Principalities

[Matthew R. Popalisky]

On 17 Sep 1996, Mark Harris wrote:

> However, if you now travel to areas that will be in another principality
> and which then become seperate kingdoms it will, possibly greatly, affect
> things. Because when the areas are in a different kingdom you probably
> won't see the event announcements in your kingdom newsletter. Are you going
> to be willing to pay the extra money to get an additional one or two
> kingdom newsletters? 
> 
> Many people who live near a kingdom's edge do not go to events in the other
> kingdom. There was a lot of squawking when SCA Inc. raised the membership
> $10 recently. Are you really going to be willing to pay more than this (for 
> two additional kingdoms) to keep up with the other kingdoms that used to be
> part of Ansteorra? Think on this before you automatically say "Of course.".
> The well known events (usually those in the big baronies) may not be hurt
> by this, but the small shire events may well be.
> 
> I am willing to hear the experiences of people who now live or have lived
> in border areas to either support or deny this contention.

Well, here am I and my pense...
I live in the Shire-MARCH of the Grimfells.  I do pay the extra money for
the
extra newsletter when I'm national, but I feel it to be a well-spent $10.  
I know that "Grimfellers" subscribe to the Pale (Miridies), or a
combination thereof.  I also know of some folks who subscribe to
newsletters to kingdoms we don't touch at all.

Another point is this.  How many of you autocrats send fliers to the
neighboring shires/baronies/et al?  I know Northkeep has often sent fliers
to us, and we had a regular exchange with Smythkepe while we were social a
few years back.  Communication is as good as the participants want it to
be.  At the very least, I am in touch with friends in Northkeep, and
anyone who will follow the rules is welcome to the kingdom mailing list,
no?

Of course, this may be the exception.  Grimfells, IMHO, is Calon because
Sir Erich Hlodowechssun (sp??) was from Three Rivers and he was our
founder.  The closest groups then were Memphis, NOrthkeep, and Frogotten
Sea.  Eventually Smythkepe (Ft. Smith)sprang up (roughly and hour's drive
as the
mountains roll) and Carrefore/Ironholm/Crystal Mynes (Joplin) paraded thru
and
settled in, not counting Harrison and Sine Nomine (Russelville) that tried
and failed.  I would hope the Principalities in Ansteorra will be better
planned out than that, if they do happen.

Lady Kateryn Heathrydge