principalities

[Leslie Miller]

> Ok, I now know what Principalaties are and what they do, but I don't 
> understand what the reasoning is for making them.  Can someone tell me 
> why we want to have them?  What would it do _for_ Ansteorra to have 
> Principalities?

Well, you know, that's sort of the heart of this whole issue, now 
isn't it?  :-)  Obviously, some people feel that there will be some 
benefits for it, or they wouldn't keep bringing it up.  Here are my 
*personal* thoughts on the subject:

It has been suggested that principalities would reduce the 
beauracracy and paperwork.  While this may be partially true in that 
reducing 5 regions into three principalities may have that effect, I 
doubt that is the primary appeal of the idea. As has been pointed out, 
there are other ways to accomplish a reduction in paperwork that do not 
involve the creation of principalities.  

Ansteorra is a very large kingdom.  Within it there are already 
well-defined administrative areas.  When I say "I'm from northern
Ansteorra", you are probably going to know that I'm from Oklahoma
somewhere.  This was true even before the kingdom was divided into
different administrative regions. In one sense, the creation of 
principalities is doing nothing more than *solidifying* the concept of 
having different administrative regions, while at the same time (perhaps) 
providing them with a degree of their own autonomy.  As far as overall 
kingdom administration is concerned, I doubt that there would be too 
much difference from what we have now, except that each principality 
might have a clearer sense of individual identity with common 
goals/purposes/etc, more so than the different regions do now.

I believe that the primary appeal (as well as the primary opposition) 
to the principality idea is one of "identity".  From my
perspective here in the far north, there already seems to be a sense
of identity associated with the different regions of the kingdom.  I
don't want to delve into any political schisms that may fueling this,
but the comment someone made earlier to the effect of "it would be OK
to let Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle go" is just one example of the
individual regional identities which are already a reality of our kingdom 
whether we like it or not.  (Personally, I don't like them, but I'm not 
going to pretend they aren't there, either, much though I would like 
to make them go away.  Human nature, unfortunately, is such that I 
don't think they are very likely to go away.)

Those in favor of creating principalities may feel that they are a way 
of saying, OK, "here we are, we are who we are, and we're cool".  
I personally don't think that if the kingdom were divided into
principalities it would make me any less an Ansteorran than I am now,
no more so than belonging to the principality of the Mists makes Eilis
any less a subject of the West. It will not make me any less a 
patriotic Ansteorran, nor will it make me any less loyal to my King 
and Queen.  I would still wear my Ansteorran war tabard with pride.
But who knows, those new people starting to play in a 
principality... maybe they would not have the same loyalties that I 
do.  That might be a function of the culture created within the 
principality, or I suppose the culture in the principality might be 
created to foster loyalty to the kingdom.

The other key thing that principalities may do is create a little 
fun and diversion.  I personally think that the whole process would 
*be fun*.  Creating new heraldry, new awards, establishing a closer 
bond with the surrounding groups... it has potential.

The other thing that it might do for Ansteorra is provide Princes and 
Princesses who can support the little groups in out-of-the-way 
places.  It would, in my opinion, really help the growth of the 
kingdom overall, because the smaller groups would have more support.  
Ok, so such and such a shire may not be able to bid successfully for 
Crown or Coronation... they probably *could* get Principality events 
which would have a good turnout.  It would increase the pomp and 
circumstance of their events to have the Prince and Princess show up. 
I really do think that principalities would benefit the smaller groups.

Now with all that said, there are, as many have so eloquently pointed 
out, many probable disadvantages, as well.  Sir Keif and others obviously 
believe that encouraging individual regional identity will be 
harmful to the kingdom overall, that it may increase "the split" and 
so forth.  He may be right.  On the other hand, principalities might 
be one way to make the kingdom *stronger* by *acknowledging* our 
diversity.  

I personally feel that if the kingdom were divided into three 
principalities along the lines being proposed, none of those three 
principalities would ever feel comfortable enough splitting off to 
form their own kingdom.  I just don't see it happening, although I 
have nothing to support that other than gut feeling.  Sir Keif's gut 
feeling is just opposite, so who knows. I don't really want to begin 
comparing guts right now... :-)  

I think that it would increase the travel burden of the Crown, which 
is probably not a good thing.  It would increase the number of events 
on an already burgeoning kingdom calendar which is also probably not 
a good thing. 

Certainly it is not a cut-and-dried issue, and it deserves a great 
deal of discussion and thought.  The one thing we should not allow 
happen is to let it divide us because we stand on opposite sides of 
this particular issue.  We are Ansteorrans, and we shall *be* 
Ansteorrans, principalities or not.  Form an opinion, but don't hold onto 
it so tightly that it creates a split that wasn't there to begin with.
Me, I'll content myself with whatever happens.

Gunhilda