[MR] Secrecy and awards

Mon Apr 21 09:38:40 PDT 2003

thank you for your concerns over this hrothny.  i would like to add that it is our desire to have most all of our court business prepared before arriving at an event.  we endeavor to have the scrolls prepared and signed and ready to go before we arrive as well.  that allows us to plan our court with the head cook (the person who we believe is truly in charge of what time we hold, and finish, our court), the local baronage (hows that herveus ;^)   ),  and our retinue.  we do try to let as many people involved know what our intentions are.  additionally, we do not believe in the whole surprise thing as being a necessity.  i, for one, was informed of my impending knighting some months in advance.  it provided me with a double surprise.  first was the realization that the members of the order believed that i should be amongst them, then the anticipation of the day.  when that day came it was a magical moment for me and one that i remember well.  surprises are fun as well and i think that we have a good mix of the two.  isabel and i like the idea of alerting a peerage candidate of our intentions thus giving them time to prepare and invite friends and family to their induction.

however, back o the subject, none of this is possible without recommendations.  my original comment was based on the reality that we often times arrive at an event and have received zero recommendations from the local members or the landed baronage.  then we have to try to run around and find them (TEs) or the local seneschals to pick their brains for info on the notable works of our people.  while some suggest that we should accept that as our role i would counter that there simply is not enough time in the day and that rushing around to fill court time is just a poo-poo way of recognizing people.  it should, in most cases be handled in advance.  last minute things and the "duh" realizations (you mean he doesnt have an aoa?!) come up and those are welcomed as well.  but in order to do this we must have the assistance of the populace and our chosen representatives.  without their help we simply are left in the dark most of the time.

i will add, in closing, that this discussion has prompted many people to express their opinions of those works and efforts of people in their local groups.  as of this email my award recommendations folder has doubled in size.  not bad for a two day period.  these have, for the most part, been well written and informative.  most have given us the sca and modern name of the person, their home group, and the events they know the person is planning on attending.  this makes us very happy and will allow us the opportunity to serve the people of atlantia as we should.  thank you for that.

regards
logan

-----Original Message-----
From: atlantia-admin at atlantia.sca.org
[mailto:atlantia-admin at atlantia.sca.org]On Behalf Of Rosine
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 11:11 AM
To: Merry Rose
Subject: Re: [MR] Secrecy

> ill make sure to keep that in mind and schedule that into the very
> laid back days that attendance at an event tends to be.
>
> logan

   With respect, Your Majesty, it shouldn't be a job for You or Her Majesty
to be hassling with. Your day is busy enough as it is and we know that.
   Back in the day... (when I was young, spry, useful and a Lady in
Waiting), one of us 'staff" type folks was usually designated to ensure that
after the Royals and the court herald had worked out Their list of court
business, one of us would make a circuit of the event-goers to find either
the B&B or the Significant Other of the awardees to make sure that the
person would be in court and that their friends/family would know there was
a reason for it - usually just a "Hi, Their Majesties wanted to make sure
that ____ was going to be in court, and I believe that it would be A Good
Thing if their friends were there too...". It usually took me no more than
30 minutes, tops, and wasn't anything more for the Royals to worry about
than "Did the list get taken care of?"
    "Yes, Your Majesty, except ____ won't be here, so I told the herald that
You'd probably want to set aside that scroll."
    "Good. Thanks." (Or, "No, leave it in and get someone to accept it for
them since we won't have another chance to do it.").
    In the case of a polling Order, the Principal usually made a phone call
(nowadays probably an email) to the B&B or another local member of the Order
to do the same thing in advance if the Royals let them know Their intentions
after a polling. Again, not something that should be the duty of the Royals
beyond checking to see if it's done. And as a long-time promissary clerk, it
lightened my load to not waste a scroll blank on someone who wasn't going to
be there. It also gave us a chance to double-check the spelling of a name
and to, nowadays, get the modern name for the records.
   I think it was one of those things that us "every-other reign" attendants
got used to, then so many of us moved away to be kingdom officers or B&Bs or
other things that the word didn't get passed down to the next 'set' of
attendants. It really shouldn't be a problem for You - it should be a
standard duty for Your staff and/or the Principals of the Order to take care
of in Your name. That's just one of the things, like setting up court
furniture or High Table, that we who serve should be doing to enhance this
Game.

In service,
Rosine

========================================================================
                   The Merry Rose Tavern at Cheapside
    List Info: http://merryrose.atlantia.sca.org/
  Submissions: Atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
Subscriptions: http://seahorse.atlantia.sca.org/mailman/listinfo/atlantia

============================================================
From: "Rosine" <nothingbutadame at inthe.sca.org>
Date: 2003/04/21 Mon AM 11:11:20 EDT
To: "Merry Rose" <atlantia at atlantia.sca.org>
Subject: Re: [MR] Secrecy

> ill make sure to keep that in mind and schedule that into the very
> laid back days that attendance at an event tends to be.
>
> logan

   With respect, Your Majesty, it shouldn't be a job for You or Her Majesty
to be hassling with. Your day is busy enough as it is and we know that.
   Back in the day... (when I was young, spry, useful and a Lady in
Waiting), one of us 'staff" type folks was usually designated to ensure that
after the Royals and the court herald had worked out Their list of court
business, one of us would make a circuit of the event-goers to find either
the B&B or the Significant Other of the awardees to make sure that the
person would be in court and that their friends/family would know there was
a reason for it - usually just a "Hi, Their Majesties wanted to make sure
that ____ was going to be in court, and I believe that it would be A Good
Thing if their friends were there too...". It usually took me no more than
30 minutes, tops, and wasn't anything more for the Royals to worry about
than "Did the list get taken care of?"
    "Yes, Your Majesty, except ____ won't be here, so I told the herald that
You'd probably want to set aside that scroll."
    "Good. Thanks." (Or, "No, leave it in and get someone to accept it for
them since we won't have another chance to do it.").
    In the case of a polling Order, the Principal usually made a phone call
(nowadays probably an email) to the B&B or another local member of the Order
to do the same thing in advance if the Royals let them know Their intentions
after a polling. Again, not something that should be the duty of the Royals
beyond checking to see if it's done. And as a long-time promissary clerk, it
lightened my load to not waste a scroll blank on someone who wasn't going to
be there. It also gave us a chance to double-check the spelling of a name
and to, nowadays, get the modern name for the records.
   I think it was one of those things that us "every-other reign" attendants
got used to, then so many of us moved away to be kingdom officers or B&Bs or
other things that the word didn't get passed down to the next 'set' of
attendants. It really shouldn't be a problem for You - it should be a
standard duty for Your staff and/or the Principals of the Order to take care
of in Your name. That's just one of the things, like setting up court
furniture or High Table, that we who serve should be doing to enhance this
Game.

In service,
Rosine

========================================================================
                   The Merry Rose Tavern at Cheapside
    List Info: http://merryrose.atlantia.sca.org/
  Submissions: Atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
Subscriptions: http://seahorse.atlantia.sca.org/mailman/listinfo/atlantia
============================================================