Your annual reminder: Award Recommendations

 It’s that time of year again. Time to think about Award Recommendations.

Ealdormere has a tradition of custom scrolls. Making such intricate art takes time. Therefore, it is advisable that the Populace (that’s you) send in recommendations a few months before events in your area.

The Althing is hosting two events this fall, Crown Tournament in October, and Feast of the Hare in November. Your award recommendations will lead to there being business in those Courts.

So, how is it that people end up getting awards? The answer is two-fold. The person has to do stuff. And having done that stuff, someone has to report it to Their Majesties. It’s like tattling, but for good behaviour. The second part is the most important. If we don’t snitch on our friends, how will the Crown, who may live on the other side of the Kingdom, know that they are deserving of recognition?

So, who’s worthy of being snitched on? And what do we recommend them for?

Firstly, you, at whatever rank you are at now, whatever awards you currently have, you can recommend anyone for any award.

The first award that most people will get is an Award of Arms (AOA). Super keeners who jump right in and volunteer for Canton offices will often get their AOA within a year. Most people though, with steady participation will get their AOA around the 2 year mark. So if you know of someone who has been around for two years and does not yet have their AOA, you should recommend them.

Next a person will be recognized for their activities in one of the three pillars of the society: Marshal, A&S, and Service. Now that they are a Noble, what are they doing? Have they authorized in a combat style? Are they showing an interest in a particular art? Have they volunteered for jobs to help the group run? Those are the people who should be recommended for a Scarlet Banner, Orion, or Maiden’s Heart (respectively).

Higher level awards are usually awarded after consultation with the Orders, but you can and should still recommend people for these awards.

Descriptions of the awards can be found on the Awards page on the Ealdormere page. These descriptions will help you phrase your recommendations to Their Majesties more effectively.

Before you write your recommendations, you should check the Order of Precedence for your nominee, if they already have the award you are thinking of, perhaps there is another that would fit?

Maybe, instead of a Kingdom level award, you feel the Baron and Baroness should be made aware of an outstanding individual. Just as there are awards for Marshal, Arts, and Service at the Kingdom level, there are similar awards under the purview of the Baron and Baroness. The Baron and Baroness hold Court within our Barony far more often than Their Majesties, so recommending people of the Althing to Their Excellencies is a year-round job.

Awards aren’t just for adults, either. There are Youth specific awards, but there’s no rule that you have to be 18 to receive an AOA or any of the others.

Look around, think about your friends and family. It’s not nepotism or favouritism or bias to recommend your friends. Sometimes, you may be the only one who sees their contribution, and it is your Duty in the Society to snitch on them.

Decorating (while camping)

Decorations can make your tent and kitchen shade more comfortable physically and visually. These tips will work for encampments of any level of period accuracy. 

Flooring:

Carpets are the answer.

In the sleeping tent, a carpet layer will offer softness, cushion, and warmth beneath your feet. Some who have the cargo space use actual tuffed carpets. “Real” carpets will tend to be thicker and therefore better at providing the benefits of carpeting. However, a thick upholstery fabric packs well, while also being washable.

In the kitchen or dining room, a carpet layer will keep the mud down and hide the dried up grass. It will expand the usable space available (yay for floor sitters!), and generally be more comfortable. Visually, it demarcates the space, better than any wall can, and really brings the “inside” feeling. Without carpets, a kitchen/dinning space feels sparse and (if you’ll forgive me) like you’re camping. You’ll want some sort of “outdoor” carpet for this task, meant for beach or patio. These sorts of carpeting will pack well and wash well, and can handle the dampness of the ground.

 Walls:

While there’s not a lot to do to decorate the walls in your tent, especially if it’s a “dome home” and has curved or slanted walls. If your tent lends itself to division, hanging a curtain to separate areas of the tent. Curtains inside a tent can help when it’s cold by maintaining your body heat in a smaller area. Dividing the space can concentrate your efforts on one area that you will see in your tent, as in you won’t be seeing your sleeping area as much as your dressing area.

In your dining tent, a wall can add shade and privacy, while also adding a medieval atmosphere. The standard 10x10 popup day shade seen at farmers’ markets everywhere is lightweight and compact to take to events. It’s easy to put up and ugly as sin. There are walls that can be purchased, but for our purposes, any fabric would be an improvement. Old flat sheets, cheap shears, or printed “tapestries” can be used. If you want to go a little farther, a painted canvas (or even any painted cotton) elevates the look of your nylon and aluminum pop up. Walls of any kind, but especially painted ones can transform a space from what feels like a Noble on campaign to one on holiday.

Furniture:

Focus on having wooden furniture. It often packs smaller than it’s modern counterparts.

When wood isn’t an option, or you just really can’t accommodate the planks of wood in your vehicle, and only a roll top table will do, think cloth covers. Some make custom cloth cozies for their coolers. Others just put a table cloth over their metal tables. Cloth covers a multitude of sins.

Storage:

Most of us pack in plastic tubs. They are excellent for keeping humidity, bugs and animals out. And they lie around looking awful and getting in the way. You can hide one or two under your table (that has a cloth), keeping them out from underfoot, and out of direct sight. Sill there always seems to be more. Consider: Shelves. There are a number of folding, collapsable shelves available that can help give those totes somewhere to live. Tidying up those tubs gives you more room to move in your tight space, and consolidates the modernity to one spot. Doing this can also make it easier to cover these things, adding to the medieval atmosphere.

Bench boxes are another great solution. For anything that doesn’t need to be sealed away, a bench box provides storage and seating, in a truly medieval way. They are easy to make with a minimal amount of tools, there are even plans out there to make them collapsible.

Lighting:

Lighting is a conundrum. It’s not as easy as “just light a candle”. Candles can be a hazard that some are not willing to risk. There are plenty of electric candles these days – just be careful of the ones made from real wax inside your nylon tent in 30+ degree weather. Another option is an oil lamp. A lamp burning olive oil, with a reservoir of water can burn all night, and self-extinguishes should it be knocked over.

Consider many lamps, whatever your solution. Placing them along paths, and to mark hazards, as well as on your tables and shelves and around your tent(s) will lend a glow that can be truly magical.

In the end, your decorations should make you feel comfortable and bring you joy. A perfectly period trestle table, chairs, dishes and lamps can still feel like camping in a field, while a modern structure, with the right wall hangings and carpets can feel like the medieval room of your dreams.