[MR] Writing Award Recommendations

[Terry L. Neill]

Greetings!

Tis is an article I wrote for Bright Hills' Newsletter, The Yeoman.

I hope it will inspire some of you.

Regards!

- Anarra

     How to write an Award Recommendation
           Anarra Karlsdottir

In my years in the SCA, I have become convinced that one of the most 
important duties of each and every one of us is to write letters of 
recommendation for awards. I believe it is up to you--each and every one of 
you--to assure that deserving people are recognized in court.

But actually sitting down and writing a recommendation is daunting to some. 
So I've come up with some guidelines to help. Follow these guidelines and 
you, too, can have the awesome thrill of seeing a deserving person 
recognized for their skills or hard work based on your words, read in court 
for all to hear.

Don't forget to send recommendations for Baronial awards to the Baron and 
Baroness. Even though they are more local than the King and Queen, they 
can’t see what everyone is doing. Sending in recommendations makes their 
jobs much easier!

There are three myths to dispel:
1) You do not need to be a member of the SCA to recommend someone for an 
award.
2) You do not have to have an award to recommend someone else for it.
3) You may recommend someone close to you for an award. After all, who knows 
more about what that person is doing?

1. Do a little homework. Make sure the person does not already have the 
award you are recommending them for. The Order of Precedence (OP) is on the 
World Wide Web at "op.atlantia.sca.org" (that’s right, no www. in that 
address.) Or you can ask the Baronial Herald to help you check the OP. Or 
get into a conversation with the person and find out what awards they 
already have.

2. Be specific. State what a person did and at which event and how long 
they’ve been doing it. List prizes they have won, events they’ve helped at, 
exactly what they did. No one is going to give an award based on "Lady Jane 
helps a lot at many events."  Far better to state "Lady Jane chopped all the 
vegetables at T&T for three years in a row. She redacted the soup recipe and 
documented it, then cooked 8 gallons of delicious soup. She also is our 
Mistress of the Lists and has never lost a fighter card."  That gives the 
Crown an idea of EXACTLY what the candidate has done.

3. Include the SCA and modern name (if you know both) of the person and the 
group the person belongs to, and an idea of which events he or she will be 
attending. This helps the Crown schedule awards at an event the candidate is 
likely to be at.

4. Don't be shy about stating which award you are recommending someone for. 
A few Monarchs don't like that, as They reserve Their undisputed right to 
determine which award is most appropriate. But most appreciate the 
information.

5. Don't forget the Order Principals. This is a vital part of the polling 
process. If you only send your recommendation to the Crown, there is no 
guarantee that the Polling order will ever see it; which makes it hard for 
Companions to poll "Yes" when the polling comes around. Send a copy of your 
recommendation to the Principal of the Order. In most cases, he or she will 
place your comments on the Watch List, which is regularly updated and read 
by members of the Order. This gives Companions time to think about a 
candidate and to Watch him or her. Which is what a Watch List is for, after 
all.

You do not have to be a companion of a polling order to send a 
recommendation to that order. You can even ask an Order to Watch a person 
you don’t think is ready for an award. If you see a promising fighter, try 
sending a request to the Principal of the Sea Stag and asking if he or she 
would consider placing your comments on the Watch List. You won't know if it 
happens or not, but it very well might, and the Sea Stags can take a look at 
the person.

6. Don't forget the Prince and Princess. You can send a copy of your 
recommendation to Their Highnesses. When they become King and Queen, they 
will have some idea already of who they would like to recognize in court. 
You can also send courtesy copies to Their Excellencies, who can add words 
of their own if they feel it necessary.

7. Be regular. Keep a copy of your letter on line, or in a notebook, and 
update it regularly. I try to send my letter in once a reign—usually just 
after Crown Tourney. That way the Prince and Princess get it early, and will 
get an updated version soon after they become King and Queen. Make sure you 
are keeping track of your recommendees so you can take their names off your 
letter if they receive the award.


Here is a sample recommendation (this bears no relation to any actual T&T 
autocrat or heraldic deputy.):

Johan Smithsson (James Brown) of Bright Hills for the Order of the Golden 
Dolphin
"Lord Johan has been an active and productive member of our Barony for five 
years. He shows up early to most of our events and tirelessly helps the 
autocrat set up. He also often stays late to help clean the site. He 
autocratted Tourney and Trickery in 1997 and ran the event smoothly and for 
a small profit. He has supported our Herald for one year as her deputy and 
has helped her process paperwork and consult with members about names and 
arms. He is conscientious about handling money. He has helped build and 
maintain archery targets and equipment. He has supplied prizes for archery 
competitions. He has also made prizes for Arts and Sciences competitions. He 
has helped with baronial projects such as making the baronial thrones, chair 
covers for the chair rental company, and marshals tabards. He is thoroughly 
reliable and many turn to him for help with projects, moving equipment, 
event support and odd jobs. He usually attends all Bright Hills events, so 
will be at Garb Wars, T&T and Baronial Birthday. He is planning to attend 
Sapphire Joust and Coronation and also Dun Carriag’s Baronial Birthday."

This is a list of Polling Orders in Atlantia.  The Principals of these 
orders are listed in the Acorn and at 
http://acorn.atlantia.sca.org/orders.htm.

Order of Chivalry
Order of the Laurel
Order of the Pelican
Order of the Golden Dolphin
Order of the Pearl
Order of the Sea Stag
Academie d’Espee



If you are a chronicler and would like to print this article in your local 
group's newsletter, you have my permission *provided*:

It's reprinted in it's entirety, or you e-mail me to negotiate changes.
The newsletter is in the Kingdom of Atlantia (e-mail to negotiate changes 
for out-of-kingdom newsletters).
You print "Copyright (c) 2000, 2001 Terry L. Neill" on the article.
You send me a copy of the newsletter in which it appears.

Regards!

  - Anarra

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