[Loch-Ruadh] Ember Text
Chris Harper
bice.pietro at charter.net
Thu Sep 8 23:03:26 PDT 2005
At 04:13 PM 9/8/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>The following is the text that I read prior to the awarding of the
>premiere Embers of Loch Ruadh at Lughnasad. Baroness Dana had requested
>that I include this in the September-October issue of the Scarlet Letter,
>but I forgot to do so. So I hope this is the next best thing.
>
>In Service,
>Padraig
Thank you for posting this to the list; needless to say, I remembered very
little of it.
I am still in shock.
Bicé
>There is a long tradition of service awards within the SCA, nearly as
>long, in fact as the tradition of service itself. Any group has a core
>band of members who keep the group focused, growing and moving forward;
>they are the heart and the vitality of the group. This core band of
>members is not fixed and unchanging; we all participate to a greater or
>lesser extent as allowed by health, family situations, jobs and financial
>circumstances; todays core member may be tomorrows fringe player, and
>vice versa. However, nearly everyone agrees that those who give much of
>themselves should be recognized; hence the tradition of the service award.
>
>In the history of Loch Ruadh, the tradition of service awards comes down
>to us from our parent group, who sponsored us as a Canton, the Barony of
>Elfsea. Even before Elfsea was a Barony, their hardest workers were
>honored as the Ants of Elfsea, those tireless and dedicated members who
>were the lifeblood of the group. After achieving Baronial status, Elfsea
>created the Order of the Azure Keystone as their armigerous service award,
>bestowing the Order of Arms upon the receiver. In addition, the Barony
>also awards the Portcullis of Elfsea as a non-armigerous recognition.
>Many members of the Shire of Loch Ruadh proudly hold one or both of these
>later awards, and a rare few possess the Ant of Elfsea, and are
>justifiably pleased to do so.
>
>As we became more active as a Canton, the Officers of Loch Ruadh wished to
>recognize our own hard workers, and so created the unofficial yet highly
>coveted Seneschals Appreciation Award, and many of our people now bear
>this token. Yet when serious talk began about becoming a Shire, we also
>spoke of the need to create a proper service award of our own. Through
>research, discussion and the vote of the Populace, a fitting symbol was
>decided upon: the Ember of Loch Ruadh, taken from the enflamed rock of
>our Shires device. This is fitting, for as Keystones of Elfsea are the
>basis of that good Baronys strong foundation, so are the Embers of Loch
>Ruadh the source of the fire of our strength and resolve. And so we shall
>today honor the premiere members of the Order of the Ember, in the faith
>that their numbers shall increase with the passing of the years, and keep
>Loch Ruadh ever growing and vital.
>
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