ANST - P-words...in a nut-shell.

[stddly at SHSU.edu]

Heilsa Estrill and all good Ansteorrans...

Estrill penned:

>Sir Kief stated:

>>We were the third most populous Kingdom in the Known World but a few 
>>short years ago... Now we are about the seventh. 

     But the SCA's created, what, 3 or 4 new kingdoms since then? I 
haven't seen the statistics on it, but I imagine that new kingdoms would 
tend to encourage more paid memberships (at the beginning, at least). 
There would probably be a grand reshuffling of the kingdoms, from most 
to least; the population figures would be very interesting to look at. 
It could be possible that, statistically, Ansteorra has not changed 
relative to the other sca-kingdoms.

Three (3) new Kingdoms since we had were 3rd most populous, I do believe...
If there was such a grand reshuffling of the Kingdom population then we should
have gone _up_ in the size ranking...
Raw fact... Ansteorra had over 3,000 members, if my memory isn't too faulty, we
now have about 1,700... Statistics be damned, we've lost many good folk's
membership... This doesn't mean that they don't play...just that they aren't
members. And, if you aren't a member, officially, you do not count...for voting
purposes, member counts for groups, cannot be an officer, nor steward, cannot
fight in Crown or Principality lists....etc...!!

>>We have dropped from over 50 groups to 40 or less... 

>     Perhaps the kingdom as it is currently set up can only accommodate/ 
>function comfortably with around 40 groups. 

Nope...a Kingdom functions with as many chapters as possible... EXAMPLE: The
Middle Kingdom has, outside of 2 principalities, _79_ chapters...

>It's somewhat similar to the 
>way Mooneschadowe used to function: ie, we'd get around 30 populace 
>members and be ok, but when more than 30 were active, things tended to 
>explode and after the dust had cleared there'd be about 10-15 people 
>left to rebuild. While the fallout is not so dramatic at the Kingdom 
>level, it does seem somewhat similar. New growth (new groups) cannot be 
>expected to succeed until changes in the way the Kingdom operates occur. 
>IMHO, this means Principalities. 

I must strongly disagree...! The disfunction of a local group cannot be the
model for way a Kingdom is run/operates. Many other chapters have gone far
beyond in membership and become Baronies...or have remained as very large
Shires... "Explosion and fallout" should not apply... Growth can succeed at the
Kingdom level al long as everyone does their job and "plays with others
well...". Once the "in-fighting" and "personality cults/conflicts" erupt then
folks get disheartened and fll away... Each of us is personally responsible for
our actions this applies to individual new-comers as well as new chapter...

IMO....this means a strong, well run, healthy Kingdom.

>Several others have stated that with the Regions we've already got the 
>administration / officer-reporting side of things going. Admittedly with 
>a somewhat bumpy track record. However, I don't believe some of the 
>regional officers have felt the *same* duty, responsibility and 
>commitment to their region (just luck as to where one mundanely lives) 
>as they would feel towards the same office in a principality (where 
>one's feelings are involved). 

Regional officer bumpiness is also reflected in Kingdom officer bumpiness...
Not just here but across the Known World... I disagree on your thought that
Regional Officers lack the same sense of "duty, responsibility, and
commitment..." that principality officers would have. Here in the Southern
Region our folk take their jobs quite seriously...and have scads of pride in
their Region and Kingdom...

>Why not go ahead and add the ceremony part 
>of a principality? It will help alleviate the burden of awarding 
>recognition that the Crown has; it will allow more people to become 
>(royalty? nobility? Viscounts!) & provide training to be Crown; it will 
>broaden the possibilities of the playing field for the average person in 
>that it might become possible to become the Prince/Princess, or their 
>herald/ lady-in-waiting/other staff member (which in the Kingdom now is 
>a rather unrealistic goal for most people unless they have prior 
>experience or know the Crown personally); and most important, it will be 
>more FUN than any one person should legally have!!

Here some of your points are valid... However, the chance that one will somehow
gain an advantage in becoming an "herald / lady-in-waiting / other staff
member" will remain exactly the same as before... The Prince and Princess will
chose their Staff just as if they were Crown... 

As to the "fun" aspect... I will tell you now... Long before the fun comes the
hard work... If all your officers and people are doing a lackluster job
now...what makes you think that anything will change in a principality? NOTE: I
am not saying that our current officers and populace are lackluster...!!! Just
replying to the implication that things will change for the better because we
have a new principality or two...


>     Therefore, there is plenty of room on the calendar for coronet 
>lists & coronations. Hmm. Principality/regional... not much difference 
>here.

I will state... One must crawl before you can walk, walk before you can run,
run before you can FLY...! Let's see if we can run first...before we fall, like
Icarus, in our attempt to fly...

>     In my experience those people are the ones that "over commit"; as 
>soon as they hear that "we need a steward" or "I'm stepping down in x 
>months" they immediately volunteer. And because someone has volunteered 
>to do it, no one else steps forward and says "but I'd really like to do 
>it." They just shrug and say maybe next time. 

Maybeso that has been your experience... I've seen folks, to keep their chapter
in compliance, _have_ to take multiple positions...even when there were many
folk doing nothing in their group... "Over committment"...I wish...



>     Estrill 
>     Mooneschadoweshire
>     Nordsteorra
>     Ansteorra


Waes Thu Hael neighbor...

Sir Kief av Kiersted

Ansteorran...

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