[Ansteorra] Ansteorra Digest, Vol 21, Issue 60

[eleanor cleavely]

Your Excellency,

thank you for your response. I agree that it would be a monumental task. I
only made the suggestion because it seems there is some massive confusion as
to what is happening. I, too, am a big believer in personal responsibility.
When I became a member, I made sure to read everything I could concerning
membership and what benefits it entailed. The last thing I want to do is lay
blame where it does not belong. Perhaps on the *Ansteorran* website under
"How To Join" there could be a section that explains what each membership
means, not just in terms of publications and who receives them, but whether
that membership is counted toward the final number, instead of going
directly to the SCA, INC website. Include the link to the SCA website, but
have a spot on our website to explain what is what. Perhaps that will ease
some of the confusion.

This is just a suggestion, however. I don't know what a good solution would
be that would make everyone happy. I wish I did, if only to avoid such
confusion and unhappiness.

Ever in service with a song and a smile,
Lady Eleanor Cleavely


Message: 5
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2008 17:00:06 -0600
From: "Lisa A. May" <maaggie1 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] Ansteorra Digest, Vol 21, Issue 50
To: "Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc." <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org>
Message-ID: <7DCBB123-6CDB-4548-A9FA-9E09D1AF108E at gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset=US-ASCII;       delsp=yes;
 format=flowed

My Lady Eleanor,

Who is going to do the work?  We have only three paid employees in
the SCA, and they are responsible for processing all requests
relating to membership, renewal notifications, distribution of all
Kingdom newsletter mailing labels, insurance certificates, stock
clerk orders, board meeting preparations, distribution of
correspondence for the board, state registrations, corporate
resolutions, bank account authorizations, accounting for the
corporation, tax responsibilities, hiring and supervision of outside
vendors (bookkeeper, accountants, etc).  There's only so many hours
in a day, and we now number 19 kingdoms that they are supporting.  Do
we really want to have to hire another employee to handle tasks like
this?  I don't want to pay my membership dollars to someone to spend
their time canvassing the changes in laws to 19 different kingdoms
(and growing), when I can read my kingdom's law all on my own.
Eighteen years ago, when I found the SCA, that's one of things I did
before I ever committed to purchasing a membership (and back then,
you couldn't find the information online - you had to order it mailed
to you).  And today, after reading the online SCA FAQ questions and
answers below, that's exactly what I'd do:

(1) Under Membership:  "What are the reasons to have a membership?"
"Paid members receive many benefits.  Sustaining members receive a
subscription to their Kingdom newsletter as part of their membership
package.  Sustaining members are also eligible to subscribe to other
SCA publications . . . Members receive discounts on event attendance
fees . . . Members who sign the waiver on the membership application
receive a proof-of-waiver membership card . . . **(Individual Kingdom
requirements may be more stringent; consult your Kingdom Seneschal
for additional Kingdom requirements)**."  (emphasis added)

(2) Under Branch Status:  "What are the stages to full status and
definitions of each?"  "This varies from one Kingdom to another.
Consult your Kingdom law or Kingdom Seneschal for information."

We have to remember, the *SCA, Inc.* is a business.  It is not "the
dream" (that's the game I play on weekends) and it is not the
responsibility of the corporation to make sure everyone who chooses
to play has also chosen to read all the rules (although it is the
responsibility of the Board to enforce the rules).  At some point,
individual members and prospective members need to take the
responsibility to read all the documents that govern their
participation in the SCA.  They need to take responsibility to ask
questions of their officers if they don't understand what they've
read.  If they  haven't taken the responsibility to do this, then I'm
not sure why they should have a right to blame others when they are
surprised by an issue that is dealt with adequately in Corpora and
Kingdom law.  I'm really not meaning to be sounding harsh, but I do
feel rather strongly about personal responsibility and the tendency
in our society (and Society) to push it onto others.

Respectfully,

Maggie

Countess Margaret ny Connor
Barony of the Steppes
Kingdom of Ansteorra
-- 
"Mine honor is my life; both grow in one;
take honor from me and my life is done."
--William Shakespeare

Ego existo obstinantus - I am resolved

Reluctor ultum , pareo parum - Resist much, obey little