Re: scribe win

[Karen@agent.infodata.com (Harris, Karen)]

Poster: Karen@agent.infodata.com (Harris, Karen)

Greetings, all!

Anarra wrote (in part):

> I should think that it would be less effort to make original, final 
> scrolls for every AoA instead of an original plus a promissary.  Scribes 
> could stop doing double-duty.  Recipients desiring something more 
> elaborate or personal could, as now, commission a scribe to do another 
> scroll.  But I doubt all that many would do so.

Unfortunately, this does lead to a few problems ... I suspect my old 
kingdom was one of the kingdoms doing final scrolls for AoA 
presentations instead of the Atlantian promissory system.  In any 
case these are some of the problems of the final scrolls system:

1. There comes to be a dual process for whether or not name and 
device have been registered, causing in some cases the (however 
mistaken) impression that one must get one's name and device 
registered before one can be considered for an AoA.  (IMHO, this is a 
Not Good Thing -- I've been a relatively active SCAdian for five 
years now and have been given an AoA, and even though I've married a 
herald, my name and device are STILL unregistered.  I like it that 
way.  Go figure.)  ;)

2. Instead of a backlog of scrolls to replace promissory scrolls, 
there gets to be a backlog before awards are given.  We had to 
petition for AGES to get a deserving member recognized for her 
service (won't go into the gory details but suffice to say her AoA 
was one of the great unspoken goals of that school year) and we were 
in the end successful.  In essence, even though it is just a problem 
of getting the recommendation to the king, and the king communicating 
with the College of Heralds that Thus-And-So needs a scroll written 
up, and an actual event where royal court will be held AND 
Thus-And-So stands a good chance at being present ... the populace's 
perception of how much service is required for an AoA skyrockets.  
(I had been a college seneschal, kingdom-level event autocrat, and 
sign language interpreter for a long Estrella court, and was more 
satisfied without an AoA than the day I received an AoA in Atlantia 
for something I didn't do.  Again, sez I:  go figure.)

3. Theoretically speaking, the end product would just be a lovely 
calligraphed scroll, perhaps with a picture of the device.  Anything 
more "personalized" would have to wait until the promissory scroll 
-- knotwork, Gothic leaf patterns, portraiture, etc. would be 
difficult to choose or design without any more knowledge of the 
individual than name and device.  (Or perhaps I am mistaken.  I 
often am.  Perhaps the scribes in this kingdom are indeed talented 
mindreaders ... would that I had such skills, they would be useful 
in my embroidery designs ...)  I was under the impression that the 
current "promissory scrolls" were finished by student illuminators, 
giving them practice painting and calligraphing the scrolls.

What's also good about the current system is the potential 
speed of recognition.  If Their Majesties find out about a deserving 
gentle who ought to be recognized in the morning of an event, they 
can choose to recognize them at court with limited fuss -- just grab 
a pre-painted scroll, have somebody calligraph the name, date, and 
other relevant factoids in the appropriate spots, and present it at 
court that afternoon.  Under the system that Anarra proposes, it 
would take a great deal more time and effort to get the scroll to 
court.

At least that's my humble opinions.  Shoot 'em down as ye will ;)

Yours in Service to the Dream,

Karen Larsdatter
  Barony of Ponte Alto, Atlantia
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