For SCA folk, some numbers and a question.

[cormac]

I was looking through Caid's Royal Scribe's page, and observing some numbers provided there. Have a look: http://www.catellen.com/eilidhswann/royalscribe_EdricFaizeh.html

Eilidh includes research done by Wilhelm von Frankfurt, who recorded the number of different types of awards given in a four-year period. Taking the numbers a bit further, I calculated the percentage of gentles recognized with one award being elevated to the next level, and came up with some interesting oddities in the numbers.

Field	AoA-level	GoA-level(% AoA)	PoA-level (% GoA, % AoA)
Heavies	16.625	4.125(24.8%)	3.875(93.9%, 23.3%)
Arts	24.375	8(32.8%)	1.75 (21.9%, 7.2%)
Service	45	14.5(32%)	2(13.8%, 4.4%)
Totals	86	26.625(31.0%)	7.625(28.6%, 8.9%)

Here's what I find interesting about this table. There are more Dolphins given than Crescent Swords and Harp Argents combined (ditto with the Crescent to Gauntlet/Lux Caidis ratio). If trends were indicative, the Pelican would be the most commonly given peerage in the realm (from the overall elevation ratio of GoA- to PoA-level awards given, ~4.15 Pelicans would be bestowed every reign). Yet the actual peerage numbers don't reflect this ratio.

In reality, knighthood is the most commonly given peerage in Caid, with more knights being made than Laurels and Pelicans combined. In fact, from the numbers given, one who is admitted to the Order of the Gauntlet is practically guaranteed a knighthood (93% elevation rate) and nearly one in four Crescent Swords given will result in membership in the Order of Chivalry. By contrast, only 4.4% of Dolphins will become a Pelican, with a 13.8% elevation rate for Crescent companions.

Given that AoA- to GoA-level ratios are about the same, why is there such a discrepancy? Why are so many service-related awards given in Caid, but so few service-related peerages? Why is the elevation ratio in the heavies circles so high?

I open the floor for discussion.

Comments

[kottr.livejournal.com]

People write letters for Dolphins/Crescents. Most of our recommendations were for service awards, so we tended to give a lot more of them. (Side note: I don't think people realize that award rec letters actually mean so much to the deciding process.) That makes the pool so much larger and harder to track.

No one writes letters for Crescent Swords/Gauntlets. All the Crescent Swords/Gauntlets we gave, were because that person stood out to us on the field. If they stood out to us, they were standing out to the knights too.

And on top of that, it is two different bodies deciding about the awards. The Crown picks who gets AOA/GOA awards. The Peers pick if you get into their group. Two waaaaaaaayyyy different criteria.

Just some background info.

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

Well people jolly well SHOULD write in for the fighting awards. To fail would only reinforce the meme that Fiters Cant Rite. ;-)

"And on top of that, it is two different bodies deciding about the awards. The Crown picks who gets AOA/GOA awards. The Peers pick if you get into their group. Two waaaaaaaayyyy different criteria." Wordy word! It's nice when everyone agrees, but how often does that happen? :-/

Sidebar of interest in letters of reccomendation

[mysryael.livejournal.com]

What happens to the letters that don't get acted upon in a "reign?"

Re: Sidebar of interest in letters of reccomendation

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

They remain on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying "Beware of the Leopard."

NONONO ONLY KIDDING! I believe there is a file for those, and not a circular one either.

Re: Sidebar of interest in letters of reccomendation

[kottr.livejournal.com]

They get passed to the next crown. But with that much paperwork and letters if you wrote for an award and it doesn't get acted on for a year or two, I'd send a new copy in.

[cormac.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the background info! So no one writes Crescent Sword/Gauntlet letters? How about Argent Arrow/Chiron and Duellist/White Scarf recommendations; are they similarly absent, or do the close-knit archery and fencing communities place their own up for recognition relatively often?

*fascinated*

[kottr.livejournal.com]

I would say we got 5+ service recommendations a week, every week for 5 months. So minimum of 100 during our reign alone (and probably closer to 150). We did not get more than 10 fighting recommendations (heavies) for the ENTIRE reign. And most of those were verbal, probably only 4 of them were in proper letter format.

Same dearth of recommendations for Archery, Rapier and Equestrian (harp argent/lux's for horsemanship). The notable exception being the White Scarves, but then during our reign we chose to poll them as an order, so a recommendation came from the group.

[hagerson.livejournal.com]

And for that we thank you, Your Excellency.

[lady_songsmith]

Just theorizing, but -- Does this dearth of fighting recommendations perhaps stem from the population as a whole feeling somewhat unqualified to judge a fighter's prowess? It's fairly easy for anyone to look at someone and say, "Wow, so-and-so is doing a heckuva lotta work behind the scenes!" or "Such-and-such is making gorgeous stuff and has research on it out to here!" But watching fighters, I would think, it's a little harder to judge whether someone is good unless you know something about that form of combat yourself. "They win a lot" doesn't a good recommendation make. :-)

So Arts and Service can draw from a much broader pool of potential writers than Combat, maybe?

[mysryael.livejournal.com]

I'll maintain my arguement that good service is often transparent
and usually reccomendation letters don't get written for the bad stuff.


Different mindsets - I think on unqualified versus how much exposure.

[lady_songsmith]

The numbers, though - both those in the chart and those kindly provided by kottr - suggest that people are writing for service at the AoA and GoA levels; it's only the peerage level where the numbers shift. Good service is only invisible to the people who don't have their eyes open to it. Anyone who has themself run an event is aware when attending an excellent event that a heck of a lot of work went on behind the scenes. Anyone who pitches in to help with something, in whatever small fashion, gets a peek 'behind the scenes' and can see how much work is being done. And since a lot of people do pitch in, if only in small ways, the barrier between stage and backstage is a lot more transparent than you would expect.

[aliskye.livejournal.com]

"And on top of that, it is two different bodies deciding about the awards. The Crown picks who gets AOA/GOA awards. The Peers pick if you get into their group. Two waaaaaaaayyyy different criteria."

With due respect, Your Excellency, the Peerage orders only recommend candidates, the Crown makes the final decision.

[kottr.livejournal.com]

There is no doubt that the Crown makes the final decision, my earlier statement was an oversimplification of the situation. I was just trying express how AOA/GOA's are decided by 2 people, and Peerages are decided by 30+ people.

I'm sorry I wasn't clearer on my language. Cheers!

[aliskye.livejournal.com]

I think I like the word influenced. :)

And cheers to you as well! :)