[Ansteorra] Proposed change in waterbearing

[Michael Tucker]

Cousins,

This rule change is certainly of interest to anyone who attends  
events in the heat (and that's pretty much all of us), whether they  
fight or not.

However, I understand it to say we can continue waterbearing exactly  
the way we are now -- folks on the list field, walking the perimeter,  
etc. -- if we want to. The only difference is that the activity won't  
be "regulated, warranted, organized, controlled, or sanctioned by the  
SCA, Inc.".

I.e. there won't be an official Waterbearer officer. I.e. we'd be  
back to exactly the way we used to do it: volunteers and households  
doing this because they want to, and because it needs doing. We're  
free to continue doing it pretty much any way we want as long as it  
isn't an official office. The new rule "does not either address or  
restrict such volunteer activity or the methods by which it occurs."

In fact, I read it to mean we can still have the same officers,  
training and organization structure that we currently have in place,  
which would be great. Mistress Hillary Greenslade and others worked  
hard to get that ball rolling, and it would be nice to see it  
continue. We just have to call them a "guild" instead of "officers".  
Big woop. :P

That being said, I agree that living in a litigation-crazed world  
(and having a hobby headquartered in one of the most litigious states  
in the country) can "really take the fun out of things". On the other  
other hand, I'm glad we've got folks thinking ahead like this, so we  
can just publish a rule change and keep on keepin' on. It's a much  
better use of our dues money than paying off some stupid lawsuit.

My 2 coppers.

Michael Silverhands

p.s. For reference, I'm quoting the proposed rule change below:

>  Proposed language to be added to Corpora:
>  The activity of providing beverages to combatants and spectators  
> at SCA
>  Combat activities is not regulated, warranted, organized,  
> controlled, or
>  sanctioned by the SCA, Inc. or any affiliate or subsidiary entity.  
> All
>  warrants, authorizations, or other formal recognition of this  
> activity
>  are by publication of this change revoked. This document does not  
> either
>  address or restrict such volunteer activity or the methods by  
> which it
>  occurs.
>  --
>  Patrick Anderson
>  President
>  Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc.
>  president at sca.org