[Elfsea] Baronial Questions?

[Don Valentyn]

There's a pretty wide difference between your first and second posts on
this subject.  You've added a number of conditions to the rule in the
second post, so I'm not sure where you stand now in regard to actual
action.

The first post is pretty clear:
> Okay, I'll bite.  As I general rule of thumb, I believe than anyone
who
> actually wants a position of authority should be automatically ruled
> out,

The action involved is to rule out (either of your vote or the overall
race) anyone who actually wants to be Baron and Baroness.

This is pretty ridiculous.  What possible good could be done by someone
who *doesn't* want the job?  Choosing apathetic leadership is as good as
buying the nails for the Baronial coffin.  Anyone here remember the
Shadowlands?

As to the added conditions in your second post -- if you feel that one
of the candidates is interested in the position simply for self-serving
purposes, simply don't recommend that person to the Crown.  Back the
candidates whom you feel won't fall to this corruption that you're
worried about.  Nothing radical nor wrong about that.

Valentyn

-----Original Message-----
From: elfsea-admin at ansteorra.org [mailto:elfsea-admin at ansteorra.org] On
Behalf Of Jane Sitton
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2002 10:23 AM
To: 'elfsea at ansteorra.org'
Subject: RE: [Elfsea] Baronial Questions?

I'm sorry if this raised your ire, Your Excellency.  But my basic
concern is
that power, even perceived power, can (note I am not saying ALWAYS) draw
people with inflated egos.  I understand it is a tremendous amount of
work.
While it is necessary that the job come with some perks to reward the
people
undertaking it, especially, as you reminded us, since it is a non-paying
position, I would find it difficult to vote for someone I felt was
seeking
the job for self-aggrandizement and/or to maintain about him/herself a
"golden circle".

If Elfsea is to thrive and grow as a Barony, she must not select
representatives who maintain the status quo.  Recruitment has been
harped
upon by many as one of our major challenges.  I agree it is always good
to
get "new blood".  But what of retention?  What of the people who felt
their
dream wasn't nurtured, and stopped playing altogether?  There are people
I
used to see as "core members" who don't play at all any longer.

I am not so much an idealist that I think we can have (in our mundane
world)
a truly democratic government.  Representative government is better for
larger populations.  But I think we have seen it demonstrated,
especially in
the past several years, that the people who strove the hardest for power
ended up being the worst choices we, as a nation, have made.

Just my opinion, and yeah, I know what it's worth.  Nevertheless, I felt
even unpopular opinions such as mine need a voice as well.

Amicalement,
Lady Madelina de Lyndesaye

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul or Galen [mailto:baron at elfsea.net]
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 5:18 PM
To: elfsea at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Elfsea] Baronial Questions?



On Wednesday, February 20, 2002, at 02:29 PM, Jane Sitton wrote:

> Okay, I'll bite.  As I general rule of thumb, I believe than anyone
who
> actually wants a position of authority should be automatically ruled
> out,

This is a bit of hot button with me.  It's completely legitimate to ask
why a person wants to be Baron & Baroness, or what they hope to do with
the
office.

But this is a real job (non-paying, unfortunately, although it has
immense rewards, both tangible and otherwise) and it's a _lot_ of work.
It's not reasonable to hope that someone who had no desire for the
position would do all that work well, nor in a timely fashion.

I count among our accomplishments that we made the job look like enough
fun
-- and it is! -- that so many people want to try their hand at it.

- Galen
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