Recommending Someone for an Award - Revision history

Jducoeur: /* How to Write a Good Recommendation Letter */

Jducoeur — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:22:52 GMT

How to Write a Good Recommendation Letter

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	It can be tempting to exaggerate in the letter: be careful not to. Exaggerations tend to get caught, and it usually makes the candidate look bad. Similarly, make sure that you get your facts straight -- it is very common for a recommendation letter to list things that were actually done by someone else, and that winds up reflecting poorly on the candidate.		It can be tempting to exaggerate in the letter: be careful not to. Exaggerations tend to get caught, and it usually makes the candidate look bad. Similarly, make sure that you get your facts straight -- it is very common for a recommendation letter to list things that were actually done by someone else, and that winds up reflecting poorly on the candidate.

-	Focus on the positive. Occasionally, you'll know about some history or bad blood around this candidate, but try not to be defensive about it -- people pick up on defensiveness, and it tends to overwhelm the positive. Instead, briefly explain why you think that these past issues aren't relevant or have been resolved appropriately, and move on to their good qualities that moved you to write the letter.	+	Focus on the positive. Occasionally, you'll know about some history or bad blood around this candidate, but try not to be defensive about it -- people pick up on defensiveness, and it tends to overwhelm the positive. Instead, briefly explain why you think that these past issues aren't relevant or have been resolved appropriately, and move on to their good qualities that moved you to write the letter. (Similarly, don't insult others in the recommendation. Occasionally, this can be tempting -- for instance, if your candidate did work for which someone else commonly gets credit. But this sort of negativity almost always comes across badly to the people reading the recommendation, and can often be rather harmful.)

	If you know of particular Royal Progress events that this person will be attending, mention that: it can make scheduling the award easier. But remember that awards need a lot of lead time -- it's often impossible to arrange an award with just a couple of weeks' notice.		If you know of particular Royal Progress events that this person will be attending, mention that: it can make scheduling the award easier. But remember that awards need a lot of lead time -- it's often impossible to arrange an award with just a couple of weeks' notice.

Wolffauer: Added categories

Wolffauer — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:43:51 GMT

Added categories

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	If the Crown does decide to follow your suggestion, they may well come back to you for help. Planning an award ceremony always involves some work -- at the least, someone needs to figure out what Royal Progress events the candidate will be attending, and make sure they get there. For more information about how this all works and how you can help out, see the page about [[Planning an Award Ceremony]].		If the Crown does decide to follow your suggestion, they may well come back to you for help. Planning an award ceremony always involves some work -- at the least, someone needs to figure out what Royal Progress events the candidate will be attending, and make sure they get there. For more information about how this all works and how you can help out, see the page about [[Planning an Award Ceremony]].
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		+	[[Category:Articles]]
		+	[[Category:Awards]]

Jducoeur at 04:05, 5 January 2010

Jducoeur — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 04:05:48 GMT

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	If the Crown does decide to follow your suggestion, they may well come back to you for help. Planning an award ceremony always involves some work -- at the least, someone needs to figure out what Royal Progress events the candidate will be attending, and make sure they get there. For more information about how this all works and how you can help out, see the page about [[Planning an Award Ceremony]].		If the Crown does decide to follow your suggestion, they may well come back to you for help. Planning an award ceremony always involves some work -- at the least, someone needs to figure out what Royal Progress events the candidate will be attending, and make sure they get there. For more information about how this all works and how you can help out, see the page about [[Planning an Award Ceremony]].
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-	'''(NOTE: this is currently a draft, being reviewed and edited. Once it's really ready for prime time, it will get linked from the main EK website. In the meantime, if you have comments, please direct them to Justin or Caitlin, who are putting this together.)'''
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-	~~'''(TO DO: once we are content with the state of this page, add it to the appropriate wiki categories.)'''~~

CaitlinD: /* Polling Orders */

CaitlinD — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:53:53 GMT

Polling Orders

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	Many of the Eastrealm's awards are "polling orders", which means that the members of the Order provide their opinions to the Crown about candidates. The details vary from reign to reign, but usually the Crown bundles up the recommendations that they have received (sometimes edited and condensed, sometimes exactly as received), and sends them to the Order. The members of the Order discuss these candidates among themselves, and individually send back their opinions to the Crown. The Crown collects all of these opinions, and then makes a decision about what to do.		Many of the Eastrealm's awards are "polling orders", which means that the members of the Order provide their opinions to the Crown about candidates. The details vary from reign to reign, but usually the Crown bundles up the recommendations that they have received (sometimes edited and condensed, sometimes exactly as received), and sends them to the Order. The members of the Order discuss these candidates among themselves, and individually send back their opinions to the Crown. The Crown collects all of these opinions, and then makes a decision about what to do.

-	For the most part, you don't need to worry too much about this process. Just keep in mind that, while you are writing your letter to the Crown, other people may well see it: if it is a recommendation for a polling order, the members of the Order will probably read it.	+	For the most part, you don't need to worry too much about this process. Just keep in mind that, while you are writing your letter to the Crown, other people may well see it: if it is a recommendation for a polling order, the members of the Order will probably read it. If the award is to be given, the scribe may also see the recommendation, even if they are not part of the order. Consider your words carefully, for they are not private.

	The polling orders of the East are: the Chivalry; the Pelicans; the Laurels; the Silver Crescent; the Manche; the Tygers Combattant; the Sagittarius; and the Golden Rapier.		The polling orders of the East are: the Chivalry; the Pelicans; the Laurels; the Silver Crescent; the Manche; the Tygers Combattant; the Sagittarius; and the Golden Rapier.

CaitlinD: /* How to Write a Good Recommendation Letter */

CaitlinD — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:52:14 GMT

How to Write a Good Recommendation Letter

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	Say which award or order you think would be appropriate for them, and describe why: the good work they have done. If you are recommending them for an award with a specific focus, concentrate mostly on that: for example, focus on their work in the Arts if you are recommending them for a Manche, or their archery for a Sagittarius. Peerages (the Orders of the Laurel, Pelican and Chivalry) are a special case, since they are supposed to be role models -- it is usually appropriate to talk a bit about their leadership, their teaching, and generally ways in which they exemplify the ideals of the Society.		Say which award or order you think would be appropriate for them, and describe why: the good work they have done. If you are recommending them for an award with a specific focus, concentrate mostly on that: for example, focus on their work in the Arts if you are recommending them for a Manche, or their archery for a Sagittarius. Peerages (the Orders of the Laurel, Pelican and Chivalry) are a special case, since they are supposed to be role models -- it is usually appropriate to talk a bit about their leadership, their teaching, and generally ways in which they exemplify the ideals of the Society.
		+
		+	Describe their accomplishments, concentrating on those which pertain to the award for which you're suggesting them. Have they held local offices? For how long? Autocratted or been on the event staff for particular events? Taught specific skills, individually or to groups? Contributed the output of their skills to the local group or the kingdom? Competed in forms of combat, or in the arts?

	This doesn't need to be a detailed resume of everything they've ever done in the SCA -- if they've done a lot, focus on the high points. An Award of Arms recommendation usually runs 1-3 paragraphs; a Peerage might be as long as a page. If you run much over a page, you should probably edit it down, or the members of the Order who are reading it aren't likely to read the whole thing.		This doesn't need to be a detailed resume of everything they've ever done in the SCA -- if they've done a lot, focus on the high points. An Award of Arms recommendation usually runs 1-3 paragraphs; a Peerage might be as long as a page. If you run much over a page, you should probably edit it down, or the members of the Order who are reading it aren't likely to read the whole thing.

CaitlinD: /* How to Write a Good Recommendation Letter */

CaitlinD — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:47:37 GMT

How to Write a Good Recommendation Letter

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	The letter should include your own name and some contact information for you, at least your email address. This helps if they need to ask questions, or if they need your help setting up the award ceremony.		The letter should include your own name and some contact information for you, at least your email address. This helps if they need to ask questions, or if they need your help setting up the award ceremony.

-	Make sure you give enough information about the person you are recommending: their SCA and mundane names, the SCA branch they play with and their mundane location. This will help identify them. (If they have a picture online somewhere, a pointer to that can also be helpful.)	+	Make sure you give enough information about the person you are recommending: their SCA and mundane names, the SCA branch they play with, their household or fealty relationships if you know them, and their mundane location. This will help identify them. (If they have a picture online somewhere, a pointer to that can also be helpful.)

	Say which award or order you think would be appropriate for them, and describe why: the good work they have done. If you are recommending them for an award with a specific focus, concentrate mostly on that: for example, focus on their work in the Arts if you are recommending them for a Manche, or their archery for a Sagittarius. Peerages (the Orders of the Laurel, Pelican and Chivalry) are a special case, since they are supposed to be role models -- it is usually appropriate to talk a bit about their leadership, their teaching, and generally ways in which they exemplify the ideals of the Society.		Say which award or order you think would be appropriate for them, and describe why: the good work they have done. If you are recommending them for an award with a specific focus, concentrate mostly on that: for example, focus on their work in the Arts if you are recommending them for a Manche, or their archery for a Sagittarius. Peerages (the Orders of the Laurel, Pelican and Chivalry) are a special case, since they are supposed to be role models -- it is usually appropriate to talk a bit about their leadership, their teaching, and generally ways in which they exemplify the ideals of the Society.

Jducoeur at 15:09, 28 December 2009

Jducoeur — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:09:20 GMT

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	'''(NOTE: this is currently a draft, being reviewed and edited. Once it's really ready for prime time, it will get linked from the main EK website. In the meantime, if you have comments, please direct them to Justin or Caitlin, who are putting this together.)'''		'''(NOTE: this is currently a draft, being reviewed and edited. Once it's really ready for prime time, it will get linked from the main EK website. In the meantime, if you have comments, please direct them to Justin or Caitlin, who are putting this together.)'''
		+
		+	'''(TO DO: once we are content with the state of this page, add it to the appropriate wiki categories.)'''

Jducoeur at 15:08, 28 December 2009

Jducoeur — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:08:35 GMT

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-	'''(NOTE: this is currently a draft, being reviewed and edited. Once it's really ready for prime time, it will get linked from the main EK website. In the meantime, if you have comments, please direct them to Justin or Caitlin, who are putting this together.)'''
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	Awards and honors in the SCA generally come from the hands of the Royalty. But they don't make those decisions by themselves: in a Kingdom of thousands of people like the East, it's impossible for the Royalty to know more than a small fraction of the populace. So they depend upon the citizens of the Kingdom to tell them about folks who are deserving of awards.		Awards and honors in the SCA generally come from the hands of the Royalty. But they don't make those decisions by themselves: in a Kingdom of thousands of people like the East, it's impossible for the Royalty to know more than a small fraction of the populace. So they depend upon the citizens of the Kingdom to tell them about folks who are deserving of awards.

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-	~~== Page Outline ==~~	+	'''(NOTE: this is currently a draft, being reviewed and edited. Once it's really ready for prime time, it will get linked from the main EK website. In the meantime, if you have comments, please direct them to Justin or Caitlin, who are putting this together.)'''
-		+
-	* Summary first	+
-	** Clear, brief, unthreatening -- make sure the length of the rest isn'~~t too intimidating~~	+
-	** Below is the full details	+
-		+
-	* Deciding to make a recommendation	+
-	** Anyone can recommend anybody for anything	+
-	*** Don'~~t have to be a member of the Order~~	+
-	*** Don'~~t need to have any awards yourself.~~	+
-	*** Usually better not to recommend your own spouse for an Order: ~~look better if you can get a third party to do so (NOT CURRENTLY IN DRAFT -- DO WE CARE?)~~	+
-	** Know what you're recommending them for	+
-	*** If you're not a member, good idea to talk to someone who is	+
-	*** Link here to info about Awards (Jessa's page, Law)	+
-	** Recommending too early can hurt someone's chances	+
-	*** Creates a ~~mindset of "not appropriate"~~	+
-	** Check the OP, and ~~make sure they don't already have~~ it	+
-	*** Pointer to the OP	+
-	** If they have a Peer, usually best to check with them first	+
-	** Lead time	+
-	*** Typical awards (such as AoAs): at least 6-8 weeks	+
-	*** Polling orders: minimum several months	+
-		+
-	* How to write a good recommendation letter	+
-	** Who to write to -- Crowns, esp Prince and Princess	+
-	** What goes into the letter	+
-	*** Your own contact info (at least a good email address), for later followup if necessary	+
-	*** SCA and mundane names	+
-	*** SCA and mundane locations	+
-	*** What you'~~re recommending them~~ for	+
-	*** Reasons why you think they are appropriate	+
-	*** Peerages: PLQs	+
-	*** Suggestions for good events where they are likely to be, ~~if you have any~~	+
-	**** Esp good for AoAs	+
-	**** See above about lead times!	+
-	**** Remember, needs to be an RP, so there is a court to do it in	+
-	** Don't necessarily include a huge resume. Do summarize.	+
-	*** Typically a couple of paragraphs for AoA, up to a page for a Peerage	+
-	*** More than a page, and their eyes will ~~glaze over~~	+
-	*** Focus particularly on stuff that is relevant to the ~~award in question~~, if ~~relevant~~	+
-	*** Can include other Good Stuff, but don't overdo it	+
-	** Target audience	+
-	*** May be sent to Order, so don't assume only Crown will read it!	+
-	** Don't be defensive	+
-	*** If there have ~~been past issues that you think are now resolved~~, ~~mention that, but don't dwell~~	+
-	** Don't exaggerate, and make sure your information is correct	+
-	*** Often reflects poorly on the candidate if the recommendation turns out to be overblown	+
-		+
-	* What happens next	+
-	** Awards: up to Crown	+
-	** Polling orders: sent to them~~, often unedited~~	+
-	** If they get it, you may wind up needing to ~~help set it up~~	+
-	*** See [[Planning an Award Ceremony]]	+
-	** If it doesn't happen, ~~don~~'~~t harp~~	+
-	*** If polling order, see if member can give broad strokes about where they could use improvement (don'~~t ask for details!)~~	+
-	*** Even worse than recommending too early, can ingrain the notion that this candidate isn'~~t suitable~~	+
-	*** Usually best to encourage candidate in the appropriate direction, and wait a year or so before trying again.	+

CaitlinD: /* Deciding to Make a Recommendation */

CaitlinD — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:53:44 GMT

Deciding to Make a Recommendation

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	It's usually a good idea, before you spend the time to write the letter, to check [http://op.eastkingdom.org/ the East Kingdom Order of Precedence], and make sure they don't already have the award. Some folks are just quiet about their ranks and titles, and turn out to have things you didn't realize. Also, if they are in service to a Peer (that is, they are an Apprentice, Squire, Protege or something like that), it is usually considered good form (although not required) to check with that Peer, who might have specific opinions about when the right time is.		It's usually a good idea, before you spend the time to write the letter, to check [http://op.eastkingdom.org/ the East Kingdom Order of Precedence], and make sure they don't already have the award. Some folks are just quiet about their ranks and titles, and turn out to have things you didn't realize. Also, if they are in service to a Peer (that is, they are an Apprentice, Squire, Protege or something like that), it is usually considered good form (although not required) to check with that Peer, who might have specific opinions about when the right time is.

-	Finally, keep in mind that the process takes a fair while: you should usually expect it to take 6-8 weeks for an Award of Arms, and at least several months for a polling order. So if there is a particular event at which you think the award should happen, make sure you allow enough time.	+	Finally, keep in mind that the process takes a fair while: you should usually expect it to take 6-8 weeks for an Award of Arms, and at least several months for a polling order. So if there is a particular event at which you think the award should happen, make sure you allow enough lead time.

	== How to Write a Good Recommendation Letter ==		== How to Write a Good Recommendation Letter ==

CaitlinD: added "not covering baronial awards systems"

CaitlinD — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:50:10 GMT

added "not covering baronial awards systems"

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	'''(NOTE: this is currently a draft, being reviewed and edited. Once it's really ready for prime time, it will get linked from the main EK website. In the meantime, if you have comments, please direct them to Justin or Caitlin, who are putting this together.)'''		'''(NOTE: this is currently a draft, being reviewed and edited. Once it's really ready for prime time, it will get linked from the main EK website. In the meantime, if you have comments, please direct them to Justin or Caitlin, who are putting this together.)'''

-	Awards and honors in the SCA generally come from the hands of the Royalty ~~or other nobility~~. But they don't make those decisions by themselves: in a Kingdom of thousands of people like the East, it's impossible for the Royalty to know more than a small fraction of the populace. So they depend upon the citizens of the Kingdom to tell them about folks who are deserving of awards.	+	Awards and honors in the SCA generally come from the hands of the Royalty. But they don't make those decisions by themselves: in a Kingdom of thousands of people like the East, it's impossible for the Royalty to know more than a small fraction of the populace. So they depend upon the citizens of the Kingdom to tell them about folks who are deserving of awards.

	This page describes how to write a recommendation letter. These letters are the heart of the awards process -- letters written to the King, Queen, Prince and Princess, telling them who is deserving of recognition.		This page describes how to write a recommendation letter. These letters are the heart of the awards process -- letters written to the King, Queen, Prince and Princess, telling them who is deserving of recognition.
		+
		+	This page does not cover Baronial awards, since each barony has its own system for honoring its people.

	== Summary ==		== Summary ==