ANST - GOAS and etc.

[N.D. Wederstrandt]

An opinion and prehaps some enlightenment:

Concerning the conversation about whether or not Grants are "stepping
stones" or not...

One of the reasons why many of the Peers that have been created all have
GOAs before their peerages is the simple reason that most of the circles
suggest that the person get a kingdom level award before their peerage....
Why?

Because it is very easy to go up in rank and after achieving that rank very
difficult to get a lesser award.

I am a Laurel.  I went from receiving a thistle to a Laurel (15 years ago)
minus an Iris.  I don't have the Grant level equivalant for Arts from any
where.....  Now I'm not in a snit because I don't have one but the chances
are very strong that I will never get one, the common reason is that why?
I have an Arts and Sciences Peerage what do I need a grant level award for?

I am a Pelican.  Who received her Pelican for work done in the SCA and the
Kingdom of Atenveldt when this Kingdom was a part of Atenveldt (22 years
ago.)  Until His Grace, Sir Kein kindly gave me a Star of Merit in his
first reign, I had no service awards from this Kingdom except a Baronial
one..  While I wasn't really upset, it did hurt my feelings that no one had
thought to see if I was still doing work to merit a service award.  Why --
because I already had a peerage for service -- why give me something
lesser.  And that is a thought that most peers feel is unfair.  So we make
sure that the individual gets as much of the non-peer awards as possible.
	But it's not because you have to have one before the other....

Except I don't view them as lesser awards.  I view them as specific awards
for work in specific things.  I hold my Star in as great an honor as my
peerages.

Grant level awards reflect that the work done benefits the Kingdom in such
a way that the person should be thanked/honored/respected for that work. It
should be treated as a separate condition.  But sometimes the person's
works reflects the SCA in total (such as Master Daniel's recent elevation -
yes, he has a Star)  and then that person's skills should be considered for
the bigger award.  Most people who do work do so in stages.... they stay at
a local level, hopefully receive encouragement (both awards and word fame
and friendships) to where they want to do more and and get recognition from
people of like intent and interests to where they get noticed on a Kingdom
level.  They should then be in  a position to be recognized for a larger
more worldy perspective.  Should this person be moved from our Kingdom and
plopped down in the midst of another they would  start doing the same thing
over again.

Look at the Peers who have moved into our Kingdom from someplace else....
almost every single one of them start getting involved... they are
complused to do so.  That's one thing that makes them a peer.....

Personal note.

Mistress Corrine Elizabeth Drake received her Laurel without being
apprenticed to anyone.
Master Robin of Gilwell received his Pelican without being proteged to anyone.

It happens all the time......

respectfully,

Clare RosMuire St. John



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