“What do I have to do to become a Peer?” Its like saying ‘someday I want to be President’.
A specific President? To do the things that one President did? The power of the position? Prestige? What about the position or title is truly attractive? Is it inferred that with the title/power comes the ability to perform great acts of good?
Im not sure I totally agree, but this sentiment always pops up in my head, “If you have to ask, you aren’t one”
There are two main reasons for asking, perceived or real:
1) we simply don’t know what PLQ’s are, or what the ‘job’ entails. The logistics of the title.
2) people want a checklist to follow to follow the path.
In other words, we have a general educational request or want to know what we need to do.
I think this premise is important, being a Knight/MoD/Pelican/Laurel isn’t honorable for its namesake, those that carry that title make it great. The recognition is right in that they embody what that title should mean. If the title is bestowed it means the dream lives in these people, and if it doesn’t then the office has been cheapened by their inclusion. Those in the Society that embody the dream, a title makes it no more or less true. We all know these people. Hopefully not for the title but for what they give to all of us. Their actions, and much more (we all hope) did. A Peerage is not a popularity contest and the value of a Peer should be recognizable regardless of how well connected or popular.
Being the best you can be for the Society, and yourself for its own rewards. Being recognized is good, and in some cases long overdue. In other cases may never come due to history, or other reasons.
What about burnout? If people spend all their time trying to attain a title and it never comes, it can create bitterness, jealousy, and worse. If you truly are happy with your path, is not the work reward enough?
As I say all this, I fight for the Valiance Proposal because I feel that each person should have a path to peerage, not based on the weapon they wield, or the art they pursue.
Being a Peer is not a goal anyone should chase. I truly hope that when someone is considered for a peerage, or an order, that these decisions are not made lightly and that they are a worthy regardless of whether they title was bestowed or not.
We know that everyone can’t grow up to be President, but it doesn’t mean we stop trying, we simply adjust our goals. Never forget the good in this world, and in our Society, flows from wealth of spirit and giving as we strive to be better people.
We can’t all be Peers, but we can all make the Society a better place.
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