ANST - "Functional" regions

[Paul Mitchell]

Galen of Bristol here!

Naturally, the week I get sick and stop checking e-mail is the week that
three of my biggest mailing lists explode.

I have not actually read even a majority of the posts on the idea
of principalities in this kingdom.  But I've made a sampling.

The main difference I see this year over last year is that
this time people are asking what it would take for their own 
areas to become principalities.  More power to you.

But in my sampling, I came across what I believe is a misconception
which no one else has addressed.

In a Really Good Post, <Decker, Terry D.> wrote:
<snip>
> Do we need the additional support and division of labor principalities can
> provide?  Technically, regions should provide these, but there are problems.
> Before jumping into principalities, perhaps we should make the regions
> functional.  We should consider realigning the regions, strengthen the
> regional officers, and create regional organizations which could make the
> jump to principality if they choose to do so.
> 
> Bear

When I was a regional seneeschal, it was forcibly brought home to
me that the purpose of regions is not primarily to serve the 
people who live in the regions.  I was quite surprised to learn
this, but the regions we have are _not_ branches of the SCA.

They exist to cut down on paperwork for the kingdom officers, and
to minimize footwork required of the kingdom officers.  They do these
things quite well.  Our regions are fully functional.

What Bear is asking of the regions in the quote above, and what
many people seem to think regions should do, is in fact something
they lack the proper structure to do, and which principalities are
designed for.

I'd be happy to see the Central Region, or the DFW metroplex alone,
become a principality.  I have had occasion to learn that there
are vocal, well-respected and hardworking leaders who strongly
disagree with me.  If the Southern Region has more success, good
luck.  I hope you can come with something simple and pretty as
a coat of arms.

But I have come to realize that the mailing lists are no substitute
for getting out to gatherings and talking to people.

- Galen of Bristol
============================================================================
Go to http://www.ansteorra.org/lists.html to perform mailing list tasks.