How to write a recommendation letter, part 84

"Don't be defensive. Your recommendation will, in all likelihood, be sent unedited to all the members of the Order. You may happen to know some history with the candidate or the Order, but they probably don't. So you only hurt the person you're recommending if you spend time being defensive about them -- it mostly acts as a big warning sign that Some People Think There's Something Wrong Here. Instead, focus on the positive: why you think this person deserves to be there. Worrying about the negative just draws attention to it, usually for the worse."