ANST - Too Many Awards, Too Fast

[Pat Mullins]

On Sat, 17 Jul 1999 18:43:25 -0500 Lee Lemons <lalemons at flash.net> wrote:
>One more thing to consider - when people recieve awards too quickly, sometimes
>that means that they, not through any doing of their own, have received some of
>those awards before they really, totally earned them.  I've known a few
>individuals who felt badly, who felt guilty, upon receiving an award too early.
>They knew it was not right, everyone else knew it wasn't right, but because one
>or more individuals wrote glowing award recommendations, the award was granted.
>It is a horrible feeling to get an award and just have that gut feeling that it
>was just too early for it.

>Curstaidh

     Once upon a time, in the Lands of Light and Darkness, there lived an Honorable Man. Not the only one, by any means, but certainly one of note. His name is not important, thaough surely som will know of whom I write.
     This Honorable Man was a man of many talents, a gamer, a bard, a dancer, a herald. Not long after he joined our Dream, and before his talents became fully apparent, he was recommended for an AoA. This recommendation was not in recognition of his many talents, which, as I have said, were not then fully known. The recommendation was made for political reasons, an attempt to seek his favor, an effort to persuade him to allign himself with one or the other political factions then active in these lands.
     Knowing he was not worthy of the honor to be conferred on him, the Honorable Man came into court, stood before the Crown, and said "Your Majesties, I am not worthy of this honor, do not deserve it, and will not accept it" (or words to that effect).
     Alas, the Honorable Man's effort to satisfy his own honor was perceived as a slight to the Crown. As his talents became more widely known, he was again recommended for an AoA, and deservedly so. But having slighted the Crown once, he was never again, so the legend goes, considered for an award. Many glowing recommendations, petitions, etc. were sent in his name, but no awards were forthcoming. The Star Principal Herald of the time, again according to legend, interceded on his behalf, but to no avail. 
     After many years and many "various and diverse efforts to enrich this realm", the Honorable man grew disheartened, disillusioned with the Dream. Although he still resides within these lands, he no longer plays with the SCA. 

I, myself, cannot attest to the truth of this tale, although I knew the Honorable Man, and knew of his many talents. I also became disillusioned by the political factionalism then rampant in these lands, and I quit playing for a period of seven years, until the factions and the people who perpetuated them were gone. Since I have come back, I have heard this tale many times, not only from th Honorable Man, who I chanced to encounter around town, but from others as well, including a man who is now a peer of the realm.

I just wish this tale were not true, or, being true, that there was some way in which the matter could be made right.

To think that an Honorable Man could be blackballed for demonstrating the HONOR, CHIVALRY AND NOBILITY on which this Society is founded, saddens me.

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