How to Get an Award of Arms (AoA)

A gentle asked how one might earn an AoA, and some excellent advice was
given, but I found it hard to understand, so I thought I might take a stab
at the answer as well.

The AoA or Award of Arms is given for any number of reasons.  Usually it is
given to someone who has been playing consistently in the SCA for a year or
two, and showing a fair amount of effort on one or more fields of endeavor.

So, how to earn an AoA?  First, select a name and a persona, and begin
learning a little about the time and place you have selected.  And get
yourself a basic costume together.  Then become active in the SCA, in some
of the ways listed below:

If you are interested in fighting, become an active fighter.  Make armor
for yourself, and, if you are good at armormaking, volunteer to help others
withtheir armor.  Get authorized as a marshal and volunteer your services
at fighter practices and at those events which your local group holds, also
volunteer to marshall outside your group.  Help make tabards or sashes for
the marshals in your group.  Donate staffs to be used in marshalling.  Help
make water bottles for the waterbearers.  Volunteer as a waterbearer.
Volunteer to help the list mistress and learn how a tournament is run.
Volunteer to serve as list master/mistress yourself.

If you are interested in the arts, become an active artisan.  Learn about
period art forms and start practicing them.  Display your arts at local
events and at kingdom events.  Create items using your arts that will be
used for award regalia, or for regalia to enhance the period appearance of
your local group such as kneeling pillows, banners, pavillions, etc.  Find
out what events are upcoming, and what types of props are needed for those
events that you can make and contribute.  Practice your art and then donate
your creations to be used as prizes by your local group or by other kingdom
groups.  Donate your artwork to the Crown to be used as largesse.

If you are interested in service, pitch in and lend a hand wherever
possible.  Consider volunteering for a local office in your local group,
then serve conscientiously, turning in a good effort in your office.
Volunteer to help prepare for events, cooking feasts, building props for
events, sewing banners or garb or whatever else is needed.  Volunteer at
events both local and when you travel - volunteer for gateguard, for server
at feasts, volunteer to help cook in the kitchen, help set up pavillions
and the listfield, help individuals set up their camps after you have set
up your own.  Learn the essentials of autocratting or feastocratting, and
see if an experienced autocrat or feastocrat will allow you to serve with
them as co-autocrat or co-feastocrat to help you learn.  Once you have the
basics down, take a swing at autocratting or feastocratting on your own.

To earn an AoA, you basically become active in the SCA.  The three areas of
suggestions that I've outlined above can help you get started, and you can
mix and match activities according to your means and your interests.

Let me add, however, that step one is: Stop trying to get an AoA. Instead, work 
on becomming the type of person who naturally, should have an AoA.

not to offend anyone but what's the big deal with an AoA?
In the last 5 yrs of my playing the dream, I have seen
snobbery rise to new levels,  and AoA's handed out as if they are made of
precious metal available to only a few.....
dunno, something seems wrong with this picture...

Whoa.  I have to say that this has NOT been the case in many of the groups I
have seen.  As a matter of fact, I recently found myself in dispute with a
member of a group who's general practice is to go through the list of his
group members and see what the next highest award is in the field of their
choice so that he can put in the award requisitions.  The requisite amount
of time to get an AoA in many groups that I have seen is one event
regardless of participation or not.

I would have to say that the obverse of what you say has been true... that
perhaps we should all show a bit more discrimination when we put folks in
for awards.  So many times we award people for being our close friends
rather than for fulfilling the requirements  of the award in question... not
on purpose or with foul intent; simply because we fail to take the time to
remove ourselves from our hearts long enough to judge with our heads.

Snobbery knows no bounds anywhere, but I think the AoA, like any award
should be earned or it isnt worth anything.  I got my A0A in 1994 (4
years after getting in). As far as I am concerned, I earned that one for
the work I had done. It has been 4 years since then, do I deserve another
award? NOPE! I havent done anything spectacular since then. I do the TRF
demo's, I serve as Chamberlain (like Chatelain), I help around doing
stuff. Nothing extraordinary.  I dont try for awards. I have seen the
people who work hard to get awards, then soon as they get it, they quite
the work that got them the award.  I just do things I want to do, or that
need to be done, and I am happy.  If they gave the AoA for just being
here, everyone would have them, and they would be worthless.  Now I don't
think they should be stingy with them either. If someone really deserves
one, then by Jove they should get it. 

Having recently received my AoA, I can report very briefly how I went 
about getting it: I have no idea.

That being said, along comes the eternal question: What Do We Do Now? All 
I was doing before was running around, having fun, hanging out with my 
friends, meeting new ones, and trying to pitch in when I saw someone who 
needed a hand. Now I'm still running around, having fun, ect. but I have 
this subtle sense that the stakes have been raised. That having fun is 
ok, but somehow, there is now some weight to be pulled, and I'm not sure 
where to grab hold.

So, what do we do now, we new Lords and Ladies? I know there is a lot of 
work being done to make all the cool things happen that are always 
happening, but how do you score some? I mean, beyond patrolling the event 
looking for people carrying heavy objects? Where and when are these 
things decided?

How about the other fields? Meaning combat and A&S. Please,oh please, 
don't send ten thousand posts saying "Well, it depends on what you are 
interested in." Of course it does. But where to start? I realize that's 
vague, and even a little whiny. I really don't want anyone to get 
inspired *for* me, I have a few things cookin'. But I want to hear some 
opinions, stories, anything...

I would first say, do a little more reasearch into your persona. Try to nail
down some specifics and then in corporate them into your persona. You could
also try becoming a deputy to the corresponding officer of the things you
like to do. I know I have learned a great deal from our ex-knights marshal
in armour making and fighting basics. You could also start attending
officers meetings. With alot of groups I've seen it's a time for the
officers to get together and figure out what they're gonna do for the next
month. Also, you could try co-autocratting an event. I have yet to actually
do that but I'm sure most autocrats won't mind a little less burden.  If all
else fails, talk to your seneschale. Chances are they'll have an idea of
what's going on with the group and could point you in a direction where you
could help out.

Most often these things are being decided at populace meetings, officer meetings
and at fighter practices.  If you want to take an active hand in helping your
local group, it is essential to show up at such things.  Try cornering your
local senechal and saying, "Hi, I'm ready, willing and able to do more for this
group, what do you need help with?"  Chances are they need more help than just
toting and carrying (although I've noticed that a lot of work done in a local
group involves lugging "stuff" to and fro).

Chances are that said senechal might faint in shock at someone actually
volunteering to handle more responsiblility.  I know many officers tend to spend
a lot of time saying stuff like, "Guys, I've been stuck with this office for 12
years now and I could really use a depeuty...or maybe someone to hand this
office  off to oneday.   Please?  Please?  Please?"


Okay, for me this is how it started.  I liked singing to the radio in the car,
but had never sung in front of anyone before.  I had memorized a folk song and
was kinda curious what it sounded like to other ears.  So, I drew a friend off
into a private corner and sang for them.  The response was positive enough that
further down the line at an event, very late at night, and after a few drinks to
instill  courage (don't recommend this part, it's bad for the voice), I sang to
a small group of friends gathered at the campfire.  Later still I learned the
classic campfire songs for my barony and was able to join in group singing.
That lead to trying to hunt down better pieces of music to perform, which led to
eventually writing songs of my own.  Performing for small groups lead to larger
groups and eventually entering competitions.  All this lead to giving me the
courage to study music and voice mundanly.

That's how you start.  Replace "singing" with whatever interests you.

I wanted a hat to round out my new costume, so I made one from memories of early
Italian Renaissance paintings.  It worked well enough, but it wasn't quite
right.  So I went back and did some more research and found out a better way of
constructing a hat that looked more period.
Having a nice hat leads me to want nice shoes, so that means that pretty soon I
have to do the research to make me some nice shoes.  And so on and so on....