause be prejudice 
>toward an individual just because they don't like or give a hoot about. 

While Bjornsborg certainly has given awards to people that the nobles,
officers and/or baronial order didn't much like, there is a case for not
giving an award to a pusillanimous pissant!  We are assumed in the Society
to be gentle folk, and by my opinion someone who thinks it's fine to be
rude to everyone all the time or hypercritical of others without helping
out, a person who is unchivalrous or abusive of others should NOT get
awards -- why reward bad behavior?

Also think about what the person is doing that supposedly merits an award.
I've seen people recommended for arts awards for WEB SITES for criminy!  If
web sites were a medieval art, I'd have no objection, but they are not.
Nor do they reach the majority of members of the SCA.  And that's just one
example.  A person who cooks steak-and-corn feasts shouldn't expect to get
a Thistle for Medieval Cookery.  A person who does free car repair for
members of their barony shouldn't be given a Sable Crane.  And so on.

Alina continued:
>I personally feel it is the job, besides giving a good show, be fair and 
>impartial when dealing with all individuals no matter your opinion of 
>them. 

Are you then discounting your own prejudice towards the person because you
like them?  To be fair you should.

If you can find me one human being anywhere who is always 100% fair and
impartial, including yourself, I'd be extremely surprised.  No, I'd have to
say that wouldn't be a human at all -- because as humans all of us are
swayed by our socialization, our opinions, and our prejudices, even when we
try not to be they have SOME effect.

Like I said earlier, if you don't like the way your territorial nobles
handle the awards process, write a letter to the Crown yourself.  If there
ARE lots of folks who agree with you, get up a petition.  I think, though,
that you'll find that if your local nobles and officers won't recommend the
person for an award, you're going to have a hard row to hoe to get
signatures on a petition, either.

>Are am I imagining a too perfect SCA society? I just hate getting 
>disillusioned with those in power after hearing another recent 
>happening. Why must this be continued and allowed to happen?

As I see it, Alina, you are asking the nobles to live up to standards that
YOU don't meet.  You have prejudices, you feel free to gripe about people
you don't like, you have people that you'd rather see dead than say a kind
word to -- everybody does, usually.  So why do you somehow expect that by
virtue of the Crown's word that the very human people who we set up as
Kings and Queens, Barons and Baronesses are going to become saints, above
all reproach?

You haven't seen bad politics and inter-baronial fighting, Alina.  You
should perhaps take a look at records of The Bard Old Days in Bjornsborg,
or investigate closely the Inquisition, or look at some of the infighting
that has occurred in the last five years within Ansteorran groups other
than your own.  Compared to some of the B.S. I've just mentioned, Bryn
Gwlad is heaven and without blemish.  I assure you, it could be LOTS worse.
Compared to some of THAT, your territorial nobles ARE saints!  Be glad you
have it so good!


Wæs Þu Hæl (Waes Thu Hael)

::GUNNORA::

Gunnora Hallakarva, OL
Baroness to the Court of Ansteorra
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