ES - AOA, etc.

[baron at elfsea.ansteorra.org]

There have been some excellent posts on this thread, 
Padraig, Innes, Allessandra, Willim, Raimond; I hope 
this begins to be an answer to the original poster.

I wanted to reply to the post below:

Quoting Jarred Hibbins <jhibbins at excite.com>:
> 
> While that may be the sentiment, Raimond, its been my 
> observation that people can go for _years_ without 
> the recognition they deserve.  I hate to bring up 
> the "P" word, but politics plays a big role in any 
> award in the Society.
> 
> Jarred H.

Jarred, I can't dispute that sometimes people don't get 
the recognition they should, nor can I deny the painful 
effects of badly-done political manuevering.  That 
said, if you know of someone presently working for the 
benefit of Elfsea without proper recognition, I hope 
you'll contact me privately.  This is an excellent time 
to begin drafting award recommendations for Spring 
Faire; and as I'm sure you know, anyone may recommend 
someone for any award.  If you copy me on your letter 
to the Crown, I'll be better able to advise the Crown 
when (not if) they ask my opinion about your 
recommendations.  And if someone deserves an award 
within the power of the Baron/ess to give, definitely 
contact us privately about it.

My personal take on awards is that we give awards not 
because you deserve them, or because you want them, or 
because you're our friend.  We give awards because the 
SCA has a need for your efforts to be held up as an 
example to others.  Every award is, in some sense, the 
Crown or Coronet saying "play like this person does".

The SCA is a unique opportunity for us to attempt to 
live up to our ideals.  And have fun doing it.  I've 
never seen anybody who was having fun attempting to 
live up to their ideals fail to also, coincidently, get 
awards.

But keep in mind also that while there are no hard and 
fast rules, it's rare to get an Award of Arms in less 
then a year, or a peerage in less than five or six 
years.

- Galen, Baron of Elfsea
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