Re: Wierdo Award Ideas Debunked

[Erik Dutton <edutton@worldnet.att.net>]

Poster: Erik Dutton <edutton@worldnet.att.net>

Jonathan Blackbow wrote:
> 
> Poster: "Jonathan Blackbow" <blackbow@sprynet.com>
> 
> Dafydd said, in part:
> 
> >We are not involved in playing D&D here.
>
> [I'm sorry, (and let me know if I get this right) Count Sir Master Master
> Dafydd, you're technically right.  You're not a multi-classed upper-level
> critter from AD&D.  You're a multi-classed upper-level critter from the SCA.
> The only differences between the awards you have and a multi-level
> upper-classed critter from AD&D is that 1) the skills you exhibited to gain
> those awards were real and not based on a FRPG, and 2)...
> 
> ...REAL PEOPLE, and not some complicated system of rank, saw to it that you
> received those awards.
> 
> Real people who don't have time/interest to keep track of every
> up-and-coming Count Sir Master Master Dafydd wanna-be.

True. However, if I do what I do well, and do it long enough,
eventually, either:
1)some tin-hat will see me doing it, or
2)someone who knows me will point me out to the appropriate persons.

Now, any number of factors can and do influence this - the incidence of
#1 occuring is directly proportional to the amount and type of work I
do, and where I do it; and there is some chance involved as well. For
example, my first year or two in the SCA I spent every Saturday night in
the kitchen after feast, which got me a great rep with feastcrats but
little tin-hat recognition...

...and #2 depends on, among other things, a combination of longevity,
consistency, and social skills. If I don't stay in one group or do one
thing long enough (unless I do everything all the time, and that way
lies burnout), then my chances of being noticed for what I do decrease;
likewise, if I manage to piss off everyone I come in contact with, then
I could work like a churl for twenty years and nobody is going to bother
to write a letter on my behalf.

Generally, in my 8 years in this organization, I have found that it is
extremely rare for a competent, hard-working individual to go so long
without receiving at least an AoA that they drop out - at least, not
solely for that reason. I know one lady who participated actively for
10+ years before being "raised to the nobility" (IMHO she was already
nobility, but I'm talking about official recognition), and in a fairly
short time, as such things go, became a Court Baroness. She initially
just slipped through the cracks, to the point that the tin-hats got so
used to seeing her around and working that they assumed she *must*
already have an AoA (an experience I'm familiar with! <g>) - but,
finally, her friends sat up and said "hey, waitaminute, something's
wrong here" and started writing letters.

Generally, if someone want to go trophy-hunting (a disgusting pasttime,
IMNSHO, but apparently a fairly popular one), there are well-established
procedures of whose to kiss, how long, and in what order - and far too
many people who are susceptible to having it kissed (being, after all,
only human). Unfortunately, I think that this whole discussion of
rewards and honors, while useful, can easily dominate our thinking to
the point that we forget why we *really* play SCA, which is to have fun,
learn cool stuff and hang out with our friends.

--
In service,
Lord Rhodri ap Hywel
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