CR - No P-word for now!

[Paul Mitchell]

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 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.

Which leaves the region where it was, if not even worse off.

I heard a whole lot on Saturday about small groups who
can't get members or attention from the larger groups,
and about how the members of the region either do not
or cannot work together.  Richard stated in the meeting
that all the Central Region groups outside the metroplex
are dying.  I've heard about smaller groups in the 
metroplex that aren't too happy, as well.

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.

(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.)

We must decide whether we're going to be a community
(I use "community" to mean the same concept I think
Amra was getting at when he said "fully-functioning
region").  Whether I have the resources to stir from
my routine and go to Graywood and help out there or
not, I need to decide whether their problems are mine.
We must each face this question, and answer it for
ourselves.  Some will choose to focus on their own
enjoyment or development in their chosen pursuits.
Some will choose to focus on their local group, or
on the Kingdom as a whole.  And some of us will 
decide we want to take responsibility for the 
development of our region into a community, even
if it's never to become a principality.

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.

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.

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.

Almost any other individual would suffer the same
problem.  Maybe we can do leadership another way...

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.  I had my nose rubbed in this fact as
regional seneschal.  And frankly, the current
regional officers seem little-disposed to provide
that sort of leadership.  Mistress Eowyn clearly
stated that she will entertain no more meetings 
like Saturday's while she is in office.

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.

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.

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

With the right people, it could work.  I think.

- Galen
pmitchel at flash.net
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