ANST - Princes and Princesses

[Paul Mitchell]

Decker, Terry D. wrote:
> 
> > The desire to create a principality, I think, has more to do with
> > upgrading the status of a region than with chopping up the kingdom.
> > When a shire goes for barony status, no one complains that they
> > want to leave the kingdom.  I don't understand why people fear
> > secession when a region starts talking about going for principality
> > status, but they do.
> >
> > - Galen of Bristol, Knight of Ansteorra
> >
> The change of status from shire to barony does not normally affect any other
> group.  

What "other group?"  If we take the Southern Region as an example,
then all the branches _within_ that region are affected if it
becomes a principality.  Branches in other regions would probably
also be affected.  Likewise, I strongly suspect that Greywood, 
Stargate, Shadowlands, and other groups were affected when Raven's 
Fort became a barony.

I have heard baronial grumblings when a canton grew to be a shire.
> It might also be enlightening to see what would happen if a Barony broke
> from a Principality to create a Principality.

It happened in Drachenwald; shortly after Drachenwald became a kingdom,
the Barony of Nordmark upgraded to principality.  I know that's not
quite the same thing, but it's close.  In the case of Nordmark, as
with most advancements in branch status, it was not achieved without
growing pains.
 
> While there are examples to the contrary, the general experience has been
> that principalities become kingdoms.  

I submit that when talking about SCA branches, experience is less 
indicative than is intent.  I don't believe that _any_ region in
Ansteorra could _ever_ generate enough support for secession to
get it.

Ansteorra's regions represent
> geographical areas established for administrative purposes.  As you have
> pointed out previously, they are not recognized SCA groups.  They may have a
> regional identity and they may become a principality, but there is little
> chance of a region successfully seceding from a Kingdom.  Once a region
> becomes a principality, the threat of secession becomes real, even if the
> reality is not likely.

The Western Region could seceed to join the Outlands, or the Northern
Region
could join Calontir, and I don't find either of these more or less
likely
than the idea that they would ever want to leave Ansteorra to stand
alone.

But if a principality has a population that _doesn't_ _want_ _to_
_leave_
_its_ _parent_ _kingdom_, then it will stay in the Kingdom.  No
principality
will be created without a consensus of the membership of the proposed
principality.  And no principality can ever become its own kingdom 
without a consensus of its membership for that seperation.

> Bear

- Galen
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