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jducoeur*Sigh*. I suppose I knew that the East would eventually follow so many other Kingdoms in adding Yet Another Freaking Layer of Awards. But man, I so don't approve -- with every passing year, the award system becomes simply an enormous list of merit badges. Their Majesties are good people, and well-intentioned, but IMO this is a significant mistake, that will do more harm than good.
OTOH, I suppose it's self-correcting: we're pretty much getting to the point where nobody has any ideas what the awards mean any more, so they're becoming irrelevant. (I mean, *I* can't remember a lot of them any more, and I'm a court junkie.) More and more people, far as I can tell, are coming to regard the award system as Just Plain Stupid, which does leave room to convince them to ignore the whole idiotic morass and concentrate on the game instead.
(Yes, I know -- I've lost this particular battle, and I have better things to do than beat the dead horse. But I'm going to allow myself one good grouse first...)
OTOH, I suppose it's self-correcting: we're pretty much getting to the point where nobody has any ideas what the awards mean any more, so they're becoming irrelevant. (I mean, *I* can't remember a lot of them any more, and I'm a court junkie.) More and more people, far as I can tell, are coming to regard the award system as Just Plain Stupid, which does leave room to convince them to ignore the whole idiotic morass and concentrate on the game instead.
(Yes, I know -- I've lost this particular battle, and I have better things to do than beat the dead horse. But I'm going to allow myself one good grouse first...)
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Date: 2015-10-24 12:27 am (UTC)For those who play in other kingdoms, as I do, it gets awfully tiring to be told that because I (at the time) did not have the mere AoA level arts award, I was not welcome to teach an advanced class, mentor a student in a specialty, judge a competition, attend an artistically oriented meeting, run an activity, and so on.
Easterners know what it means to be an invested, working member with no decorations about the neck, but other kingdoms see it as a vote of no-confidence.
Having friends from these other Kingdoms which do have more of a tiered system, I have seen enthusiasm and investment come with the "Royal Whim" grade of non polled recognition.
Really, it isn't about the dangly bits at all for most people. It's about recognition. Someone to look us in the eye, say loudly and publicly to all assembled "This Person Matters", and be inspired to continue on in the more private pursuits of arts and service. The jewelry stands more to remind me when I look in the mirror that I have a responsibility to continue to earn that recognition.
It also helps me to be seen as an established and enfranchised member when I am elsewhere.