[Bryn-gwlad] Baron and Baroness Candidates and the Selection There-of...Long

[Paul Gilbert]

Greetings...

The field is set.

Pick your favorites and support them.

This is a paramount point in the history of our Barony and will set the 
course and tone of Bryn Gwlad for the next 3-5 years at the least.

Who will it be??? the next B&B of BG?

I pray that the candidates have looked deep into themselves as to the 
seriousness of this step and especially if they are chosen as to what 
will be expected of them in the duties of what We and others have termed...

"The hardest job in the SCA....Landed Baron and Baroness."

This is not a glitzy, "Look pretty and point..." job (and don't think 
for a minute it won't be near, if not, a full time job).

Next to being Crown, this is one of the highest profile, none Great 
Officers duties in the the SCA and Anteorra.

If I sound like the drum of doom or gloom, I do not mean to, nor is it. 
I am trying the bring home the deep seriousness of this event and how it 
WILL effect or Barony.

I have seen several poke fun at this process and that saddens my heart 
and strengthens my resolve to see that as many as possible understand 
this process and the seriousness of it and the future effects.

BG is a vibrant and prominent barony. Not just in Ansteorra but in the 
Known World. Never forget that.

Which of these candidates have the skills, personalities, (most of all) 
the experience in the ways of the SCA and management of people to run 
the Barony of Bryn Gwlad.

This is NOT a responsibility one can or should "grow into". You must be 
able to do it from the start.

Read their letters, most of all talk to them, stop and think who you 
want representing you and BG to the rest of Ansteorra and SCA as YOUR 
Baron and Baroness.

Then goto the polling, make your vote, write the Crown, tell them your 
opinion and above all be ready to accept whomever the Crown chooses and 
support them.

Below I have reprinted my letter of what We see as qualifications for 
B&B. I have edited them slightly, but they still stand true.

We will be speaking with the candidates prior to the polling.

Having been in those shoes and seen first hand the importance of this 
decision, We are taking this most seriously.

We also extend to the candidates and then the successful candidates the 
hand of counsel. To explain and guide them through the good and the bad 
of this responsibility.


In Service...

Baron Niklas Vasilevich

__________________________________________________________________
Top qualities or qualifications for a Baron and/or Baroness candidate(s)....

1. Known in the kingdom as well as at home(in this case, BG and have 
been here for some reasonable amount of time)..  Known to a point that 
when they walk into an event, about half the folks at the event know who 
they are at least on a basic level of "oh, thats so and so from Bryn Gwlad".

2. Known to the Crown. The Crown is putting a TREMENDOUS!! amount of 
trust into these people who they appoint as THEIR representatives of a 
Barony.

3. Respected by the local group. Respected by a majority of the group.
Maybe not someone that you "hang out with" but that you can at least be
willing to work with on a professional level for the good of the Barony.

4. Hand in hand with respected by the group, they need to have shown
leadership skills in the past. Not particularly have to have been 
obtained or shown in the group that they are running for. Can be from 
another group, can be in a Kingdom level office, on the battle 
field...but have the mind set and personal skill set that people are 
willing to listen to and follow. I am not explaining this one real well, 
I will have to think on this some more.

5. Time in grade. Don't promote a private to an officer. The B&B are the
colonel's of the hierarchy in the SCA. These people have to have been
around for a while. My bench mark is 5 years or more. Yes, there have 
been exceptions, but if you look at the group there was a reason for 
that....BG does not have that reason.

We have several folks that have the "time in grade". We have lots of
"Capt's", we now need to pick (or suggest to the Crown who we would like
as our Colonel)

6. Shown to be fair to all. The B&B have to be willing to treat all the
"crafts" equal. To explain....the things we do in the SCA are a "craft"
when you come down to it. Heavy fighting is a craft. You learn it! You
start out , you learn from mentors, you gain experience and if you are
good enough and stick with it, you become a Knight or even the King.

Same thing for Arts and Science, Bardic or whatever.

The B&B have to focused on seeing that all the "Crafts" are given their
equal due and moments in the spot light. To do otherwise tends to build 
or foster dis-cord.

7. A good public speaker. This does not necessarily mean a showman, but
someone that is not afraid of the audience, that can think on their feet
and make people feel welcome even when you don't really mean it or the
world is collapsing around you (as some times happens at events).

8. Have a Royal presence.  This is an air of a combination of things...

Confidence, leadership, caring but strong focus that shows to every one
that sees these people.

This is the single hardest thing to find in people. It is also the hardest
thing for a person to have as it is not necessarily learned, but born with.

BUT>>>>>> Not an air of arrogance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hard to explain, but
when you see it, you will (trust me on this one), know it.

9.  Experience... This is not limited to SCA experience. Have the real
world experience of management skills, people skills, financial skills,
that make these people able to maintain the needed momentum and finances
that it requires to be the B&B of a group such as Bryn Gwlad.

Then you need SCA experience. This should go with the time in grade, but
not always. There are folks that have been around FOREVER, but have 
never held an office, never read Copora, never stewarded an event, never 
taken a responsible position in either the SCA or any organization and 
thus, don't know how to handle the organized Chaos that comes with 
"herding cats" or dealing with volunteer organizations.

10.  The ability to project the presence of Bryn Gwlad.

These persons WILL be the FACE of Bryn Gwlad to the Known World.

These people must travel.

They don't have to travel every weekend, but be willing to travel to 
other events in the Kingdom and represent the Barony to the Known World.

They must have help traveling and projecting the aura and brillance of 
our barony to Ansteorra and beyond.

Sooooooooooooooooooo.....I have said alot here....

Most likely there is no one or very few that have all these qualities, 
or have them in amounts that perhaps would make the perfect B&B, but ask
yourself, who do fit these qualities, who has what, how much, even 
perhaps do "You" have them?

Now, Whomever wish to run....think about these qualities. Do you have
them? In areas, what levels do you have them?

We have heard many Crowns say that in todays SCA the B&B are "sorta" 
like a "Super Seneschal". You have all the responsibilty, but very 
little of the power and the "buck stops" with you.

I remember several late night calls from the Crown and Kingdom Seneschal
about "issues and things". So you are the "Harry Truman" of the Barony.

ABSOLUTLY!!!! above all....ask yourself if you or whomever, can be fair 
to all in the face of adversity, hostility, kindness, or telling your 
best friend "NO, you can't do that" while at the same time 
"Cheerleading", inspiring, promoting what we do in this wonderful hobby 
we have (remember its only a hobby....   ;)

The position of Baron and Baroness in a Barony is an awe-inspiring job.
You for a time will rank in precedence above the Peers, right under the
Royal Family. Ansteorra is one of the few Kingdoms that does this.

When you step down you will be one of 50 or so people in the Kingdom 
that will have the right to add to your Baronial Cornet a "Black Star" 
showing that you have served your Kingdom at one of the highest callings 
you can serve in,  outside of Crown or a major Kingdom officer.

You will tasked with making decisions that will "make a difference in a
hundred years". Your name WILL go down in our little corner of
history....good or bad.

You will be asked stupid questions, hard questions, easy questions, and 
be expected to make decisions on all of them.

It is a life time chance to REALLY make a difference, but be sure you or
the person you support, are equipped to take on the task. There have 
been those that tried and failed.

Kezia and I have been there. Not in a Barony as large or as grand as 
this one. But if we can give counsel to anyone considering running, feel 
free to call on us.

This is our home and our Barony now. We want the right thing for it and
will do what we can to help.

One last thing to remember.......

The choosing of the a B&B is at the choice of two people and only two
people....no one else makes or can make this choice.

And no matter who they choose, their word if FINAL and complete.

The B&B polling is a poll of the populace...nothing more....never loose
sight of that.

The Crown of Ansteorra makes the decision of who will be the next B&B of
Bryn Gwlad.

They want your input, they want your letters, emails and counsel...but 
be nice, use facts, not rumors or falsehoods. Give them proper and true
counsel so they can make an educated choice.

Look at the candidates, talk to them...grillllllllll them on the issues
that you have concerns of...then write your letters of support to the
Crown, place your vote at the polling and if your candidate wins.....or
even if they don't....

Stand up and support the new Baron and Baroness of Bryn Gwlad with you
heart and hand.






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Paul Gilbert, KE5ZW             H.E. Niklas Vasilevich
niklas at pbgilbert.net      CB,CSM,KGA,OTR,ORH,Crane,AoA
512-733-3035 Cellular             Kingdom of Ansteorra

            Society for Creative Anachronism

     Texas Dept. Of Transportation, Radio Operations
      Austin, Texas                  512-506-5141
                pgilber at dot.state.tx.us

                "The Eagle has landed"
  "Sable, a double-headed eagle, a bordure engrailed or"

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