[Sca-cooks] Re: Requirements for a Laurel

[Elise Fleming]

Rosalyn Mac Gregor wrote:
>The answer you'll get will likely vary from kingdom to kingdom, I'm afraid.
>In the Middle Kingdom, you only need to be liked by the Crown. The crown
>will consult, but doesn't have to listen to any dissent from the Laurel
>members, or any peerage order.

and Margaret responded:
>And if the Crown, or some highly influential Laurel (like one who also has
>a hat, for instance) takes a dislike to you, until you get a Crown who
>really doesn't care for petty politics, you'll stay a peon. (snip)

Well, while there is a grain of truth here, reality is a bit different in
the Midrealm.  I was Laureled in 1992 and received the Pelican in 1994.  I
can't think of any in either of those Orders who were elevated with dissent
from the Order.  I _am_ aware that there was a member of the Chivalry who
was elevated against the wish of some members of that Order.  That person
has since left the Society.  However, it is true that if you have "pissed
off" whoever are the current monarchs, they are not likely to elevate you. 
It is their award to give and why should they give a major award to someone
they don't think is worthy of it?  Unless the person is a complete goober,
a subsequent Crown will elevate the person if the qualities of Peerage are
there.  (When I became Queen in 2002, I told the King that I really wanted
to elevate a particular person who was controversial.  The talent was
recognized by others in that field.  It was a bit of a gamble that the
person would continue to improve and not backslide into the reasons for
which previous Crowns would not elevate that person.)  

It is _patently_ false that _one_ Peer can keep a person from a peerage. 
The only Peer who can keep someone out of a peerage is the Crown.  I can
recall at least two peerage meetings where the Crown said that while the
Order was in favor of a particular elevation, the Crown was not and we were
notified that the Crown would not elevate that person during that reign. 
This is the Crown's prerogative!!

Why is one talented person elevated while another is not?  <shrug>  There
is no one answer.  Previous posters, especially Adamantius, have covered
the qualities that are looked for, but this is really _so_
kingdom-specific.  The Midrealm is still the hugest kingdom - well, except
for Drachenwald, actually.  As had been noted by one poster, cookery
doesn't really travel well.  If one does not enter competitions where the
cooking Laurels are judging then the cook has a difficult chance being
noticed.  Our regional A&S competitions lead to the kingdom one on Memorial
Day weekend.  And, while not all the cooking Laurels have entered those
competitions, it is one way to get attention.  In the Midrealm,
up-and-coming cooks are often asked to provide meals for the Royalty at
Pennsic and recently have been providing munchies for all three Pennsic
peerage meetings.  'Way back in the early '90s, four of us were asked to
provide food for a Known World Seneschals' meeting at Pennsic.  Mine was to
provide the dessert (banquet) course.  We weren't dumb...we'd figured out
that we were "being noticed" and this was one way to showcase the folk who
were being talked about.  I don't know about the others, but it made life
for me much more difficult when I realized I was "being talked about".  I
had quite a bit of difficulty dealing with the Laurel equivalent of "white
belt fever".

There are people in every kingdom who are superb craftsment.  Some will be
Laureled and some will not.  Maybe a question should be asked back... Why
do (you) want the Peerage?  What do you think it will do for you that you
don't have now?

Alys Katharine