[Ansteorra] Criteria...

[Reihla at aol.com]

> >respect is an entirely different matter...

Exactly.  Gunthar and I have had this conversation many times.  What it boils down to is that people don't respect awards, they respect people. They may afford a count, duke or peer certain courtesies we deem appropriate to their station, but that isn't the same as genuinely respecting that person for their accomplishments.

> Has anyone took a look at someone who has
> achieve awards and some one who has not? What is the
> difference?

My grandmother always said "it isn't what you know, but who you know".  The same is true in the SCA (except it's more a case of "who knows you").  I think it has very little to do with anyone being *more* deserving than someone else.

I remember having this conversation dozens of times when
I was queen:  Someone would come to me and ask "But why did you give Lady X this award when Lord Z, who lives in the same group, has done more and for a longer period of time?"  My answer was always the same:  "Because nobody recommended Lord Z."  Recommendations are so important!

On that note, whatever you do, try to avoid making verbal recommendations.  I'd wager good money that, deserved or not, the award won't get given.  The human mind can only process so much information at any given time and Crowns have to deal with constant input.  They have so many things going on that remembering even something obvious can be a huge challenge.  Write your recommendation down and give it to them so they'll have something to jog their memory when they sit down later to confer with their scribe.

Kat  >^.,.^<
Wiesenfeuer