CR - Central Principality

[Paul Mitchell]

Galen of Bristol here!

Mike C. Baker wrote:
> 
> ---nolen dale <fairborn at swbell.net> wrote:
> > Is there enough time to have ameeting with hopefully a great deal
> > of people( actually between 15-20). I know I would like to
> > participate in the meeting and I will be teaching 2 classes.
> 
> Overachieving as usual, I see... <gryn>

If the people will be there, I'm sure we can find time for a meeting.

> > I could call the other seneschals tonight(if I don't see them at
> > coronation) and start asking.

I bet most are planning to attend, or could do so without too much
trouble.  Representation from the shires would be the most difficult
to ensure, if anyone's attendance is difficult.
 
> Maybe a more appropriate response / first step would be a meeting to
> set up a meeting? I know, I know, redundancy piled upon
> complication, but I doubt that there will be sufficient advance
> publicity to pull this off on the needed scale by the time of Elfsea
> College.

A pre-meeting?  Let's get together and see if people like the idea of
doing a principality this year.  If so, we'll need a _lot_ of meetings;
if not, we can just move on.  My research last year led me to believe
that there is a _lot_ of support for this idea.
 
> > > any suggestions on basic topic discussions
> > I have a few!
> > What activities can we plan to increase the populace of each group.
> 
> Fire-starter: Recruitment as part of every demo where appropriate!
> (Not necessarily every school or youth group demo, but certainly at
> every chance when in contact with college classes and adult
> organizations.)

Oh yes!  Elfsea Baronial college is a major recruiting opportunity!
Please be ready to talk to college students.
 
> > Should we set aside a weekend twice a year for say aregional A$S
> > competition (body of work and a collegium) and also at least twice a
> > year have a regional muster and war practice.
> 
> Maybe, but who staffs? Who sponsors? How much *regional*
> infrastructure is to be built and maintained to support same?
> (And I for one would suggest that two regional A&S may be overkill
> if added to the existing schedule as competitions -- now, Collegia
> on the other manipulative appendage...)
> 
> > How can we make the job of an officer easier and more
> > pleasurable for all (big topic, but essential)
> 
> Absolutely. Better / more structure regional support?

Oh yeah.  These are all important.  And with the leadership of
a Prince and Princess, and the incentive of having them to please,
I believe these things will happen much more easily, and in more
rewarding fashion.

> > Principality for the future(how far?) When we will know?
> 
> Get the region fully-functioning first, don't set a timeline but
> consider a "progression-line", and we'll know when we know.

Region "fully-functioning"?  What's that mean?  The Regions exist
to make life easier for kingdom officers.  You guys are talking
about projects that would be a lot of work for a lot of people, and
which would happen almost automatically if we were a principality,
but for which there is very little incentive or reward while we're
a region.
 
> ("Progression-line" example: majority of local officers trained,
> with trained deputies lined up; regional officers likewise, and
> trained in training of locals; x number of fully functioning
> baronies, shires, other branches stable or expanding for y number of
> years; some number of annual regional events stable, self-supporting
> or nearly so; some number of fighters regularly competing for
> regional warlord and local branch championship titles; etc, etc, etc)

If Ansteorra itself had been held to this standard, we'd still
be trying to upgrade from region!

> > (when all the groups have a stable populace of no less
> > than 25 members?)
> 
> Perhaps not all groups, but at least the major, long-term branches.
> Adjust for lower-population and / or more rural areas, perhaps.
> Don't insist on *paid* membership to find those participants.

I think by this definition, this qualification is satisfied now.

> > The central needs to start working together 

Why?  When I was regional seneschal, I was bluntly told that the
region is not a branch, just an administrative convenience.  I'm
supposed to have loyalty to that?  Let's have a real SCA branch,
a principality, and I think you'll find crowds of people leaping
to work together.
 
Llywelyn has suggested that the best vehicle to help the local
branches in the fashion that's been discussed is not a region,
but a principality.  If the region could do all these things we're
talking about, we'd have no need of a principality.  I believe
the region will never be able to do these things, but that a
principality would inspire the sort of loyalty, focus and incentive
that is necessary to the goal.

Here's another relevant question:  

WOULD IT BE FUN TO HAVE A PRINCIPALITY?  
            ^^^
I think it would be.

My baron asked for suggestions of name and arms.  I note that no
SCA Kingdom or Principality has the horse as its totem animal.  Well,
this is Texas, and horses have been an integral part of our economy
and identity, just as in the middle ages.  I suggest, "argent, a fess
azure, overall a horse rampant gules, and in base a laurel wreath vert."
The name should be something like "Equerria", "Equiterria", or "Equestria".
My opinion.

- Galen
-- 
pmitchel at flash.net \ http://www.flash.net/~pmitchel
"The Constitution is a radical document ... it is the job 
of the Government to rein in people's rights." 
-- President Clinton, May 1994, MTV's "Enough is Enough."
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