In my group (Calanais Nuadh) the Seneschal and the MoA&S and a few  
other trusted folks (oft times former holders of said offices) email  
each other lists of what awards they are recommending people for,  
looking for others that possibly should also be recommended.  And we  
don't just watch our own people. We are also watching out for people  
in other groups we think are not being supported locally.

The GOA level awards recommend teaching as one of the qualifications,  
but the lower level (non-voting) awards don't require it. They only  
need someone to recognize effort and results.

Once someone has received a Mallet and/or Swan, it's the voting  
orders that need to be alerted to start paying attention.  I  
recommend people for the GOA level awards, simply to draw attention  
that someone in GOA level SHOULD start paying attention.

Nest


On Jan 8, 2014, at 1:48 AM, Ted Eisenstein wrote:

 >But you have taught classes.  I have been in some of them. Some  
sort of teaching is
 >a requirement for advancement.  Competitions is but one means of  
making folks aware
 >of the level and quality of your work.
Well, yeah. I guess that was part of my point. Not everyone teaches.  
Not everyone
enters competition. Not everyone gets published. I worry about the  
"one from column
A and one from column B" syndrome - teach five classes or enter three  
local competitions
or one kingdom competition or take on four students, or any other  
formal but unspoken
checklist for Advancement In the Award Structure of Calontir.

....but I would hazard a guess that most of the not-older-than-dirt  
people (like, oh, I dunno,
you and me) would think that to get a mallet or a swan you've got to  
enter some
competitions, because they're well publicized and "hey,  Lord Who-dat- 
guy
entered three, and immediately got a Mallet!"

They're a fast way to get attention, but not everyone's made out for  
competing; I wasn't,
and I still twitch at the thought of entering one. I much prefer  
showing my stuff to
people whose opinion I trust - you for metalworking, Magda for  
costuming, Rhianwen
for tent-making, and so forth - rather than put out a couple of items  
and get a vast
range of comments. Ditto for teaching: there's nothing more enjoyable  
for me than
to talk fealty with one or two people at a post-revel or at a feast;  
classes are so....so...
formal.

I guess my point is, competitions and teaching are good ways at  
catching the Worthy
Folk who happen to like competing and teaching. How, then, do we go  
about catching
those whose art or science is well-made, well-researched, and totally  
period, but
does it quietly, one piece at a time, talking to individuals, getting  
advice from friends,
and, (sorry for the bad grammar) we only get to see them work very  
quietly in the
background but suddenly we notice how great they are?

It's akin to the service thang: how many heralds have slaved over  
books to get submissions
done, and they get a Torse only after someone figures out half the  
kingdom got their
devices passed because of that guy in Outer Fenwick?

It's a question that's been asked for <mumble> years, and I have yet  
to hear a good
answer. I suspect there isn't one, but it sure does make for some  
long-winded
philosophical conversations badly in need of a couple of beers.


Alban, non-drinker, dammit.