[Ansteorra] What's an AoA mean?

[Clay R.]

Bridget the Stargazer said:
...For those who have not been king or 
queen, what would make you recommend someone for an AoA?

I ask this as I have been asked in the past and I'm uncertain if the 
reasoning is the same now as it was when I began playing in the SCA.
Hello Bridget!

In my experience this is somewhat of an open-ended question (not that I'm necessarily anywhere NEAR the most experienced person to answer this).  The reason that I say this is because an AoA tends to be a service-based honor given to an individual that has essentially proven themselves in the face of their peers and for their betterment of their environment and their Kingdom.  It's not of the same vein (in my opinion) as a Sable Crane (which is for service specifically) and also carries an AoA, but it's something a little more general than that.  Usually people that receive an AoA have been playing reliably for at least a year (this isn't always the case though) and have proven that they're sincere about the SCA, the values that we all uphold and they all have a special place in their hearts for the "living the dream".  They usually have helped out considerably at events or within their Barony or group - in places like the list field waterbearing, cleaning up or helping the
 kitchen before/after feast, and just generally proving in the eyes of their peers that they are worthy of the honor of an award of arms.

As weird as this might sound, I think AoAs are often overlooked.  They don't carry much weight, everyone (essentially) has one or will probably get one, etc...but I think an AoA is one of the most special of any of the awards that you can be honored with the in SCA - mainly because it proves as a starting point and it's something very special.  You'll always remember it because (under most circumstances) it was your very first time in court for a matter of business as such, and if you're like me, you'll remember (perpetually) the giddiness and nervousness of the whole situation.  It was both an amazing feeling and a scary feeling at the same time.  If you're someone that's interested in awards, then it's just the beginning of something good - if you're just interested in having fun, then it's definitely something to be proud of because the people around you know the things you've done and they respect you for that.  You can also be sure that your King and Queen respect you
 for what you've done too and that they know, because after all, their names are affixed to that scroll that you'll be able to proudly hang on your wall.

Unfortunately a lot of people do not receive their AoAs when they should because people always make the mistake of assuming that someone has one already.  If I feel someone deserves one, I find out if they have one already - I'll just go ask or ask someone that knows them.  If they don't have one, I'll recommend them for one.

I apologize for the "long-winded" nature of this reply, but I hope it helped.

Service in Honor,
Lord Faelan mac Eogain