[Ansteorra] How Much Travel is enough?

C. L. Ward gunnora at vikinganswerlady.org
Sat Dec 7 21:09:24 PST 2002


Gilli asked:
>I have a question.  How much traveling
>is enough to become a Laurel?  No,
>I'm not asking about me.

Gilli wanted a Laurel to respond, so here goes.

Travelling has nothing to do with becoming a Laurel.  An artisan doesn't
have to travel - so long as their art and their word fame does travel.  If
the Laurels (and, having the final word on the matter, the Crown) don't ever
see the work an artisan does, then they can't reasonably consider that
person for any award.

To be a Laurel, your art, whatever it is, has to be known.  Ideally,
well-known, across the kingdom.  But just as important is that the
Laurel-candidate needs to be showing leadership in the arts.  That can be
teaching, but it can mean lots more... anything from holding A&S offices,
organizing opportunities for other artisans to shine such as competitions,
exhibits, or "hiring faires", mentoring, etc. etc.  Artisans who *never* get
out of their local group have a harder time making a name for themselves
across the kingdom - but it can be done by sending their work with others,
donating prizes, sending gifts for the Crown to give at the Wars, by
publishing in Tournaments ILluminated and Complete Anachronist, and in many,
many other ways.  The ideal would be whenever *anyone* is announced for
elevation to *any* peerage in Court, no matter where it is in the kingdom,
people should know that person and know what they do.

As a note, though, it is also possible for a person to be the most
astoundingly excellent artisan since da Vinci, have held every A&S office in
the kingdom, and run a thousand A&S competitions and still not be looked
upon as a candidate for a Laurel due to poor behavior. (The same goes for
the other peerages as well).  And this bad behavior may not be something
that just everyone in the world is aware of (we could hope not, at least).

And, always, remember that no matter how wonderful the Laurels think a
person is (or isn't), the Word of the Crown is Law and TRM make the decision
to elevate or to not elevate.

If you have someone who you think should have a Laurel (or any other
peerage, or any other award at any other level) write a recommendation and
send it in to the Crown.  If it's for a peerage, you might want to see that
a copy also goes to members of the peerage circle in question - the Laurels
have a Laurel Secretary (Mistress Jehanne d'Avignon at present) who would be
a good contact point for this if you have a recommendation for a Laurel.

In writing a recommendation, don't waste your time and everyone else's with
a petition... it takes minimal thought and effort to scrawl your name on a
petition, and equally minimal effort to shrug it off and ignore it on the
receiving end.  An award recommendation should clearly identify the person
and the award for which you are recommending them, and you should discuss,
in detail with examples, what exactly the person has done that makes you
think they should have that award, whatever it is.

::GUNNVOR::







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