[Artemisia] Letters of Rec

Fri Oct 17 11:21:45 CDT 2003

Isabeau here,
I have two points I'd like to add to what Tanglbaby has posted on our new and spiffy list.

#1) What she said.

#2) Order of Precedence. Read it, learn it, love it. It's there so that no one can rightfully say 'but, I thought THEY already had that recognition!' Go to the link for the OP, from the heraldry section, on the kingdom website and pull up alphabetical listings. Everyone has access to every recognition everybody has been given. Check your own listing out, if there are mistakes, email the caretaker. Tangl, is that still you? Read the listings and if you see something that surprises you, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! You know something? This works for Baronial level recognition, too. The Kingdom OP lists those, too. Oh, and it's a hell of a way to learn about Kingdom history, too. Can you find the person with 27 different recognitions dating back to 1978? If you think someone has done something spiffy, or just plain been doing it all for a very long time, go to the OP and look them up. If you agree with what you see, great. If you think there is something missing, start writing. Don't just
 write, talk to others who benefit from that individuals good deeds and encourage them to write as well. Then keep encouraging them. I once heard a wise and liberal monarch state that they would consider any person for a award if they recieved letters from at least two different people and could get a verbal confirmation of worth from a third. That's three people making it happen, and that was a progressive monarch, some prefer to get a few more letters before acting. The OP; look, read, act.

Isa-getting off her soap box now.
8)

Great big kiss to Yumi-san for our new list! *bounce* *bounce* *bounce* *bounce*

tangl <tangl at myway.com> wrote:
Here's a post I tried to send to the Aerie before it moved into the new digs. Let's see if it goes through this time. It's in response to some of the recognition posts:

Ya know, reading over this thread has reminded me of a few interesting points.

Michael made pointed out that people who hide behind "big water bottles" (good one, BTW for THAT poster) are visible to "those who look" for them. Redhawk mentioned that there should be some system for keeping track of what people do to volunteer, making it the duty of someone to write these letters. Mistress Cas told folks it was everybody's duty to do this, not just one person's or one reign's job. 
But I live with a fella, named Darius Coligny, who has spent much of his events at the volunteer tables. At Raptor alone this year, he put in about 20 or so hours of his event, at Troll, or walking security. He did this so that other people, who usually have to do all the work, got the chance to go have fun. So, I wrote a Letter of Rec to King Dahoud, and Darius got his AoA. Way back in March, in fact, before this year's Raptor where he volunteered those 20 hours. At Estrella, he did likewise.

But something you may NOT know about Darius is that he doesn't want people to think he's doing this stuff for any reason other than to be a nice guy and help other people have fun at events. So, he actively THWARTS all efforts to recognize him on the spot. Like those volunteer hours things? He signs in for those Anonymous. They aren't recorded as being done by him specifically, just that they were done by someone in Artemisia, or Arn Hold. Ruth the Widow has done likewise. So has Duke Alan, and King John. Lots of folks have a greater fear of being accused of ribbon chasing than they are concerned with their own advancement.

What they don't understand is that their anonymous good deeds are noticed by the folks they help, and that, when that Good Samaritan fails to get their AoA or Pillar, or be called up in court for thank-you doodads, folks start saying these people are being "ignored" by the Powers That Be. Facts are, they ain't. They're just outsmarting us Watchers.

That's why it is SO very important to write letters every month, every reign. My heralds are required to write Letters of Rec as part of their reports. Often, they will email me and say, "So-and-So has done some really cool stuff, especially recently. Could you tell the K&Q about them?" And I do. Lots. Oodles, even. Nearly every week. Their Majesties know my signature better than their own, they see it so much. 

Don't be discouraged if They miss giving an award to someone. Believe it or not, it's not intentional. They're your King and Queen, dammit. It's not like we live in a kingdom where you're not allowed to approach these folks. You need to let Them know who is deserving and why, so they can put specifics into their speech while the recipient is kneeling on the pillows. (and kneel on the damn pillows, people. They're not footrests, their bruise stoppers.) 

THEN, you need to tell TRMs when the person is going to be at an event. Very important follow-up.They won't give someone an award if they don't know where the person is. That's why you don't hear roll call at the beginning of court. Even the bigger events, like Fury or Uprising don't garner everybody, regardless of what it seems like. People's plans changed, sometimes unexpectedly, but that isn't the fault of the royalty, or you, on any level. It's just life.

And don't give me that crap of, "If *I* recommend them, that's as good as a death sentence because (blank) HATES me." Cop out. Anyone can write a letter anonymously if you really fear the retribution of the royalty. But there are other ways to make sure the person gets recognized, even if you sign your name.

When you write a letter, tell people. Not just the guys around the gaming table while you're plotting to take over Sun nydale. Send a copy of the LoR to TRH's, the Kingdom Senechale, me, your direct kingdom superior if you're an officer, me, your own senechal(e), me, a Laurel, pelican, or other Peer, me, your Baron and Baroness, me, the other people's B&B, or even me, pretty much blanketting the whole kingdom with letters about this individual, and it'll be more likely they'll get recognized because you told everybody and their horse and hound about them. Trust me, I'll forward the letter. I like awards. I like people getting them. I and my entire staff worked very hard to get the College of Heralds to make them official. If they aren't given out, it makes my work meaningless. I don't like my work to be meaningless. Makes me cranky.

So, understand that you live here, in a kingdom where the Crown likes to give out awards. You also live in a kingdom where folks actually like Court, because people get awards at them. Our courts are not just opportunities for Royal Basket Swapping, they accomplish stuff. Be a part of that. 

Tanglwyst
Available at this address, for all your Letter of Recommendation needs!

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