This article was written by Lady Rúnfríðr Keiliselgr in AS 59 (2024). She gratefully acknowledges that some of this work is based on Ynys Fawr and Rowany pages that are similar and from discussions made on the Blessed Herman Discord server.
What are awards?
Awards are a way that the SCA recognises those who contribute to it. Recipients are usually acknowledged and thanked publicly during courts. This serves as a way to show gratitude, encourage them to continue contributing and inspire others.
These awards are not the only way to give thanks. Other methods include giving a token e.g. a bead, verbally expressing appreciation, sending an email, or giving a small gift. If you see someone doing or being something awesome, let them know!
What kinds of awards are there?
There are two types: Baronial level and Kingdom level.
Baronial level awards are local awards given out by the Baronage of your local Barony area, otherwise usually referred to as the B&B. Baronial level awards are usually given for contributions and service within the Barony. It is fairly common for newer people to the SCA to receive Baronial awards as their first awards but this is not always the case.
Kingdom level awards are given out by the Sovereign and Consort of your Kingdom. These awards may recognize contributions and service that extend beyond a single Barony, but they do not necessarily have to. This article is written for Lochac, which encompasses Australia and New Zealand.
Some awards are based on fulfilling certain conditions, like being a first time event steward or coming second in Crown Tourney, while others are based on recommendations by the populace. The Crown and B&B cannot possibly know what everyone is doing in the Kingdom and even the Barony. Recommendations give the Crown and B&B more information about the cool stuff going on so they can recognise anyone who they believe is worthy of it. Awards are given out at the B&B or Crown’s discretion and recommending someone does not necessarily mean they will receive that award. The Crown also may consult with your local B&B before giving out any awards.
How do I recommend someone for an award?
Find out what awards they already have
Unless there’s been a mistake or an award can be given out twice like a personal cypher, people generally don’t get the same award more than once.
To find out what Baronial level awards a person has, look on your Barony’s website. Many have records of what awards people have received. The relevant pages are linked at the bottom of this page. You could also ask your Baronial herald.
To find out what Kingdom level awards a person has, the easiest way is to look them up on Canon Lore.
Canon Lore is however not complete. It has the following shortcomings:
- It does not show people who got awards from other Kingdoms, only people who got awards within the territorial bounds of what is now Lochac
- It shows people without any awards who have registered names but someone won’t have a Canon Lore entry if they have no Kingdom awards AND no registered name
- Some records of names are incorrect, particularly if someone got an award using their mundane or legal name e.g. ‘Caitlin of St Monica’ and then registered an SCA name without the records being linked so that the new SCA name shows up as an entry with no awards
If you are unsure whether someone already has a Kingdom level award, you can ask your local herald for help, ask their friends or just recommend them anyway!
Find out what award you want to recommend them for (optional)
Every Barony has different awards, which are usually published on their websites. See the bottom of the page for links to explanations of these.
At the Kingdom level, the full list of awards is given here. Note that not all of them are based on recommendations by the populace. There is also a summary version hosted on the Lochac College of Heralds website here. A very common first Kingdom level award is the Award of Arms (AoA). This is a recognition that you are known to others as someone who is committed to being in the SCA and is around often as a friendly face – ‘one of us’.
You do not have to know what award you want to recommend someone for to extol their virtues to your B&B or the Crown.
Send the recommendation!
At the Barony level, contact the B&B. Some may have preferred methods of doing things but email always works.
At the Kingdom level, there are two ways:
- If the person has a Canon Lore entry, then find their entry and follow the link at the bottom of the page to recommend them for an award. This opens up a text box that you can use to write in your recommendation to Their Majesties.
- If the person has no Canon Lore entry, contact Their Majesties via email at royal@lochac.sca.org.
The more information you can provide the B&B or Crown, the better. Tell them not just that the person is awesome, tell them why. Do they regularly show up to set up at events? Are they a newbie fighter that is fighting everyone to improve their skills? Are they researching and making their own really impressive garb? Have they supported your College as an officer or as a friend? Let the B&B and Crown know!
It’s probably an excellent idea to include at least the following: the person’s full name that they use in the SCA, what they have done, why you think they are deserving of recognition, the specific award you think they should be considered for if any, your name, your relation to the person e.g. both Collegians, their mentor, their student or their friend etc. and your contact details. If the B&B and Crown would like more information, they can then contact you.
Sample recommendation letters
A simple letter to the Crown for recommending someone for an AoA
Greetings to Your Majesties, I am [insert name and contact details, titles if relevant]. I would like to bring to your attention [the name of the person you are recommending]. [He/she/they/applicable pronoun] has been in the College of St Monica for a year. In that time, they have served as a helper in the kitchens for several events, started training in earnest as a rapier fighter and been a source of good cheer to all. They also very actively welcome newcomers at events and every week during our meetings. This really makes a difference and I think if it pleases Your Majesties that You should consider [him/her/them/applicable pronoun] for an Award of Arms.
Other excellent sample recommendation letters can be found here from the Barony of Rowany or here for specific awards from the Barony of Southron Gaard. The latter is especially well written and well worth a look. Letters do not need to be formal, long or complex. I have it on good authority that the Crown will also accept recommendations that start out “whats up your majesties, its ya boi [name]” if you make a good case.
Frequently Asked Questions (or seldomly asked questions I am answering anyway)
- Can I recommend someone more than once? Yes, including recommending someone for the same award more than once. Please use your judgement and don’t spam the B&B or Crown.
- I’m not a member of the SCA and or don’t have many awards myself. Can I still recommend people? Yes and you should. Particularly for Colleges, the B&B and Crown cannot be everywhere and know everything. They rely on the populace to point out individuals that are worthy of recognition, which includes people like you.
- Do I need to work out what award I think someone should get before recommending them? No, you don’t have to specify. You could just list their deeds.
- I don’t know the person’s name. I’ve just seen them around. Ask! Local heralds may be able to help you but you’re very welcome to ask them directly.
- What is an AoA? An AoA is an Award of Arms, discussed above in this article. It’s often the first Kingdom level award people receive in the SCA and sometimes the only one they will ever get.
- Why doesn’t this person have an award yet? There are multiple possible reasons. They might not have been recommended yet. They also might not have been to any events where the B&B and Crown were giving out awards.
- The person I want to recommend has social anxiety, doesn’t like surprises etc. Let the B&B and Crown know in your recommendation. Hopefully, they will be able to arrange some suitable arrangements to recognise the person. If you leave your contact details, you may also be contacted for your opinion.
Links to information about Barony awards
Barony of Aneala (Western Australia) – description of local awards and who has received what awards.
Barony of Innilgard (South Australia and the Northern Territory) – description of local awards and their Baronial roll of arms.
Barony of Ynys Fawr (Tasmania) – description of local awards, their current Baronial award recommendation form and their roll of arms.
Barony of Krae Glas (south-east Melbourne, Victoria) – description of local awards and award recipients list (same page). This is the Barony that St Monica is within.
Barony of Stormhold (northern, western and regional Victoria) – description of local awards and list of recipients.
Barony of Politarchopolis (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory) – description of local awards and list of recipients (same page).
Barony of Rowany (Sydney area and southern New South Wales) – description of local awards, their current Baronial award recommendation form and their list of award recipients.
Barony of Mordenvale (Newcastle, New South Wales) – description of local awards and list of Baronial award recipients.
Barony of St Florian de la Riviere (southern Brisbane, Queensland) – description of local awards and a list of past award recipients.
Barony of River Haven (Brisbane, Queensland) – description of local awards and a full list of award recipients.
Barony of Ildhafn (Auckland, New Zealand) – description of local awards and list of recipients (same page).
Barony of Southron Gaard (Christchurch, New Zealand) – description of local awards and list of recipients (same page).