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Heraldry and Awards
Heraldry in the SCA follows many of the medieval rules, and is governed by the Society-wide College of Heralds. There are many resources available to provide heraldic assistance, a number of which are cited in the box to the right. You are strongly urged to talk with a well-versed book herald prior to making any arms submission. A number of awards carry with them the injunction to register a device with the College of Heralds. The Order of Precedence lists the populace based on the various awards given out in recognition of that individual's contribution to the Barony or Kingdom.
The Baronial Arms
Making RecommendationsThe SCA recognises service and capabilities across a broad range of areas, with local Baronial awards, Kingdom awards and Peerages (Society-wide recognition of fighting prowess, arts and sciences skills, and service). If you are not familiar with the system, take a look at this section on the SCA hierarchy. Such recognition comes both as a result of demonstrating excellence in such areas, but also through the recommendation of others. Anyone is permitted - nay, encouraged - to make award recommendations, whether directly to the Crown (for Kingdom Awards), to the Baron and Baroness of Southron Gaard (for Kingdom or Southron Gaard Baronial Awards) or to the relevant Order of Peers. All it takes is a letter outlining why you are recommending that particular individual for recognition. It helps if you familiarise yourself with the various awards or requirements for individual Peerages beforehand. As noted by Master Richard de la Croix: If someone is worth a letter of recommendation, he/she deserves a little effort and a letter all of his/her very own. Here is a quick checklist for your letter (there are some sample templates below). Include information on:
If you want to find out who has what awards, what awards are on offer, and how the Lochac awards compare to the Caid ones, check out the Order of Precedence (OP) and Awards links. It's a good idea to do this before you write your letter! Note: While you don't need to cc the Baron and Baroness for Kingdom Award recommendations, it's probably a good idea to do so. Why? Crowns change every six months, and usually don't visit the Barony more often than annually. Paperwork is usually well handled on Crown changeovers, but not always -- and not always promptly. Whereas your Baron and Baroness will be keeping recommendation records -- their own and quite possibly their predecessors -- for many years if necessary, and can bring these to the notice of a Crown planning a visit.
Letter of Recommendation TemplatesThese are provided to give you an idea of the sort of thing that you might wish to write when recommending someone for a specific award. The more information you can provide, the better, particularly if recommending someone to an Order of Peerage. Check out the areas covered by the specific awards or peerages, as that should give you an idea of the right sort of things to note or emphasise in your letter. Recommendations for Kingdom awards must go to the Crown and can be sent via or cc'd to the Baron and Baroness if you so wish. Recommendations for Baronial awards should be sent to the Baron and Baroness. NB: These are templates for just some possible awards. Don't overlook the others, such as the Hasta Belli, Order of the Rapier, Promethean Flame, etc. Award of Arms TemplateUnto Your Majesties I commend [name] of Southron Gaard, known also as [modern name]. They have been a citizen of the Barony of Southron Gaard for [number] years, and are [choose some suitable examples of how they have shown commitment to the Barony]
I believe that the Award of Arms would be appropriate recognition for their contribution to our fair Barony. Golden Tear (Service)I heartily commend to you [Society name; modern name] of the Barony of Southron Gaard for consideration as a worthy recipient of the Order of the Golden Tear. They have been a great boon to our Barony and the Society, rendering all kinds of service to persons of all degrees. They have [examples here of service such as events run, tasks undertaken, offices held, assistance rendered]. They are of kind, noble and generous disposition, and would be a worthy member of the Order of the Golden Tear, if Your Majesties are minded to admit them. Lily (Arts and Sciences)I would recommend [Society name; modern name] to you as a person well versed in the art/science of [speciality/category], and deserving admission to the noble Order of the Lily. They have displayed great skill as has been seen on many occasions [include examples or links to Websites or photos, or places where their Majesties may have seen this person's work, if possible]. Other AwardsRecommendations for Grant-level awards and peerages can be made along similar lines although reasonably detailed extensive information relating to the specific award or peerage would be expected to be provided. You may find it helpful to talk with a member of the relevant order before making a peerage recommendation. Or you can check out this information: Other useful phrases: Sample opening: Unto Your Majesties, [his name] and [her name], Sovereigns of Lochac, do I [your name] send Humble and Respectful Greetings Sample closing: I thank Your Majesties for your attention to this matter and remain your humble petitioner... For a late recommendation for work done in the past: I feel I have been remiss in not sooner commending to your Majesties... For someone from another area: I lately visited the Barony of [name], where my attention was caught by... For someone with whom you have had only electronic contact: The efforts of a gentle of the Barony of [name] have come to my attention through their helpful participation in the [list name] community |
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