[Ansteorra] Re: Local Heralds - was New award questions

[Bob Dewart]

I've been Middleford's Herald twice.  Here's what I did.

I made an OP for the Shire.  I listed everyone.  In consultation with other
Shire members ( I can't be every where either) I tried to keep track of what
everyone was doing, how long they had been playing, etc.  It was especially
important for our military members as so many of them move around
conciderably before getting to us.

Prior to each event I'd consult with as many Shire members as I could for
possible award recommendations.  It seem that if they were going to get
written I'd have to do.  So I did.  We did it patition style.  Many actually
looked forward to the award patition.  The part I like best was getting
folks to sign the recommendations while not seeing their own.  Sometimes I
was quite inventive.

After the event, I'd update the OP and keep track of what awards were not
awarded. For one poor fellow who was one of our hardest worker, it took 8
times of recommending him before he got his AoA!!

Some might say, "That leads to clicks and favortisms".  It could, that's
true.  If you only look at a small portion of your group, it will happen.
However, if you're looking at the whole group, probably not.  Here's an
honesty check that I had to use a time or two.  If there's someone you have
differences with, write down what they do.  On a blank sheet of paper list
the things they do that would qualify them for an award.  Show the list to
someone else and ask them would they'd recommend a person who has done what
is list for a such and such award.  Thier blind responce takes whatever bias
there might be, for or against, out of the picture.

Gilli
Shoot more arrows.  You're bound to hit something.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brent Ryder" <borekvv at hotmail.com>
To: <ansteorra at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 05, 2002 12:44 PM
Subject: [Ansteorra] Re: Local Heralds - was New award questions


>Message: 3
>From: "Bob Dewart" <gilli at hot.rr.com>
>To: <ansteorra at ansteorra.org>
>Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] New award questions
>Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 09:26:19 -0500
>Reply-To: ansteorra at ansteorra.org
>
>That's one of the reason I thought making the local herald's >job
>"optional" was less than a good idea.
>
>Gilli

Just a quick note here. When I was a regional herald, Eclipse if you are
interested, There were many groups that only had a local herald because they
were forced to by law. These heralds were difficult to contact, rarely
reported and did practically nothing that I could determine for or in their
group in regards to heraldry. Just because there was a herald does not mean
they would keep up with such an OP if one existed before they took office
and even less likely they would create one while in office if it did not
exist already.

Removing the need for groups smaller than a barony to have a local herald
meant that the regional would know where they needed to apply their efforts
more and removed the onus of having to find another officer for the smaller
groups.

'Warm bodies' holding office because the office needs to be filled serves no
one. If someone finds they have an interest in heraldry, then I am sure the
local group would love to have them as their herald and the CoH is always
interested in training heralds from all fields of heraldry.

My apologies to anyone who took an office because their group needed someone
due to a law requiring it. You served your group by filling a needed
position. I also give high praise to those who took the office and ran with
it even though they had little knowledge and or interest in it. My statement
above is a reflection of the problems inherent, and, at the time, seemingly
endemic to the forced placement of heralds into office where they did
nothing but occupy space (no reports, or any other heraldic activity unless
force or coersion were applied regularly).

Thank you all for reading this rant. I now return you to your regularly
scheduled debates.

Borek


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