October Board Meeting Report

[Michael A. Chance]

Here follows a report of the Board of Directors meeting held on October
21, 1995.  There are my personal observations, based on notes taken
during the meeting and my recollection of statements and actions.  This
should not be considered a complete or authoritative account of the
proceedings.  Any errors or omissions are mine.  Correction or
amplification from anyone else who was present will be gratefully
received.

An executive session was held first, that began at about 8:30 am.

The public portion of the meeting began at approximately 9:20 am, with
the usual opening remarks, the approval of the minutes of the last
meeting (as amended), and approval of the agenda (as amended).

It was then announced that, due to work-related scheduling conflicts,
Ed Kreyling (Master Erik of Telemark) was resigning from the Board
effective as of this meeting.  His job currently requires him to work
on most of the meeting dates for the Board.

REPORTS:

Society Seneschal:  The Society Seneschal was asked, first by Ansteorra
and then subsequently by a few other kingdoms, whether associate and
family membership could be used to count toward the totals necessary
for branch status (shire, barony, principality, etc.).  Action was
remanded to a future meeting, as the Board is soon to be investigating
the possibility of changes in the required numbers of memberships for
the various branch levels.  One suggestion made was for the totals to
include X number of subscribing memberships AND Y number of associate/
family memberships in the target numbers (exact numbers to be
determined).

Executive Asssistant:  There is a new insurance policy for equestrian
activities.  The cost of this policy has increased dramatically, from
approximately $3500 last year to over $9000 for the coming year.  As a
result, the Exeuctive Assistant asked for the authority to continue
charging event organizers for additional riders to the new policy,
although the new insurance company isn't charging the Corporation for
this service, as a means of covering the increased cost if the total
policy.  This was approved.

There is now a summary available from the Corporate offices explaining
the insurance coverage provisions of the US-based policy for non-US
activities.

There are currently 2 movies being made which will depict SCA fighting
activities.  The Executive Assistant asked for approval of a request by
one of the filmmakers to use the SCA logo and name as a part of the
film.  The request was remanded until the filmmaker can provide his
credentials to the Board.

Permission to include standing committee chairpersons in the list of
those receiving no-charge copies of the Board Minutes and Society
Senschals Reports was granted.

Thirty Year Celebration:  As of the end of September, there were nearly
500 advanced reservations.  Discount airfares are now available from
Delta Airlines.  The site fee for those paying at the gate has been
increased from $30 to $35, to cover increased expenses related to the
site.

Exchequer:  The 1994 income tax returns have been complete and sent to
the accountants for review.  The new Exchequers Manual has been
completed and should be available from the Stock Clerk shortly.  The
Exchequer had to briefly hold up the newsletter stipend from two
Chroniclers until reports were received.

Corporate Office:  The initial outsourcing Request For Bid documents
have been completed, and sent to the appropriate people for review.  A
modification of the Registry's COBOL software to allow International
members to choose between receiving Tournaments Illuminated or their
kingdom newsletter will cost approximately $1000, and should be able to
be completed by the end of the year.  The Board approved going ahead
with the modification.

Membership as of October 1st was 25,428.  The percentage of members who
are associate or family members is increasing.

Laurel:  The workload split between the Laurel (armory) and Pelican
(names) Kings of Arms seems to be working well.  Laurel is working with
Drachenwald to resolve several issues concerning lost/missing/delayed
submissions.  Laurel is also currently looking for a successor, as his
term of office ends in January.

Laurel reported receiving rumors of at least one kingdom returning
submissions at the kingdom level for conflict with non-SCA armory which
has not been protected by the "Modest Proposal" implementation, and
requested guidance from the Board with regards to his options for
disciplining the heraldic officers involved.  The Board decline any
reccommendations or further action until more detailed and verifiable
information has been received.

Marshall:  Requested that the Marshallate Deputies for Archery,
Equestrian Activities, and Fence receive all kingdom newsletters on a
gratis basis.  The Board approved the request.

Chronicler: No report
TI Editor:  The Fall issue will be mailed in November, with the WInter
issue scheduled for delivery in January.

Arts and Sciences:  The Third Knowne World Arts and Sciences Symposium
will be held in the Barony of the Steppes (Dallas, TX) on April 12-14,
1996.

The Arts and Sciences Minister is having problems with advertising in
some kingdom newsletters for Society-wide/SCA, Inc. sponsored events.
Several require payment for such ads at full commercial ad rates.  The
Board will direct the Society Chronicler to investigate.

Chirugeon: No major items to report.

Grand Council:  No action items for this quarter.

Inter-Kingdom Advisory Council:  No report.

Finance:  A draft budget for 1996 has been completed and presented to
the Board, which the Board approved with some changes.  A very
marked-up version of the budget was available later in the day (which I
did not get an opportunity to view); a more presentable version should
be available to the general public soon.

A Corporate Financial Policy was approved.  Unfortunately, A.J.
Riviezzo read the new policy very quickly and I was not able to record
all of the policy.  However, included were requirements to adopt
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) for corporate financial
record keeping, having the financial records of the corporation audited
by an independant CPA firm on a regular basis, and establishing a 6
month operating reserve.  Also approved was the establishment of a
Budget/Finance Compliance Committee, which would not include either
Directors or Corporate Officers.

Computer Committee:  No report.

Board Recruiting:  There are currently 25 nominees for the Board.  More
are requested.  Currently, a few kingdoms have no nominees.

Marketing:  A survey has been drafted to determine what products and
services people would like to see the Stock Clerk provide.  It is
currently awaiting approval of Ms. Signorotti.

Education Committee:  No report.  The committee is currently looking
for a new chairman.

Insurance Committee:  No report.

Waiver Committee:  The new waiver text has been distributed to the
kingdom seneschals for review.  Comments, especially from lawyers,
regarding any potential problems with the wording in specific areas of
the US are highly encouraged.  The new waiver text can be used
immediately.

A new policy regarding the use and rentention of waivers has been
drafted and sent to the members of the committee.  The second and third
drafts will be sent to the kingdom seneschals as well.  Major issues
still outstanding include the very long retention periods required by
law (7 years for adults, up to 20 years for minor waivers), where the
completed waivers will be stored, and who will pay for such storage.

RECURRING BUSINESS:

New Groups:  Four groups achieved full status (one each in California,
Nevada, Idaho, and aboard the U.S.S Nimitz).

Changes in status:  Wellsmere, An Tir (Spokane, WA) elevated to barony.

Dissolutions:  The Canton of Abertwitter (sp?) and the Shire of Ars
Draconis, both in Perth, Australia.  (I believe that Perth is still
covered by a barony.)

Next Board Meeting:  Tenatively set for January 18-21, 1996, in
Milpitas, CA, as no bids for this meeting were received.  Date and
location will be confirmed during a conference call meeting with the
new Board members.

Bank Authorizations:  Approved 25 new accounts.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS:

The Board acknowledged the need to incorporate seperately in several
countries.  Currently, several such corporation exist (there are
several in Canada alone, including two in one city); however, none are
formally recognized by the SCA, Inc. in the U.S., except for the
Austrialian SCA, and are not organized as foreign subsidiaries.  The
Board further acknowledged that it only has legal standing in the U.S.
The Board directed the Executive Assistant to investigate the necessary
steps to properly incorporate the SCA in all countries were it is
required, and to begin planning for national registries (similar to the
Australian Registry), if they are either necessary or beneficial.

Nordmark:  The Board received two "non-negotiable demands" from the
head of the "Kingdom of Nordmark" in Sweden as conditions for rejoining
the SCA:  (1) the right to a sovereign Ting (a ruling body composed of
all paid members in Sweden) with veto authority over all rules and
regulation of the SCA, and (2) the right to choose rulers by any means
they deem acceptable.  The Board responded that the first was
impossible under the current Articles of Incorporation, which do not
permit the Board to cede governing authority to any other body.  The
second could be negotiated on a case-by-case basis, and variences
granted depending on the form presented.  However, any other option
would require significant changes to the SCA's governing documents.

The remaining groups in Sweden that have chosen to remain a part of the
SCA appear to still have enough members to proceed with plans to create
an SCA Principality.  Sweden will be declared the Crown Principality of
Nordmark sometime in the next 2-4 months.  As a result, the current
barony and its constituent cantons will change to baronies and shires
in a mass change of status at the January Board meeting.

Australia:  The planned revisions to the Australian SCA's governing
documents are not yet ready to be presented.  This item was remanded to
the January meeting.

OLD BUSINESS:

Proposed Governing and Policy Decision #18:  This would require that
changes in policy and procedures which have any effect upon the
administration of the Kingdoms or lower level branches take effect no
sooner than 60 days after the decision to implement the change.  This
can be reduced to 30 days in cases of emergencies, but the nature of
the emergency must be clearly stated and published to the membership.
This policy was proposed as a direct result of the attempt by Tony
Provine to introduce a new waiver policy on 1 June 1994, after
announcing it on 28 May 1994.  It was approved by roll call vote:

Carol O'Leary: Aye
E.F. Morrill : Aye
Lee Forgue   : Aye
A.J. Riviezzo: Nay
L. Jane Richards: Aye
(simple majority needed for enactment)  Since this policy does not
affect the administration of the Kingdoms et al, it becomes effective
immediately.

Changes to the Governing Documents re: the Society Seneschal, the
Executive Director, and the Executive Assistant:  Remanded to the
January meeting to allow for more comment.  The Board noted that they
had received almost no correspondence on the proposed change.

Proposed Revision to Governing and Policy Decision #16:  The proposed
change would require that local groups with assets must have seperate
persons holding the positions of seneschal and exchequer.  Remanded to
the January meeting; it will be sent out for Society-wide comment.

Exchequer Handbook:  Accepted in its final form (with the proviso that
any typographical errors be corrected before printing).

Non-Member Surchage:  E.F. Morrill presented a proposal to end the NMS
effective on 1 November 1995 as a "compulsory revenue enhancement
item".  It was pointed out that under the just enacted G&PD 18, the
date would have to be at least 60 days from the Board Meeting,
whereupon Mr. Morrill amended his proposal to have the NMS end on 1
January 1996.  It was further pointed out that the NMS was anticipated
to bring in approximately $40,000 in 1996.  Much discussion followed
concerning the loss of this revenue, especially in light of the
previously enacted fiscal policy which calls for the creation of a 6
month operating reserve (which, at present levels, would be
approximately $500,000).  Under the proposed budget, the Corporation
would end 1996 with a surplus of about $65,000 with the NMS, and
$25,000 without (barring replacement of the revenue).  Finally, a
substitute proposal was drafted which calls for the NMS to end on 30
June 1996, provided a suitable method for consistently raising an equal
or greater amount of revenue is presented to the Board and adopted.  If
an alternative method cannot be found, the NMS will continue to be
collected.  This proposal was adopted by roll call vote:

Carol O'Leary: Aye
E.F. Morrill : Aye
Lee Forgue   : Aye
A.J. Riviezzo: Nay
L. Jane Richards: Aye
(simple majority needed for enactment)

Northshield:  The proposal for advancement of the Crown Principality of
Northshield to full Principality status was presented.  It was noted
that the Barony of Castel Rouge had finally agreed to be included
within the boundaries of the proposed principality.  The proposal was
approved.  Further, the request of the Shire of Mare Amethystinum
(Thunder Bay, ONT) to be transferred from the Principality of
Ealdormere to the Principality of Northshield was also approved.  The
date for Northshield's first Coronet Tourney has not been set, as bid
proposals are still being received.

Estrella NMS Filing Extension:  This would have extended the filing
deadline for transferring the NMS revenue to the corporate offices to 1
April (instead of the normal 10 days after the event).  Pennsic has had
a similar extension for the past two years; however, due to the fact
that only SCA officers handle Estrella funds (as opposed to Pennsic,
where the campground owners handle all site fees), the request was
denied.

Trimaris Crown Sanctions:  The current Crowns of Trimaris are
attempting to withhold the titles of Count and Countess from their
predecessors (the former Queen was offered the title, along with
companionship in the Order of the Rose, but refused as the title of
Count was being withheld from the former King).  The Board ruled that
the current Crowns do not have that option.  County rank is automatic
upon successful completion of the reign, and only the Board has the
authority to determine if a reign was not successfully completed, if
the question is in doubt.  The current Crowns do not have to publicly
invest their predecessor in the title, and the fact that the outgoing
Crowns have the titles of Count/Countess can be announced in any Court
(including a proxy court held by a landed Baron/ Baroness).  The Board
will so inform Their Majesties of Trimaris.  The Board firmly stated
that current ruling nobility cannot be "blackmailed" into certain
actions, nor prevented from acting, due to threats from their heirs of
withholding royal peerages.

Membership and Lawsuits:  A.J. Riviezzo proposed a Governing and Policy
Decision that would state that the membership of persons bringing
lawsuits of their own volition (as opposed to being required to do so
by another person or company in order to receive, for example,
insurance benefits) against the Corporation or any of its officers will
be revoked for the duration of the suit.  Membership would be restored
when the case was ended, regardless of the outcome of the case.  A
comment was made that there may be legal restrictions on such an
action.  This item was remanded for legal research and comments.

Librarian/Archivist Direction:  The current Librarian (a deputy of the
Arts and Sciences Officer) would rather function as an Archivist (which
is essentially what she has been doing).  She is currently holding over
35,000 pieces of articles, newsletters, etc., which she is trying to
catalog, and would like suitable computer hardware and software to do
the job properly.  However, the A&S Officer doesn't want an archivist,
she wants a librarian; if the office is converted to an archivist, it
should become a deputy of either the Executive Director/Assistant or
the Society Seneschal.  If  that should happen, the A&S Officer still
wants a librarian.  Remanded for more information and Society-wide
comment.

Budget:  The budget, which had been presented and discussed in
executive session, was approved.  Memberships rates will not change for
1996.  Projected revenues are approximately $950,000 with projected
expenses totalling approximately $875,000, for a net surplus of
approzimately $65,000 (I recognize that these numbers do not match -
these were the numbers announced by A.J. Riviezzo).  The budget is
based on an anticipated 3% growth in membership, instead of the
traditional 10% figure used in recent years.   The newsletter stipend
will be increased to the kingdom chroniclers, to cover expected
increases in production and postage costs.

Board/Corporate Officer Travel Policy:  The Board stated publicly a
policy that has been intermittantly in effect for some time.  If a
group offers to fund half of the cost for a Director or Corporate
Officer to travel to a given event, Board approval is not needed to
fund the remaining have from the travel budget for that Director or
Officer.  Travel expenses which exceed the allocated amount for that
Director or Officer must still receive Board approval.

Translations:  It has been brought to the Board's attention that the
SCA is required by Canadian law to have its governing documents
translated into French for Canadian groups.  Similar requirements may
also exist in other countries, most notably Sweden and Germany.  The
Board also recognized the problem of documents originally written in
languages other than English needing to be translated into English, and
which version should be the controlling document in the case of
differences of meaning.  The Board directed the Executive Assistant to
begin looking into obtaining the services of certified translators to
produce translations of the SCA governing docuements in the all
necessary languages, and to draft a proposed Governing and Policy
Decision stating that documents produced by certified translation are
fully equivalent to the English version and that differences in
interpretation will be resolved in favor of the language that the
document was originally written in.

Executive Session:  In addition to the session in the morning, an
additional session was held that coincided with the lunch break, and
lasted from about 11:30 until about 2:30.  Among the decisions taken in
executive session were the following:

Banishments from Atenveldt and Calontir were upheld.
A banishment from Atlantia was overturn for the reasons presented, but 
upheld based on subsequent actions by the individual (I may not have this
correctly presented - the matter was read very quickly).
One Midrealm banishment was declared invalid, as the individual was not a 
resident of the Midrealm at the time of the incident, and a second
banishment was overturned.

The new Directors chosen at this meeting are Susan Earley (Maestra
Margherita Alessia), Carolyn Richardson (Mistress Tetchubah of
Greenlake), and William Colbert (Baron William de Montegilt).
Initially, Michael Jackson (Duke Valens of Flatrock) was selected in
place of Mr. Colbert; however, Mr. Jackson had already decided to enter
the upcoming Calontir Crown Tourney, and declined to accept at this
time.

The meeting then ended at approximately 5:25 pm.

My comments on this meeting will be made in seperate postings.

In Service,

Mikjal Annarbjorn
-- 
Michael A. Chance          St. Louis, Missouri, USA    "At play in the fields
Work: mc307a at sw1stc.sbc.com                             of St. Vidicon"
Play: mchance at crl.com