How not to conduct a peerage ceremony

[gurdymonkey]

(Posted to SCA-West)

Please don't stand facing the King and Queen as you describe the deeds of the person being elevated. They and the peerage members are supposed to already know this stuff: you're the ones who deliberated on the invitation, right? It's the *populace* you should be telling these things and if you've got your back to us, we cannot hear you.

Please don't mosey out of court chatting to your fellow peerage members while the herald is trying to read the proclamation. Not only are you distracting people from said proclamation, your fine example simply results in cuing the populace to chat amongst themselves as well. After all, they haven't been able to hear anything of what's going on anyway, so it must not be important.

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Seriously. I sat there, RIGHT  up front, less than 30 feet from the thrones and I could not hear a word of Bailey's Pel ceremony. I'm deaf but not that deaf.  Considering all the blather goes on about how the Peers Must Do More Outreach To The Populace, including the rest of us in the ceremony might be nice.

Then, there's that whole "surprise" thing, which I loathe. I know there are people who prefer to be surprised, but I believe a peerage is a job offer and should be treated as such. You want to surprise me, send me flowers. DON'T haul me up in front of a crowd and put me in an awkward position, thank you.

The other problem with the surprise gambit is that inevitably many of the candidate's friends will miss out on seeing their friend receive the honor.  As I did. As a number of people did, judging from entries posted in the last 24 hours.

Congratulations to Beli Bailey McIntyre and Vittoria Aurelii upon their elevations to the Orders of the Pelican and Laurel, whatever they might have been for.

Comments

[dorinda2212.livejournal.com]

"Then, there's that whole "surprise" thing, which I loathe. I know there are people who prefer to be surprised, but I believe a peerage is a job offer and should be treated as such. You want to surprise me, send me flowers. DON'T haul me up in front of a crowd and put me in an awkward position, thank you."

I hate surprises. I really really hate suprises. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy to find someone who feels similarly. I'm not even good at accepting presents, lol! Please, don't send flowers. And, if you call me up into court without letting me know first, it's impossible to know what I'll do, it could be anything.

[emma7926.livejournal.com]

I appreciate that friends can be disappointed when an elevation is done as a surprise, but the decision to surprise a candidate is not made lightly, and is always (as far as I know) made according to the Crown and council's best understanding of the candidate's wishes.

If in discussion about "if an elevation happened someday," somebody repeatedly says that they want to be surprised, then, as a rule, they are surprised - to the best of the Crown's ability.

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

Seriously. Who wants to be remembered for, "And then she decked ______________ and stormed offsite"?

[dorinda2212.livejournal.com]

Exactly! =D

[dorinda2212.livejournal.com]

Understand that I know nothing of the recent elevation being discussed, but I have to butt in here and say I have witnessed Crowns making their decisions regarding the elevation of a candidate without considering the candidate's wishes at all. It depends on the Crown, and it's the Crown's right to make those decisions. I, however, maintain my right to hate surprises!

How many repetitions is too many though.

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

If a party starts that discussion repeatedly in a manner in which it becomes obvious that the ONLY common denominator is the presence of one potential candidate, said party should not be surprised when said potential candidate puts two and two together and/or gets irritated because the discussion starter obviously wasn't paying any attention the first x times he/she said it.

Yes. (Deep breath.) Really.

[ldyanna.livejournal.com]

In the case of the laureling, the lady in question had indicated that she would rather be surprised if the event ever came up. I don't know how it is in other kingdoms but they hardly ever do the surprise peerages unless they know for certain that is what the person has told several people they would prefer.

bad typing skills.....

[ldyanna.livejournal.com]

they hardly ever do the surprise peerages here in the West anymore unless they know for certain that is what the person has told several people they would prefer.


I forgot a few words.

[dorinda2212.livejournal.com]

Well that's fine and all well and good. I don't think anyone was saying _she_ didn't like surprises! =D

[karisu-sama.livejournal.com]

I HATE surprises.

Nay: LOATHE.

I was once frantically working on constructing an intricate costume set before a particular event, had calculated just how much time was needed to finish the things, and figured I could still just barely do it in time and get barely enough sleep, etc. etc.

You know how the creative mind is when the Brain gets In The Groove and one is totally focused and psyched and brainstorming, and has everything mentally planned out in order in one's head down to the finicky handsewing details, tricky things involving wire and gluing techniques, etc....

My MOM shows up "surprise!" from Chicago for my birthday, and "surprise surprise!" I'm expected to "enjoy" 3-4 days off with my husband at Mono Lake while she watches the kids.

And then they wonder why I was not so terribly enthusiastic at the sudden unexpected vacation.

I'm still freaked about that one....

[mamapduck.livejournal.com]

I have always maintained that should I ever lose my status as Least Peerable Person In The West, my friends have better sense than to let royalty embarass themselves by attempting to surprise me in court. Backed into a "do it right now" corner I'd have to decline and that would be awkward for everyone.