NK - About Awards (LONG)

[Darin K. Herndon]

Maidenhair wrote (among other things) the following:

>[SNIP]  It was very imformative for a newbie, but w/o much detail in the
>awards area.
>I am roughly familiar w/ some of them, but not enough info is made on the
>"what's required".  The best I can assume, is that all awards are
>recommended to the crown, then confirmation as to whether a lesser award or
>greater award might be better than what is recommended.  I also understand
>that there are AoA's, GoA's and PoA's.  But those are supposedly the hardest
>&/or longest to get.

Since I am the herald, I feel obligated to field this one.  Anyone with
clarifying data, please feel free to add/correct.

Awards in the SCA

In the SCA, awards come from nobles.  A person is recommended for their
skills, actions, special service, long service, or a whole variety of other
reasons to a noble for an award.  Usually the recommendation to the noble
will include a recommendation of which award.  I say "noble" rather than
"crown" because there are awards which are given by ruling Barons and
Baronesses.  Northkeep has an award currently called the "Cornerstone"
which is presented by Hersir Thorgrim and Herran Sigen for service to the
Barony; the King and Queen of Ansteorra have nothing to do with the
Cornerstone award.

Awards do not have checklist criteria which, when met, mean someone has
earned the award.  To use an analogy, awards are not merit badges.  Awards
are presented by the noble upon recommendation of the populace, counsel of
peers, advice of officers, and even comments from people outside of the
Barony or Kingdom.  A recommendation is made because the possible recipient
impressed someone (usually several someones).  An award is presented
because the ruling nobles agree with the recommendations.

Sometimes valid recommendations are made that the crown or noble will
decline to award.  This could be for several reasons, not the least of
which is that the crown may have no direct experience with the person
recommended.  In such cases, a recommendation is submitted to the next
crown, ad infinitum, until the award is presented.  There are other reasons
(noble recipient never cross paths / never attend the same events) but the
result is the same; recommend each reign until it happens.

It is considered "bad form" to recommend yourself for an award or to
campaign for an award.  Just comes across as "tacky".  [Note:  That last
was personal comment and others may disagree.]

So, let's say that you are impressed by a someone and want to recommend
them for an award.  You need to know how to recommend them (where to send
the recommendation, what to include, etc.) and you need to know what awards
are available so that you can recommend them for something specific.
(Actually that last part is not entirely true.  You can recommend someone
because of how they impress you and throw yourself on the mercy of the
crown/noble for them to pick something appropriate.  But, usually you
include your suggestion on an award.)

How to Recommend Someone for an Award

Write it down.  The motto inscribed in the crown of the Laurel Sovreign of
Arms, head of all heraldry in the SCA, reads "Non Scriptum, Non Est" (I am
not sure about the comma).  This translates essentially to:  "If it is not
written, it does not exist".  Now in today's modern middle ages, there is a
wonderful mechanical scribe which throws messages through a vast ether to
other mechanical scribes who then share the message with the intended
recipient <computers>.  Some crowns (last two reigns at least) will accept
recommendations through email.  The important concept is that you cannot
verbally pass on the info.  The crowns address (mail, phone, and email) is
included in the front cover of the "Black Star".  Our local Baron and
Baroness are listed in the both the back of the "Black Star" and inside the
front cover of the "Nordic Saga", our barony's newsletter.

If you send a recommendation to the crown for a kingdom award, let Their
Excellencies know.  They can add support to your petition to the crown.  In
fact, if several people agree with you that someone deserves an award then
encourage all of them to write letters/emails.

When you recommend someone for an award, always write clearly and concisely
the reasons you think the individual is deserving.  Point to specific
examples:  "...her work in embroidery...", "...his skill in melee combat at
these battles...", "...the time and effort put into researching these two
papers...", etc.

Always get the correct spelling of the person's SCA name, your spelling may
be what ends up on the scroll (right or wrong).

Try to find out upcoming events that the person will attend, this makes it
easier for the crown or coronets to find them.

Include, if you have an idea, which award you think would be appropriate.
Be prepared for the crown / nobles to decide on something else though, if
they think differently.  It is possible that you will recommend the
recipient for a GoA level award and the crown will find that they do not
have the AoA level award yet.

What are the awards?

For now I am going to limit myself to kingdom awards.  These
recommendations go directly to the crown.  There are four different levels
of awards.  There are awards which are non-armigerous (meaning they carry
no rank), armigerous (meaning they carry the rank of an Award of Arms),
Grant Level (meaning they carry the rank of a Grant of Arms), and peerages
(meaning they carry the rank of a Patent of Arms).  Let's start with the
three Maidenhair mentioned.

An Award of Arms (AoA) is an award from the crown which allows the
recipient to use the title "Lord" or "Lady".  (I use Seigneur which is the
French form of Lord.)  This is an important award and really the crux of
the whole award system.  A recipient of an AoA is declared by the crown to
be Armigerous, to be a Lord/Lady and not just an untitled individual.  The
use of titles in the SCA is strict.  No one should show up at an event and
declare themselves a "Lord" or an "Earl" or somesuch.  The titles convey a
rank in the SCA and that rank is bestowed by the crown upon the
recommendation of the populace.  It is a gift, not a prize, based upon the
respect the recipient has earned.  [That last sentence was opinion too.]
So, an AoA allows the recipient to use a title.

There are awards which are traditionally (in Ansteorra) given after an AoA.
These awards are collectively called "AoA Level Awards" because if they are
given to someone who does not yet have an AoA they confer the rank of an
AoA.  For example, there is an award in Ansteorra called the Sable Crane.
The Sable Crane is for service to the kingdom.  If John MacGillacuddy (I
made that name up) receives a Sable Crane but has not otherwise received an
AoA, then he gets to use the title "Lord" because the Sable Crane is
armigerous just as an AoA is armigerous.

Other than the AoA, the armigerous awards in Ansteorra are:
Sable Crane (for service to the Kingdom)
Sable Comet (for service to local groups smaller than baronies)
Compass Rose (for service in supporting the kingdom's children and
children's activities)
Queen's Glove (for service to the Queen during her reign)
King's Gauntlet (for service to the King during his reign)
Sable Thistle (for skill in the arts and sciences; a Sable Thistle always
specifies the art or science:  woodworking, brewing, needlework, etc.)

Most awards can only be given once.  A Glove/Gauntlet can be given to a
person from multiple monarchs.  Because the Sable Thistle specifies the art
or science for which it is given, it can be awarded multiple times for
different things.

Before going up the scale, it needs to be stated that there are awards
which convey no rank.  They are simply awards for what they represent.  A
recipient of such an awards gains respect for the honor of the award but
usually no special rank is bestowed.  In Ansteorra, the following are
non-armigerous awards:
Motley Sash (for exceptional skill as a jester or fool)
Rising Star (given only to minors who work hard and show much promise in
the SCA)
Golden Bridle (for skill in horsemanship)
Queen's Rapier (for impressing the Queen with skill and courtesy in Rapier
combat)
Sable Falcon (for impressive skill/acts on the tourney field/field of battle)
Crown's Favor (for impressive skill in Arts and Sciences)
Order of the Rose (for serving a full reign as consort to a ruling monarch)
Lion of Ansteorra (can only be given once per reign for being a living
example of all that we strive to be in the SCA; it carries no rank but the
honor is unmeasureable)

The Queen's Rapier, Sable Falcon, and Crown's Favor are usually given upon
for a distinctive act(s) upon the field or throughout a tourney/war or for
an entry/body of work in a contest.

There is an award called the Blade of Honor among rapier fighters.  It is a
significant honor to rapier combatants.  In truth, I do not know if it is
armigerous or not but I'll look into that.

Higher in rank than an Award of Arms or an armigerous award is a Grant of
Arms.  In the SCA, this entitles the recipient to be called Honorable
Lord/Lady.  A Grant of Arms has been a rare thing as there are awards which
carry grant level rank and the more common action is to receive one of
those.  In the last two reigns, plain Grants have been given far more often
than in the past.

Other awards which carry the rank of a Grant of Arms are:
Order of the Iris of Merit (for exceptional skill in the arts and sciences)
Order of the Star of Merit (for exceptional service to the kingdom and its
populace)
Order of the White Scarf (for exceptional skill or mastery of Rapier combat)
Order of the Centurions of the Sable Star (for exceptional skill in heavy
combat)
Court Baronetcy (undefined)

Recipients of the White Scarf are traditionally referred to as Don or Doña
in Ansteorra.  That title is not reserved however and in other kingdoms
those titles are used as Spanish equivalents of Lord/Lady.  Centurions are
titled as "Centurion" rather than "Honorable Lord/Lady".  A recipient of a
Court Barony is called a Baron or Baroness.  There is no good definition as
to when someone deserves this.  Ruling Barons and Baronesses traditionally
receive a Court Baronetcy when they step down.  If someone is truly
deserving of an award, and they already have many others, this award may be
the right choice.

Beyond Grant Level Awards are the peerages.  These are the members of:
The Order of the Laurel (Arts and Sciences)
The Order of the Pelican (Service)
The Order of Chivalry (Combat)

There has been much discussion on the list about what it means to be a peer
so I'll skip that part.  Members of these orders are referred to as Master
or Mistress.  Members of the Order of Chivalry have a choice, they can be
considered a Master/Mistress of Arms or if they will swear fealty to the
crown then they can be called a knight and carry the title "Sir" before
their name.  Several female peers have chosen to use the title "Dame"
rather than Mistress or Sir.

Those are awards for which you can nominate people.  Peerages require the
consultation and advice of the other peers before a new peer is made.

It is almost 2 AM and I'm tired.  If this generates questions, I'll try to
answer them tomorrow night.

Seigneur Etienne
Northkeep's Herald