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I, Master Odinele Reidleac, O.P., wish to voice my opinion of what it is to be a Peer of the Realm, so that members of the Barony will know what it will take to become a member of the Order of the Pelican.
I cannot speak for the other orders but to become a Pelican you must sacrifice everything else that you would otherwise do at an event and be the first to ask what needs to be done so others can play. You must be willing to work with anyone and go out of your way to offer your services to all autocrats and coordinators. You can usually work in your choice of areas, such as when I started working at Kingdom level, I was the Baronial Sheriff and volunteered to organize and work several Barons Wars. But that was not enough, so I moved into also marshalling at the wars, letting people see me in a position of authority.
For, to be a Pelican, you must be willing to lead and organize people in a respectable way. Respect can only be earned; it can never be given no matter what rank you hold or position you have. Treating others as you would have them treat you is a good way to earn respect. Never ask someone to do something you would not do yourself. Serving as an officer is a good way to learn how to delegate, but only when you remain active and work with your deputies, showing them what needs to be done. Never assume they already know how to do the job because they may not know your way or the proper way.
Just serving on a baronial level for a long time is not going to make you stand out as a Peer, you must go to Kingdom-level events and be active. You would not believe how many Kingdom-level officers and autocrats would love to have help, but they may be as shy as you are or unwilling to ask for help. And there are those who will only work with those they know so take the first step and get to know them. Those who wear crowns and cornets and medallions and look like they know what they are doing were once like you. No one in the Society was ever born into Royalty or Nobility; they earned it, usually by standing out in some way. All members of the Peerages have also earned it, so just remember that you can too, but only if you set your mind to the challenge.
I can say that it is a wonderful sense of achievement when those who are Peers recognize you by giving you a Peerage. It means that they now see you as an equal, but keep in mind that no matter what you achieve there is still more that can be learned. When I went to my first Peer Circle I felt like a freshman in the Senate or a fraternity, because all of those around me had been playing so much longer than me. But that only means that they have so much more to teach me.
So, when you are ready for the challenge of progressing in the SCA in any of the three ways (Service, Fighting, or Arts and Sciences) go to a Peer and >
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