Thoughts and Questions

[Caitrin3 at aol.com]

Greetings one and all,

For a time now, the question of princilpalities has been discussed and hashed
out by many people on this forum.  Many thoughts and view points have been
brought up by many different people.  I wish to thank all of you for
expressing your opinions, thus helping me to form my own opinion (which I'm
really not sure that I have yet done).  I am a new player (two years) who
resides in Eldern Hills.  I support my Barony as strongly as time and money
allow me to.  I don't get to travel much due to mundane interference, but I
wish I could.  I am a local player.  Most of your names I recognize from your
conversations on the internet, but I couldn't match faces to many of you.
 Those of you that are from the North, well, I do have a few faces to put
with the names.  Just a bit of history to let you know where I'm coming from.

I try to make as many Northern events as possible (and money allows), but I
very rarely (almost never) make events that are held south of the OK/Texas
border.  Why is this?  To be honest, I don't feel the loyality to the South
that I do to the North.  When it comes to the question of which event to
spend the money on, I usually look North.  In the SCA, I feel loyality to
first Barony, then Northern, then Kingdom.  Is this right or wrong, well, I'm
not sure.  Where did this attitude come from, again, I'm not sure.  Forming
principalities may or may not strengthen this feeling.  This can be
considered both good and bad for Ansteorra, depending on your view point.
 Would making principalities change my traveling (what there is) patterns?  I
doubt it.  I would still try and make the events I could.

As far as awards and recognition go.  Yes, I have recieved a couple of awards
(AOA and Sable Thistle).  I am, of course very proud to have been considered
ready and deserving of those awards.  That is not my reason for going to
events though.  My reasons are many and varied, and kinda hard to put into
words.  One reason is to meet people, talk to people and such.  A big reason,
though, is in search of the ever elusive Dream, that I'm sure we all persue.
 It can be found at events, where we all come together to help create the
re-creation of the Middle Ages, in its glory, romance, honor, chivalry and
other grand things we all strive for.  Will this change with principalities?
 I doubt it.

>From what I've read and heard thus far, the traveling of the Crown may or may
not be affected adversly.  I would guess that it would really depend on who
was the Crown, this based on what many of you have said.  If it is true that
the Crown does not have to be at Coronet lists and investitures, then I would
say it would be up to the individuals who are sitting the Thrones.  

As far as paper work loads.  I've read and heard that principalities would,
at first be more paper work.  But I have also heard that once a principality
is going, the paperwork could be less.  This depends on who the officers are
of the principality and what the kingdom officers may require.  Is this true
or not?  Would the load be less or more with three principalities or five
regions?  I don't really know as I have only held local offices, not regional
or kingdom offices.

As I see it, we currently have five regions.  As a newbie (newcomer or what
ever is the polite term),  and being around many other newbie's, yes, most of
us feel a strong loyality to our region.  Do we hate, despise, look down upon
(or any other negative type attitude) towards other regions, not as a rule,
that I'm aware of.  There is already a "division" (this term is loosely
used!!!!!) of loyalities between regions, why not make principalities?  I do
agree that this could focus energies of different people in helping to set up
names, armouries (sp?), regalia, awards, and such.  I do agree that it would
be a fine reason to have border skirmishes (sp?) between principalities.
It could truly be fun and offer many fine opportunities for people to use
their creative energies on.

Like I said, I am a newbie to this game that we all play.  Just because I am
a newbie, though, doesn't mean that I don't love this Kingdom any less.  I am
proud to wear my gold tabbard, with the blackstar, when/as I learn how to
fight.  I am also proud to wear my tabbard with the Baronial badge upon it.
 If the Northern region had a badge to be worn, I would wear it with pride
also.  My son (who happens to be 11) wears his sash, with the Kingdom
children's badges, very proudly.  We are Ansteorrans, my family is from the
North, and my family lives in Eldern Hills.  Principalities would not change
that except to replace "North" with a name of  "whatever principality".  

I don't wish to see the Kingdom suffer from stagnation (not saying that we
are, but maybe a thought), but then I fear what change may bring also.  Will
not making principalities begin (or encourage) stagnation?  Or will not
making principalities encourage/help the loyality to Kingdom grow?  Will
change be to abrupt and cause disaster?  Or can change help growth and help
to foster the Dream striving?  Just thoughts and questions from a newbie.
 Sorry for the length.

To the Dream,
In Service,
Catrin Mac Cracken