[Elfsea] Baronial Questions?

[Paul Mitchell]

No ire here, and your points are completely valid.  As I noted
originally, the question you asked ("why do you want the job?") was
completely legitimate and appropriate.

My only concern was the notion of excluding anyone who wants the job
from consideration.  While I agree that lust for power is a poor
motivation (and, in the SCA a downright silly reason to want to be a
Baron), I hope the position of Baron & Baroness of Elfsea looks like it
would be fun hold -- because it is fun.

During my term, I've done my best to make people feel that their company
is welcome, their contributions are appreciated, and their opinions
taken seriously.  I show that I take your opinion seriously by thinking
about it, and trying to make a reasoned reply in which I express my
agreement and disagreement with your various comments in a polite
fashion, rather than ignoring or insulting your comments.  I hope I've
succeeded.

- Galen

On Thursday, February 21, 2002, at 10:22 AM, Jane Sitton wrote:

> 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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>

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but
shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."
       - C.S. Lewis
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