The Lowly Pelican.

.....So, last night I hear a variation of those same fateful words yet again, 'ANYONE can aspire to be a Pelican, all it takes is time and hard work. But it takes TALENT to be a Laurel (or a Knight).' Statements like these used to drive me absolutely nuts with the sheer absoluteness of them. They reduce the Pelican peerage to that of a Boy Scout rank. I used to be a Boy Scout. I remember earning merit badges and completing my check-list for the next level of rank. If that were indeed a true statement, then I suppose that everyone who has been in the Society for a length of time longer than a handful of years, with any kind of presence in a group, would be a Pelican.

.....I think the part the used to drive me the most crazy would be where I would hear the words and wonder at their validity, especially when applied to myself. I understand and can accept the fact that Pelicans are generally held to be the lowest tier of the peerages. I'm O.K. with that. I explain that to myself by saying that in Society they were recognized last, rather than the fact that they are generally respected the least. :-) It took me a number of years, even some time actually BEING a member of the Order, before I myself started getting clued in to some of the realities of the situation. Not saying as I have any sort of franchise on understanding what makes a Pelican or what makes a Pelican tick. But I can say with a little truthfulness that I'm gaining a little comfort in my role as a Pelican without thinking that I sound like a conceited snot.

.....But these days my problem in hearing those words is that the people who utter them just don't seem to get it themselves, but are convinced that they do and that they need to impart their philosophy on all of those around them, for 'the good of the Pelicans themselves'. Umm, sure, thanks. Really, I don't need that kind of help. I'm confused enough as it is.

.....For me, what helped put some of this into a perspective I could understand was a conversation I heard in council with Earl Sir Cire. It was not the first time I'd heard these words, but for some reason he said them in a way that finally resonated with me and I hit at least a partial epiphany.

.....We were talking about a candidate and we were looking at this candidate's history and all the number of years this candidate had been playing and doing and being. But even with all of the stuff on this person's resume we were not all jumping up and down in excitement and salivating at the thought of adding this person on to the rolls of the Order. We were all wondering why we were feeling this way when Earl Sire Cire explained it with a little anecdote. He said that someone could be the very best floor sweeper in the entire history of Society. This person could have swept more floors than anyone else in existence. This person could have made every floor he or she touched the cleanest floor you've ever seen. But what has this person done that has made the Society a better place? Has this person done something that inspires all around them to want to sweep floors, not in guilt or 'because they should contribute' but because joining this person is such a cool thing to do?

.....The difference between someone who is a Pelican and someone who works really, really hard is 'Secret Ingredient X'. It is an undefinable SOMETHING that makes this person a leader and an innovator. When you see a Pelican you see someone who can walk into a room of people and say 'follow me' and the people assembled will, no matter where they are then led. A Pelican is oftentimes that person, who when presented a problem, says, 'Have you tried this, this and this to fix it or make it easier or better? Here, let me try.'

.....It's Secret Ingredient X that really levels the playing field as far as the peerages go. I used to wonder when someone mentioned the idea that there should be just the one title of 'Knight', with all peers being referred to as 'Sir' or 'Dame' (or equivalent), as opposed to the current system of the separation of peerages. It is that Secret Ingredient X that makes a peer a member of the nobility. It is that person that fulfills the Knightly Virtues of 'Courage, Justice, Mercy, Generosity, Faith, Nobility, Hope, etc.' It is that person who inspires those around them to do and be more than they think they are and can do. So, really, a peer is a peer is a peer. Be they Royal, Knight, Laurel or Pelican.

.....This is a tricky concept though with the peerages broken out like they are. It is easier to judge a Laurel or a Knight by reviewing their work. Humans naturally tend to do what is easiest, especially when faced with a decision that is difficult. I suppose this might make things difficult in a Laurel or Knight's council when you have to remind yourself from time to time that being a Laurel or Knight is MORE than just whether you can create good art or kick someone's ass real hard with a stick. You have to ensure that your candidate has enough of that Secret Ingredient X to act as and be a peer of the realm.

.....This difficulty applies to Pelicans as well. I've attended plenty of Councils where we could not define the level of Secret Ingredient X for a Candidate, but because we wanted an easy way out we would look at their record and say things like, 'This person has autocratted this and this and this. This person has administrated the hell out of this. They MUST be Pelican material.' WRONG. When things look like they are easy, that is the time to step back and take that second look and define again that Secret Ingredient X and then look at the resume again to ensure that the Secret Ingredient is in evidence in enough degree to warrant the inclusion into the Order.

.....I suppose another difficulty in making Pelicans is again in the definition. By definition, a member is inducted into the Order through their SERVICE. So how do you define that? Is it an administrative thing? How well they Autocrat? Can you be judged on a level of service to the Heraldic or Arts community? Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't, depending on the service and the person.

.....I know that all sounds confusing. And it certainly can be. I've attended many Pelican councils where I go away more frustrated then when I arrived. I'm finally getting to the point to where I can accept that frustration as a part of the process rather than some state of confusion that I HAVE TO FIX IN MYSELF. That is quite the learning curve. But whenever I hear some Knight or Laurel state how basically easy it is to become a Pelican, I really want to pull them into the next Regional or Kingdom meeting and let them listen to the debates and get an idea that maybe its a little bit more than they imagine.

.....My apologies for the rambling, just trying to get my thoughts in order so I don't voice them to the wrong person at the wrong time. LJ is good for thought organizing that way. :-)

.....Aaron / Arontius.