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The simple steps to
recommending awards
1.
Check the Order of Precedence
It never hurts to see what awards the person in
question may already have at
http://wolfium.com
2.
About the person you're recommending
SCA name:
Gender:
Real-life name: Events they are
likely to attend:
Local groups they play with (please be specific - for example,
if possible, put down their Canton rather than their Barony):
Information about their persona: |
3. About you
Your SCA name:
Your email address:
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4. Make the recommendation
Award (refer to the awards page for
award names and purposes):
Reasons for recommendation:
5. Send it in!
Email your recommendation to Their Royal
Majesties & Their Royal Highnesses
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How to Write an Award Recommendation
Note: This article was written by a
gentle of the Kingdom of Aethelmearc, and as such contains some
information which isn't applicable to Ealdormere, such as award names.
By Princess Dorinda Courtenay
February AS 33
Introduction
One of the greatest joys of the Crown is the opportunity to give awards
to the deserving populace, but it is not always to determine who is
deserving in any given reign. No two people can know everyone in a
Kingdom, and this is why the Royalty needs the help of the people to
advise them on the good work of their subjects. The best way to do this
is via a letter of recommendation.
Who Should Write?
There are often misconceptions that only Peers can write letters of
recommendation, or that a person should not write a recommendation for
an award that they do not have. Neither of these is true. While it may
be true that those with higher level awards may have special insight
into the criteria and requirements for an award, the knowledge and
insight of even the newest member of the Society is welcomed by the
Royalty. Anyone who feels strongly that they know someone who is worthy
of recognition should write. And write often!
When Should We Write?
The sooner the better! One of the biggest mistakes that people make is
to write (or worse yet telephone) the Royalty the week before their
local event and try to get awards for local folks. This is a disservice
to everyone involved. The Royalty does not have proper time to determine
if They wish to give the award. If They make a rush decision to give the
award, the poor scribe has only days to get a scroll prepared. There may
not be time to get a medallion or other items ready. If the Royalty
decide to give the award at a later event, those people close to the
recipient may not be present to see the award. If the Royalty decide not
to give the award at all, then the person who recommended the potential
recipient will be angry, and the potential recipient may not get the
recognition they deserve.
A good letter of recommendation for AOAs and Orders of Merit (the
Sycamore, Keystone and Golden Alce) will be delivered to the Royalty no
later than eight weeks before the date of the event where the award is
to be given. Six weeks is sometimes acceptable. Letters of
recommendation for Peerages and orders of High Merit (the Nightingale,
Millrind, White Scarf, Gage, Scarlet Guard and the Caltrop) should be
delivered almost as soon as the Heirs are victorious in Crown Tourney.
This is necessary because the Royalty need to consult these Orders
before making a final decision to give an award. This may require
several weeks as they wait for the Orders to meet and discuss the
candidate that was recommended.
To Whom Should We Write?
When in doubt, write to everyone! Early in a reign, letters may be sent
to King and Queen. After Crown Tournament, the Heirs should also receive
a copy of all letters. At some point and time in a reign, the King and
Queen may request that all further letters be sent to Their Heirs. In
addition to the Royalty, it does not hurt to send a copy of the
recommendation for a Peerage or Order of High Merit to the Principal and
the Clerk of the applicable Order. This way, the Order can get a head
start on discussing the candidate.
How do I write a letter and how should it be delivered?
Recommendations should not be verbal! Some Royalty welcome
recommendations via e-mail, but you should make sure that individual
couples have agreed to this. Some Royalty is not comfortable with
e-mail, and may not be able to keep track of your letter. Others may
prefer it. A regular old paper letter, sent by the US postal service, is
the most reliable method. Many people try to hand a letter to Royalty at
an event, but this is risky. How many other things will they need to
deal with at the event? Mail it to Their house! What Should the Letter
Include? To be complete, a letter of recommendation should contain the
following information:
* SCA name of the potential recipient (PR for short)
* Modern name of the PR
* Home group of the PR
* Award for which you are recommending the PR
* Detailed explanation of why they deserve the award -- may include past
awards, offices held, competitions won, work done and more
* A list of events you believe they will be attending
* Your name
There are sample letters attached that might be useful. One other tip is
to include different recommendations for different people on separate
pages. If the Royalty keep different folders for different awards, They
might have trouble sorting your letter if there are too many people on
each page.
Why Was the Award Not Given?
Sometimes, despite all your best efforts, a person will not receive the
award you recommended. Why is that? There can be several reasons.
1. Some Royalty requires that more than one letter is received. It can
not hurt to encourage your friends to join in a letter writing campaign
to get someone an award. Individual letters are better than petitions,
but a petition is better than no letter.
2. Your letter may have arrived too late for Their reign or not at all.
(Although the Postal Service does not lose nearly as much mail as it
gets blamed for losing!)
3. Your friend may just not be ready for the award yet. This is a tough
one to accept, because we see all the work that our loved ones have done
and we want them recognized. However, there are many criteria for
receiving an award and they must all be met.
Conclusion
Don't give up! Without your input, the Royalty will be unable to
recognize those individuals who have given of themselves for the good of
the Society. They will look forward to hearing from you.
Sample Letters
Poor Example:
To Morguhn and Meirwen, King and Queen of AEthelmearc,
I would like to recommend my brother Charles Norris for a fighting
award. He is an excellent fighter and should be recognized.
Thank you,
Mary
Notes:
We don't know who this letter is from. What is her full name? How can we
contact her with questions? Does she have any credentials? The letter
should contain the potential recipients SCA and modern names. Which is
this? The letter does not clearly state which award level is appropriate
for the recipient. There are no details around why the person should
receive an award. Is the fact that he is her brother the only reason for
the letter? At this point, it is a bit late to write the King and Queen
- Their decisions are almost certainly already made.
Better Example
To Morguhn and Meirwen, King and Queen of AEthelmearc, Cygnus and
Dorinda, Heir and Heiress and Sir James Ahearn, Principal of the Order
of the Gage, does Lady Mary of London, Earl Marshal for your Shire of
Endless Valleys send fond greetings.
I would like to recommend my brother, Lord Charles the Bloodthirsty (m.k.a.
Charles Norris) for induction into the Order of the Gage. Charles has
been an active heavy weapons fighter for the last six years, and his
skills have increased significantly during that time. He is currently
squired to Sir Robin of the Hood. He recently made it the quarterfinals
of your Crown Tourney, and he won two local tournaments -- one here in
Endless Valleys and one in your Barony of Ashland -- this past month. I
feel his fighting skill is on par with those who have been previously
inducted into the Gage, and I ask that you consider him.
Charles is also our local Minister of Arts and Sciences, and a fine
brewer and woodworker. He is active in our local group, and he never
fails to work at a local event. Last, but definitely not least, he is
courteous and kind, and he brings honor to everything he touches.
Charles will almost certainly be attending all of the upcoming War
Practices, the Turnip event in Endless Valleys and the annual Anvil
Festival in the Canton of Worpshire.
If you are in need of any additional info, please feel free to contact
me at:
Mary of London
c/o Mary Smith
123 East 1st Street
Metropolis, NY 11111
(176) 555-5555
E-mail: mary@juno.com
Yours in service,
Mary |
