Recommending people for awards
The Baron & Baroness, while ever vigilant, do not necessarily know to what extent people are deserving of Their recognition and rely on the populace of the Barony, her Cantons & Colleges to assist them with that information. Therefore, Their Excellencies ask that you tell them about it by recommending people you think are deserving for a Baronial Award.
Here is your guide on how to recommend people for an award, Baronial or Kingdom.
In a nutshell:
Put it in writing, and send to the Baron and Baroness, or King and Queen – verbal recommendations are easily forgotten. Note, you can send Kingdom Award recommendations via the Baron and Baroness, as they are out representatives to the Kingdom and may add weight to your recommendation.
In slightly more detail:
First it’s a good idea to get acquainted with what awards exist, and what they’re for. Maybe also some examples of recipients of same, and while you’re at it you can check to see if they have it already. The list of Baronial Awards is on this page, the Kingdom Awards are listed on the Canon Law website.
Then you write a letter of recommendation. The letter should consist of three parts:
The first part should briefly explain who you are and in what context you know the candidate; you’re establishing why the Crown or Baronage should follow your recommendation. It’s nice to provide examples, e.g. instead of “every feast I have gone to” name some specific feasts, and give a specific time period for how long you’ve observed the candidate behaving in a way that has lead you to recommend them.
When recommending someone for a Kingdom Award, really try to make sure the applicant is the right fit – The King and Queen are taking your word for it! And nothing feels worse than people whispering about why someone got a particular award.
The second part is introducing the candidate; what their names are, what group they are in, and how long they’ve been participating, that sort of thing.
The third part is about what qualities they embody, examples of ways in which they have fulfilled the requirements of the award, and how they would be good examples of the order. the Baron and Baroness (or King and Queen) know what the awards are and can pick which one is appropriate from your description of why you think the person is deserving.
Remember as you compose your letter that the people you’re addressing are your superiors, and that you are asking Them to do something for you that is in Their power and is Theirs freely to bestow or not as suits Them. Be supplicant rather than dictatorial; formal rather than familiar.
Examples of Letters of Recommendation
A simple letter
Good morning your Excellencies, I would like to bring to your attention the wonderful work of John Smith. He has served at every feast I have ever gone to and he has only been playing for a year. His help in the kitchens is wonderful as it allows us to enjoy more of our game. I don’t know what would be the appropriate award for him.
A highly formal letter
Henri et Beatrice, Almyghte Kinge and Cwene of Lochac. Ich, Your faithful servant Gui von Oberhausen, beg that You grant audience to the bearer of this missive regarding the good deeds of one of Your subjects.
Ich have had the great fortune to have served as a prince and a baron in Your dominion in days of yore, and by that fellowship in Your peerage royal and by the fealty I hold of you as a right of my membership in the Order of Chivalry that was granted by Your blessed forebears I claim the right to make bold with a request for the Crown’s justice.
There is a gentle in Your lands of Rowany named Iseabail inghean Domhnall mhic Donchaidh (also known as Taryn East in the uncivilised lands) who even now serves Your plenipotentiaries as seneschal. She has been a faithful subject of Your kingdom for a good number of years, having received a cypher from the hand of good Kynge AEdwarde II of blessed memory.
In addition to the wise words she gives in service to Your noble baroness and baron, she is known by all of the many and divers pursuits in the Arts gentle; whether encouraging voices to raise in song at our local fighter practice, or brewing such beverages as makes your people of good cheer and perhaps more importantly making her recipe known so that this excellent arte may be taken on by others of like interest.
For these reasons I feel that Your order of the Star and Lily would find her a very capable companion, and she richly deserves the ennobling that is granted with the attendant Award of Arms.
In service I remain,
Sir Gui, Landgraf von Oberhausen
atte Rowany, Feast of St Ada
With thanks to a conversation on facebook between Sir Gui von Oberhausen, Mistress Bethan Daniels of Brockwood, Sir Berenger of Nancy and Baron Loyala Juan Sanchez Mendoza in December 2012 for pulling out the relevant points and writing the sample letters.