This article was written for The Mountain Mayhem as a part of a series on Peerage. I have shared it with a few intimate friends and those I have chosen to mentor.

At Colin's request, I will post it here.

The Journey

Dame Anne le Coeur, OP, CGD, NP

There are many opinions of what defines a Peer in our Society. These thoughts are as varied as the many different people who make up the Society for Creative Anachronism. While I cannot speak as a Royal Peer, Knight or Laurel, I have had the joy and responsibility of joining the Order of the Pelican. While there are distinct and obvious differences in the Peerages, each carries an expectation of behavior and personal accomplishment fitting this station. In my opinion, Peers are not made but instead are grown. I describe that growth as the Peer Journey.

Already, the reader may be saying, �Not everyone can become a Peer.� To that, I would respond that all have the potential to become a �peer�. Many will have that growth recognized in a formal Peerage ceremony while others will continue to serve for some time as unrecognized peers. This article is not about how to gain recognition, but instead how I feel our SCA activities provide an opportunity for an individual to grow in dignity, grace and knowledge. Recognition comes from others; the journey is our own.

Each of us, upon joining an organization, choose whether we intend to participate �just for fun� or to become involved in the working elements of the group. That choice is the first step along separate paths. For those of us who choose deeper involvement, one of the endpoints of our road is the acceptance as a Peer of the Realm. Perhaps, just as important though, are the decision points along the journey to that moment. As our involvement in the SCA begins, we are faced continuously with examples of chivalry and grace as well as examples of discourtesy and disrespect. Each of those moments represents a decision point on our journey. Whose behavior do I admire and emulate?

In a society of subgroups, an individual can feel small and less a part of the dynamic. A number of avenues exist to increase a sense of belonging. Active participation in your home group is often the first step. Raise your hand to help with an event. Find someone in the group who is interested in a similar art or activity and begin to network. Train for an office. In each of these ways, you become an instant member of a community within our organization and have opportunities to discover important details about yourself and others. Each of these is an important step on your journey.

If you are not yet ready to jump into the pool of activities, become an active observer. Anyone you observe will serve as a mentor. Whose behavior and demeanor impress you? What choices did you find painful to observe? Try to understand the nuances of what you find appealing or abhorrent and then try to incorporate that into your daily activities. Look for activities that interest you and then observe the people in those activities. Some you will find approachable and more than willing to describe how you can participate too. Be observant when you consider when to broach questions. Even the most generous person is not at his or her best when they have just come off the tourney field after a hard bout or have just sat down to rest at the end of the event they are autocratting.

Often, our members seek to join a guild or household in order to find the camaraderie they are missing. Choose wisely at this crossroads. Be sure you have sufficient experience to know what behaviors are key to your forming a successful relationship. It is equally important that you spend enough time observing the members and leadership of this group to ensure their demeanor and action is consistent with your personality and goals. A trial period may be indicated in which you and the group can �try on� the relationship to see if it fits, ending in an opportunity to formalize or terminate the relationship with less repercussions.

Be aware that your behavior is also mentoring others. Even as a new member, your behavior impacts those you contact from fellow �newbie� to the Monarchs of our Kingdom. Choose to be reliable and accountable. It sounds simple but can be amazingly hard to execute. You will have many opportunities for success and failure. How you handle each is an important step on your journey. As you grow and work, keep your eyes open for others. Before you are even aware, others will be seeing you as their mentor. Remember your feelings of separateness and make the extra effort to be open and inclusive. This is the manifestation of the saying, �See one, Do one, Teach one.�

At some point in your SCA career you may also begin to receive recognition for your development and contributions. Generally, the first is either a local award or your Society-wide Award of Arms. This is perhaps the scariest moment of your journey, as you may feel thrust into the spotlight as you are called into court to receive your award. While it may not make you less nervous, every Royal Peer and member of the Baronage I know speaks with great reverence of these moments. They are aware of your nervousness and will try to alleviate it as they can. However, it is their great joy to provide recognition to those who serve our Society.

Later may come other recognition such as local or Kingdom awards or Kingdom Orders of Merit. Each is a sweet step of encouragement along your journey, but what if these moments don�t come? While it is easy to say that recognition is less important than the journey, it is true that our Society places significant focus on recognition. Equally true is the sustenance offered by recognition like a drink of cool water on a long journey. While there are inherent faults in any system, I trust that in most cases our system and the individuals involved possess the right motivations. Sometimes, work done quietly or in distant reaches of the kingdom is just not as readily seen. In other instances, prior choices may impact you at this juncture.

How you choose to allow delays and disappointments to affect your journey is perhaps the hardest won of each of the crossroads. This is the first �ugly place� many find on their journey. Remember you have choices. Examine your heart and know if you have been true to your journey. Make recompense if needed and otherwise believe that your work stands as worthy. Trust that the moment is not yet yours for a reason. If you can, turn to others and make sure you have done what you can to recognize the contributions around you. If all else fails to move you beyond the ugly place, seek out a mentor and ask what may be hindering you on your journey. However, choose in trust, as you must be prepared to be open to this criticism.

For many others, the ugly place comes just as they are to be recognized as Peers. Often, this comes in the form of �If she is a Peer, then why not me?� I will admit to allowing myself to step into this mud puddle. Fortunately, rapidly upon the heels of that thought came the next, �Well, obviously you are not ready if you would think that!� Not only did my ugliness demonstrate my lack of generosity and joy for others but also identified that I had lost my ability to separate my journey from hers.

By this time a theme of active choices should be obvious. Your journey toward peerage does not happen in a vacuum. Each crossroad on your journey is a decision point. Of special note are the times when you choose to sully your feet in mud instead of taking the high ground. Recognize it will take longer on your journey each time you have to stop and clean your shoes.

In the end, it takes alignment of multiple factors to be recognized as a Peer of the Realm. Your contribution and behavior must come to the attention of the Order. You must be recognized by the Order and the Monarchs as a true peer of the Order by their own standards, not your own. Finally, the Monarchs must decide to invite you to join the Order and bestow upon you official recognition that you are Their Peer. If you examine the time and multiple factors inherent in each of these steps, it is a wonder that anyone is ever recognized as a Peer of the Realm. For this reason, it is essential that you choose to follow a path toward being a peer not a Peer. I make this distinction because in the end you cannot impact that final step. You can impact only whether you are a peer in your heart.

Finally, this journey does not end in your recognition as a Peer of the Society. New Peers enter another phase of growth in which they must learn to function as equals on Council without distancing themselves from others. This is a daunting place to find yourself so far into your journey. I believe the same ideals hold true. I share these thoughts with new Peers in their vigil setting whenever I can. 1. Find time in contemplation to truly know yourself. 2. Be consistent in heart and deed. 3. Stand for right.

I hope that with these thoughts you have come to a greater sense of peace about your journey. I have found the journey sweet, complete with arduous periods as well as times of great joy. If I can walk with you along the way and be your companion, you need just ask.