Order of the Pelican
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| {{{device}}} (Tinctureless) A chapeau. (Tinctureless) A pelican vulning itself. (Tinctureless) A pelican in its piety. (Fieldless) A cap of maintenance gules trimmed ermine. (Fieldless) A cap of maintenance gules trimmed argent goutty de sang. | ||||||||
| Award Information | ||||||||
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The legend was that in time of famine, the mother pelican wounded herself, striking her breast with the beak to feed her young with her blood to prevent starvation.
The Order of the Pelican is one of the Peerages, equal in standing with the Order of the Chivalry, Order of the Laurel, and the Order of Defense.
How do you become a Pelican?
It is the highest award given in the SCA for excellence in Service.
Pelicans give their time, their service, and sometimes their blood to the kingdom.
From Corpora
The duties of the members of the order are as follows:
- To set an example of courtesy and chivalrous conduct.
- To respect the Crown of the kingdom; to support and uphold the Laws of the kingdom and Corpora.
- If in fealty, to support and uphold the Crown of his or her kingdom.
- To enrich the kingdom by sharing his or her knowledge and skills.
- To advise the Crown on the advancement of candidates for the Pelican
A number of Members of the Order have written their thoughts on this and many other topics, on a variety of platforms, including the Aethelmearc Gazette. The short answer is, every person's journey is unique to themselves, the Circle, the Crown, and the current time and place.
Do Pelicans have reserved regalia?
The most recognized badge of the order is a "(Tinctureless) A pelican in its piety". Usually worn on a medallion. Lesser known, but still reserved is "(Tinctureless) a pelican vulning itself", or a pelican alone stabbing itself with it's beak. Often, as part of the elevation ceremony, newly minted members of the Order are presented a medallion bearing this symbol when they are raised to the Peerage. This medallion may be handed down through a line of Members notable to the Kingdom and the new Pelican.
All Members of the Order of the Pelican may wear a red hat with ermine trim, often called a chapeau "(Tinctureless) A chapeau." Or they may chose a cap "(Fieldless) A cap of maintenance gules trimmed ermine" or "(Fieldless) A cap of maintenance gules trimmed argent goutty de sang".
Members of the Order of the Pelican may choose to swear fealty, but are not required to do so. The candidate must have attained the standard of service to the Society or any of its branches equal to that of his or her prospective peers, which is above and beyond that normally expected of members of the Society.
What is the proper form of address for a Pelican?
Members of the Order of the Pelican default to a title of Master or Mistress. They may state a preference for a regional or other variation (and if they have a wiki page, that title will be listed for them there). The College of Arms has resources for helping a Pelican determine whether, and how, to choose a unique title.
When written the name of the Pelican might be followed by OP. Formally, the Order of Precedence lists this abbreviation as MP.
