CR - No P-word for now!

[Mike C. Baker]

I've addressed the issue of regional community and restated some
possible goals toward improving same in a previous message, using
Lissette's missive as a starting-point. There are some other items
in Sir Galen's post I wanted to address that are specific to either
the meeting or related basic questions.

---Paul Mitchell <pmitchel at flash.net> wrote:
> Galen here...
> Well, we had that meeting.  The most obvious thing was that
> among many leaders and concerned residents of the Central
> Region, there is a lack of consensus for advancement to
> principality status.

As observer and participant, I would say that Galen has committed an
act of understatement here.... 
 
> As consensus is, itself, a requirement for advancement, 
> those who argue against the proposal successfully disqualify
> the region from advancement.  That's how the rules are set
> up, and those who disagree with me, in many cases, are
> friends for whom I have immense respect and affection.

Certainly, I would doubt that not _every_ voice must agree with a
course of action to count it a choice of consensus. Of those who
were present, I must estimate that the majority appeared to be in
opposition to the proposal (and not only due to their vocal natures
or any particular personal status).
 
> Which leaves the region where it was, if not even worse off.

No, I don't think so. What was achieved is that people came
together, were apprised of problems, voiced concerns, and (in my
analysis) left the gathering more determined to work for the good of
the SCA in the area. Discouraged in some regards, I grant, but
nonetheless at least aware of the depth of the difficulties we face.
 
> I believe that the measures we've heard proposed here,
> including regional events, a regional demo team, and
> so forth, will not and cannot succeed without leadership.
> I still think that a Prince & Princess is the best
> source of that leadership, but it's clear that that
> won't be happening anytime soon, and our problems are
> facing us now.

Galen, herein lies one of the basic disagreements in the arguments
for and against seeking an advance in status for the Region. While I
certainly respect those who wear or have worn Crown or Coronet, I
don't make the leap to supporting the concept that these same
individuals are necessarily the best leaders. They just happen to
have been the folk with enough martial prowess in single combat to
attain victory upon a given day and in a particular tournament.
Based upon several examples within the history of the SCA, some of
which are part of Ansteorran history, I *can't* make a very good
case for what I see as your position here.
 
The leaders who will count most in growing the SCA, and this Region,
are those who are not only administrators but also recruiters and
trainers. Not only the fighters and their consorts, but the dancers
and theirs. Not only the artisans, but also those who clean the hall
after an event. 

I believe that you, Galen, are not the only correspondent on this
list with either a military or Boy Scout / Girl Scout background.
While I know that there are some who might question all three of
those organizations, they are good places to learn techniques of
leadership and cooperation. A thought that just came to mind, based
on my experience in BSA: what could we do to adapt the "patrol
method" in order to strengthen the SCA?

> (But wait!  _Are_ they OUR problems?  Surely Emerald
> Keep's problems are Emerald Keep's?  To what extent
> is Elfsea responsible to help out Rosenfeld?  Who's to
> criticize Steppes for the inward focus of most of its
> membership?  The regional structure isn't designed to
> foster intra-regional loyalty or cohesiveness.)

The problems are so much ours as we choose to lable them as such.
No, the existing structure *by itself* does not do a lot to
encourage regional identity. Nothing says that the structure must
remain unchanged, at least as a matter of _function_. One nearby
example is, of course, Northern Region. Yes, they have the advantage
of being perceived as already geographically distinct. They have
also fought to build a regional identitiy over the course of some
years -- even when they just thought they were trying to build a
better SCA in the state of Oklahoma.

Root cause: do "we" want to build a stronger SCA, or are we as
individuals and smaller groups content with improving our personal
experience of the Current Middle Ages?
 
> Those of us who do decide to take responsiblity
> for our central community, must then consider what
> we can do to help the branches in need, and what
> of that will actually do any good.  The demo team
> idea would be the easiest to do; count me in.

Me, too. Have class notes, will teach. Have costumes, will reach.
And, if needed, have convictions, will preach. 

> Holding regional events would be much harder.  We'd 
> need a _lot_ of support and from many quarters.  
> And it would require someone(s) determined to 
> make it happen.  It would need the leadership I've spoken of.

Regional events often start as theme events; in the past, even
household events. As part of one event that required the efforts of
four households to pull off, I know that it can be done -- but that
once again working within the existing structure can be difficult.
(My understanding of the rules & regs: only branches can sponsor
official SCA events, branch meaning Kingdom, Barony, Shire, etc. --
not administrative regions.)
 
> I could do it; but frankly I don't really care
> to suffer the slings and arrows of that outrageous
> misfortune.  "Who appointed you God?" is the
> question that keeps ringing in my ears.  My
> "real" motives would be questioned, and support
> would be given or withheld on the basis of people's
> agreement or lack thereof with what they assume
> is my ultimate goal.  That's the political reality
> I see.

There are those who will question any given peron's motives at any
given hat-drop for fun & the occasional profit. As long as you are
yourself convinced that something is right, go ahead.

That's what Llewelyn ((forgive, ples, if mispelt) did in formally
raising the question of re-considering principality status.

OK. "Cards on the table": I think you have made it clear that your
ultimate goal is to help make things more fun within the SCA in what
is now the Central Region. Fair enough restatement?

My own ultimate goal in participating in the SCA is to have fun
sharing knowledge with friends and neighbors, and maybe grow a
little myself along the way. To that end, I encourage "the Dream" in
any of several ways: telling stories, dealing in blades, mopping
floors, or whatever.
 
> Almost any other individual would suffer the same
> problem.  Maybe we can do leadership another way...

Committees of Correspondence are a bit post-period for SCA, IIRC.
<gryn>
 
> Well, what about looking to the regional officers
> for leadership?  First, that's not their job.  As
> I've mentioned, the purpose of the regional officers
> is to minimize the paperwork at the Kingdom level,
> and to be local problem-solvers for their Kingdom
> counterparts.  The region is not a branch, and the
> regional seneschal is not really a leadership position.  

It might be possible to work through the reality to embrace certain
perceptions, however. Must presume willingness on the part of the
regional officers for that, of course, but (lacking personal
willingness or capability) is there any reason why a regional
couldn't appoint a "deputy for special projects"?

<snip> 
 
> OK.  I don't think any individual can provide the
> leadership needed to begin organizing regional events,
> and I don't think the regional officers can or will
> do so, either.  What does that leave?
> 
> Maybe we need a committee.

Dreaded word, but a useful one. 
 
> Maybe a group of people, with the idea of 
> developing the central community, of helping
> recruitment and new-member development in the
> small groups, and with the idea of fostering
> communication and cooperation in the baronies,
> could do what would quickly burn out a single person.

The trick in avoiding burnout will be in working out a system of
spreading the workload equitably once a "core group" could be
assembled. And in the willingness to tell some people NO, albeit
politely, from time to time (note that said telling could be for any
of several dozen reasons!).
 
> Maybe we could organize an ad-hoc committee to
> do the legwork to organize regional events, to
> set up a demo team, to try to get people from
> various areas working together better than they do.  

Serious query: how much / should this organizing effort attempt to
involve the _branch_ seneschallate? other _branch_ officers?

Or, put in other harsher terms, what is to keep the existing
regional structure from seeing such an attempt as an effort to
bypass and trivialize their positions (in turn making it harder to
recruit regionals willing to be anything more than glorified clerks)?

I know, or at least *think* I know, that such is not either your
intent, Galen, or the best thing. Still, there will be a need to
communicate and work functionally with all levels of the existing
formal leadership structure.

> Even to publically thank those who are
> doing good work towards developing the central community.

Reminder to everyone -- making award nominations (within the
existing structure) is not a bad idea in this regard...

P.S. Yes, I have in the past been accused of being a frustrated
pol-sci student... doesn't make the process less interesting to me,
at least at times.
===
Adieu -- Amra / Pax ... Kihe / TTFN -- Mike
(al-Sayyid) Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri al-Amra  /
Kihe Blackeagle (the Dreamsinger Bard) / 
Mike C. Baker: My opinions are my own -- no one else would want them!
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/8661
Alt. e-mail: KiheBard at aol.com, MikeCBaker at aol.com

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