[MR] Re: Secrecy

[Angela Pincha]

Ok... here's the other side.

I think its a wonderful thing to surprise someone with recognition. I personally think something is lost when you know an award is coming. When a person is being recognized for something spiff they have done in whatever arena, it doesn't matter one bit if THEY were prepared for the event... it matters that they were recognized for the service they did, or their prowess, or for the art/science excellence and it matters that the people special to them made the recognition special somehow, (is, a knighting insured that regalia was there, or say a pearl, insured that a scroll was there along with a special medallion).

Every single award I've received, with the exception of my peerage was a surprise, and I really wish, (even though I understand completely), that the peerage would also have been a surprise... sometimes the lengths that are gone through to keep accolades a surprise make it all the more special, in times when its not so easy, like, you're the court herald and Their Majesties STILL manage to keep the accolade a secret. That's just so very cool that the care was placed into the whole scenario to do that. Having friends and family share in the event is also very special, and, in a lot of my experiences, it was not so hard to insure that friends and family of an individual were forewarned to "Be in Court, you don't want to miss it" type of thing. (Unless of course its my daughter getting the award, then, its a "I'm sorry Your Majesties, she's helping in the kitchen")

I will admit, I am one of those people who likes to go to court to see the reactions of the different individuals as their works are recognized. In my opinion, the secrecy is good. My advice continues to be, keep the secret, make the court and the accolade more special in that format.

Mordrea