[Ponte Alto] Options for Award Structure Changes

[corun at cox.net]

Greetings,

I do understand it, but only because it was discussed in more detail at the Barony meeting. I will try to decipher this for you. I will also add my personal commentary on each suggestion, but remember, those are only my opinions, not necessarily yours. It's your mind, you get to make it up on your own. ;-)

>Option 1: Leave the award structure as it currently exists
>and make no changes. The current structure includes one
>award, the Venerable Bead, and one order, the Order of the
>Garland. This amounts to two tiers of awards.

This should be plain, however let me expound. Currently there are only two cookies that the Baron and Baroness can give out to the populace. The first is the Bead (or the Venerable Bead for those who enjoy the pun). This is nothing more than a pat on the back by way of saying "Ya done good, thanks." You can get the bead a lot. Some people have whole necklaces of these. (Personal Note: The Bead was never intended to be an method of achieving the Garland. In other words you didn't automatically get a Garland when you got X number of beads. They are separate things entirely.)

The second cookie is actually an Order comprised of Companions. This is the Order of the Garland (Ponte Alto choosing to go with a gardening theme rather than the usual fishie one most often found in Atlantia). You get this once and only once. This is a group of individuals who have not merely done good, but have done a LOT for the Barony. This is not only a service award, but can encompass many things, though I must say that it is mainly made up of service types.

So then, Option I is to keep the status quo and do nothing more than these two cookies.

> Option 2: (First) Retain the Bead (Tier I)

This Tier I thing means the Bead stays and retains its current level of pat on the back.

>Add an intermediate award (or order). This would be a
>generic award, that is, not given specifically for any
>particular pursuit such as A&S, service or fighting). It
>would be given  for the same type of work and dedication
>that the Garland is now, but on a less intensive level -
>a "Garland Jr." if you will. (Tier II)

The Tier II thing means develop a whole new award or Order that is generic in that it can be given for anything. Just as it says, it's a Garland Jr. (Personal Note: I think this is a silly idea. Speaking with past experience as a Landed Baron in the Barony of Storvik, and having helped develop additional awards for that Barony, I will state that too many awards and Orders dilutes the whole process. More on this later.)

>Retain the Garland. (Tier III)

Just what it says.

In short, what you end up with in Option 2 is a Bead which is already generic, a second generic award or mini-Order, and an already generic Prime Order.

>Option 3: (First) Replace the Bead with a Baronial "Award
>of Excellence" or something along the same lines. This
>award could be given to both members who live in the barony
>and those who do not physically reside in the barony's
>borders, but who play with and serve the barony on a
>regular basis. (This is currently the case with the Bead
>and the Garland.) This would be given at the Baron and
>Baroness's discretion, though they would also still be able
>to give out personal tokens.  (Tier I)

Actually, this is slightly wrong. I once received the Bead when I was living outside the Barony. As far as I know borders have never hindered the giving of the Bead. And neither the Bead nor the Garland have ever hindered the B&B from giving out personal tokens of gratitude. However, what this is saying is to replace (essentially rename) the Bead and make a bit loftier in feel by calling it an Award of Excellence and maybe making a whole new token rather than just a pretty bead.

>Add three intermediate awards or orders, given for
>excellence in A&S, service and martial combat. This
>follows the kingdom example of the Pearl, Golden Dolphin
>and Sea Stag(or Kraken). (Tier II)

Here we get onto the beginnings of a good idea, however in my opinion it's carried a bit far. More on that in a bit, but first the explanation as I understand it: The initial suggestion here is to create four new awards or Orders for Excellence (all by itself), excellence in A&S, excellence in martial combat, and excellence (or sheer quantity) of service. Ok, so we just created an Award of Excellence above, why have another one here? As for the others, certainly there is room for an award or Order (my personal preference) for A&S and Fighting. Why not service too? Read on.

>Retain the Garland. (Tier III)

As I stated above it appears that there are more service acts done that achieve the Garland than any other act, either martial or A&S. Here is a ready made Order for service. I feel that it can and should be retained in some form. This Barony has always prided itself on the service its people do, not only for the Barony but for the Kingdom as a whole. In my opinion it's the perfect this to do with the Garland.

>Option 4: (First) Replace the Bead with a Baronial Award of
>Excellence or something similar (Tier I)

See Option 3, Tier I above.

>Add three intermediate awards or orders, awarded for A&S,
>service, martial combat (Tier II)

See Option 3, Tier II above.

>Retire/close the Garland. Replace with three upper level
>awards or orders, also awarded for A&S, service or martial
>combat. These would be awarded for work above and beyond
>the intermediate awards/orders. (Tier III)

At this point I'm hoping you all have an idea of where this is going. The Garland is closed and replaced with three new awards or Orders that supercede the three mention in Tier II. Personal Opinion again (Remember, this is my opinion, feel free to disagree): Here's where it gets silly. A Barony does not really need three levels of awards. Frankly I think the best idea so far, if the Barony TRULY feels it needs a larger award structure, is to go with a generic ya done good award given many times and four Orders (Service, A&S, Martial and sheer Excellence). In fact, the Orders (let's call them that since it really is more meaningful to belong to an Order than to simply have an award one can get many times over) are given once and reflect the Kingdom Orders of Merit (Dolphin, Pearl, Sea Stag, White Scarf). In fact, I'd propose that the Award of Excellence be given sparingly. First, it would be generic, encompassing service, fighting and A&S. Second, someone would really have to excell to get it at all. It would then become the top Order of the Barony. Sort of like the Kingdom's Non Pareil (given only once per reign and sometimes not even then).

I hope that has clarified things for you, and I sincerely hope that my opinions will only do what they are intended to do, foment discussion. Go forth now and discuss, and remember the simile about a mind being like a parachute.

In service,
Corun