[Elfsea] A few more questions.

[Kate Rayburn]

These are some excellent questions and as Timothy has given his answers,
I will now give mine.

> 1.)What do you, as an applicant for Baron/Baroness, hope to
> look back in X years when you are stepping down, and say
> "This is what I got out of being Baron/Baroness"?

I hope that in looking back I am able to see where I have touched lives
to improve the Dream for someone else.  I would like for others to say
that they learned how to demonstrate honor and chivalry in everyday life
by the example that I set.  I would like to hear a baronial candidate
state in her reasoning that my actions as Baroness encouraged her to go
farther in the SCA than she had ever considered.  Knowing I had touched
lives in a significant way would be one of the greatest things I could
"get" out of being Baroness.  I fell in love with the Society because a
Landed Baroness welcomed me and in so doing gave me a piece of her Dream
to call my own.  I would like to pass that along.

>2.)What are
> your priorities within the barony for short term? (say the
> first six months.  the first year?)

The short term priorities must never be vastly different from the long
term ones.  Within the first six months my priorities would be to add
strength to our unity as a group and to give attention to what the
populace says they need most.  That time period is also an important one
for the Barony to adjust to its new Baron and Baroness and get to know
them in that role.  There shouldn't be a great rush to change things.
Within the first year though, I would begin addressing some of the
concerns which had been brought to me.  As well, that time period would
be when Timothy and I would begin discussing our ideas about the
Baronial Guard with both the current members of the Guard and the
populace as a whole.  The entire focus would be on improving the Barony
as a whole so that it continues to be a shining light within the
Kingdom.

>3.)What is the greatest
> strength that you/both of you would bring to the barony as
> baron/baroness?  What about the greatest weakness?

As Timothy's greatest strength is his ability to think outside of the
box (sometimes even visiting other boxes), mine is the ability to remain
grounded when everything else is chaotic.  My grounding is also my
strength as I try to seek each side of a debate when resolving conflict
and believe that resolution stems from understanding.  I think my
greatest weakness is that I have a great propensity to be quiet and not
draw attention in an effort to find out as much information before
making a decision.

> 4.) The populace within sees themselves differently as the
> populace outside the barony.  As our Baron/Baroness, you can
> be our inspiration (leader perhaps?) for how the outside
> 'world' sees us-in other baronies, in the kingdom, in the
> mundane world.  What would you change?  What wouldn't you
> change? or more correctly, focus on?

I believe it is part of the Baron and Baroness' responsibility to be the
inspiration to their populace.  I do not want to change the perception
that Elfsea is a place where life is good.  I want us to be known as a
place where each is willing to say "I made life good for me when I
could, and I made it good for others when I couldn't make it good for
myself."  I think that as each of us grows into focusing more upon
making life good for others as we make it good for ourself, we will find
that it shows in our attitude toward people outside the society as well.

>5.)If you were not an
> applicant, what qualities and qualifications would YOU be looking at?
>
I would look for a couple who would continue supporting the myriad
activities of our Barony, because they have been supporting them.  I
would weigh the candidates promised support of an activity with the
record of their past support.  I would also be looking at whether they
are willing and able to travel and carry the word fame of Elfsea
throughout the kingdom.

In Service,
Dama Anezka z Rozmitala