[Ansteorra] Sad Kingdom Law Change

[Alasdair MacEogan]

I am not official, but the following are the answers as best I currently understand them.

Vicki Marsh <vmarsh at twmarsh.net> wrote:
>  1) Can children now go onto the list field to serve water to fighters? After
>  all, no authorizations are required any more.

Any marshal non-contact authorizations are still required.  Realize the only thing that is no longer is the office of waterbearer. It has never been a requirement to be a warranted waterbearer to carry water anyway.

>  2) Can interested parties now form their own Guild of Waterbearers (or the H
>  Duo/ Water Mafia / Ice Pirates)?

As there is no longer any regulation by the SCA there is nothing stopping anyone from forming a guild.

>  3) If no volunteers are working to supply, disinfect, and maintain the water
>  supply and equipment for the fighters-at-large, then is everyone solely
>  responsible for recruiting their own personal waterbearers?

Technically this has always been the case.  Waterbearing has never been an absolute requirement.  Just a really really good idea for the autocrat to arrange.  Just as there has never been an official requirement for there to be chirurgeons, just a good idea.

>  4) Can this now fall under the pervue of the Chirurgeonate?

Not officially, no.  Again since there are no more regulations, except possibly the rule the says the SCA will not regulate, then there is nothing stopping the chirurgeon from doing it personally.  They would just be doing it "off baldric" and as a member of the populace, not as an officer.

>  5) Or is this a precursor to the Society-wide demise of the Chirurgeonate,
>  as well?

I have seen nothing to indicate that this is the direction, but I am not in the loop.  Heck I can never seem to get a good answer from anyone as to whether or not I am still warranted.  I sent in my certs several times and have inquired of kingdom and never can seem to get an official answer.  That is the big reason I have not been able to work as a chirurgeon at events. 

>  5) Will it be up to the Knight Marshall or the Autocrat at each event to
>  coordinate the volunteers and materials?

It has always been the autocrats responsibility to coordinate volunteers, etc.  There is nothing stopping them from delegating to that responsibility to someone as they have always done.  Just in the past they have been called a waterbearer and often been a local officer of the same title.

>  6) Can each group still own waterbearing equipment and provide supplies at
>  events?

Yes.  This has made perfectly clear.  Groups can own the equipment just as they can own any "feast" supplies.  Group funds still may be used to purchase any supplies, etc.

>  And lastly...
>  
>  7) Are YOU willing to drink from an unknown water supply, that may or may
>  not be properly disinfected or cared for?

No. But that is not really different than before.

After all the discussion I have seen on various lists over the course of this, I do not think that this is as major an impact as some people think it is.  Just because the SCA as a corporation does not regulate the activity any longer does not mean that it can't happen.  Likewise people can still train others.  Autocrats can still ask people to volunteer and there is nothing stopping someone who has been "trained" by others from setting up the station as they believe it should be run.

Fighters do not have to partake of the water any more that they ever have.  If they have concerns then they should make their own arrangements.  Realistically they should always have been doing this since overbearing has never been a requirement (unlike having a marshal in charge).  We have just gotten so used to it that people pretty much take it for granted that there will be waterbearing.

As Robing said, the activity can still happen, they just got rid of the paperwork.  In my opinion this can be a good thing and does not have to be a disaster.

Alasdair