[Elfsea] Kingdom Calendar suggestion - very very long

[Lisa Duke]

Greetings to all of you,
After much listening and thought... beware this is very long

The current issue at hand... "MAKING BETTER USE OF THE WEEKENDS WE HAVE
AVAILABLE" so all groups in the Kingdom have a fair opportunity to hold an
event, have fun and make a little money for operating expenses.  "What is in
the best interest of the Kingdom at large?"

As it states in Kingdom Law currently all local groups are allowed 2 events
per year and Baronies are allowed 3 with one of them has a perpetual event
date.

If I remember correctly I was told that it was written that way to encourage
local groups to get more active and recruit more members to become baronies
themselves.  It is my belief that this was written in a time that it * was *
needed and it may be time to rethink that position.

This may not be a popular solution, but 'change' sometimes isn't popular,
and it may be the time to change.  When things change it indicates growth,
change indicates adaptation, and many times change has a positive outcome.

So here we go:  Beginning January 1, 2003 wipe the Kingdom Calendar clean.
Radical, yes, but please continue to read.

There are only 52 weekends in a given year.  There are 2 Coronations and 2
Crown Tourneys per year ... that leaves 48 weekends.  Currently Kingdom
Events are already on the Calendar as they should be.

There are 2 King's Round Table (KRT) meetings per year.  This is a very
necessary date to get Kingdom business done so the principals don't have to
be in meetings at events and they too can have fun.  The King and Queen
should meet their officers; their officers should meet with their regional
and on down the line.

Many things can be done at these meetings including the many circles the TRM
must attend.  They could be accomplished over 2 days and could be in garb
for a specific portions if it was designed the way the BOD meets.  Business
in mundane and feast, circle meetings etc... that evening or next day in
garb.  Or SCA first, business second... it could be designed to however it
is needed. - Again ..."Better Use Of The Weekends We Have Available"

48 weekends minus 2 KRT = 46 weekends.  Other groups should never conflict
with these meetings because the Kingdom business has participants all over
the Kingdom and the people who hold offices should not have to choose
between their office and the support of a local event.

Kingdom events:

The King and the Queen must have champions.

Kings Champion has been held at Coronation, Royal Huntsman is tacked on to
another event as well as Kings Lancer.  Queens Champion is the only
stand-alone event in the champion aspect.  At the time it was conceived it
was necessary for rapier to shine.  And it still does.  Rapier has made
great strides in the Known World and there are only a few Kingdoms who don't
recognize the treaty currently.  Because the calendar is so crowded and
current economics of the Nation and our Kingdom, it may be time to make a
better use of our calendar.  "Better Use Of The Weekends We Have Available."

May be it's time to combine the Champion tourneys in to 1 event.  We could
call it "Their Royal Majesties Champion Tourneys." (TRM CT)  All the
tourneys fought in one day.  We do this at events all the time.  The Prince
watches his, the Princes watches hers, they both or either watch Royal
Huntsman and Kings Lancer.  Have Court that evening and it's all in place.
Combining all these Champion Events might be a "Better Use Of The Weekends
We Have Available."

Wouldn't it be nice to have their champions already in place before
Coronation?  This could be done between the time of Crown Tourney and
Coronation, already on the calendar.  Just a thought.

46 weekends minus 2 - TRM CT = 44 weekends

There are several holidays when no one wants to have an event.  I know that
this sometimes changes because the holidays many times move around a
calendar.  But for organizational purposes only lets subtract those now and
see what we have left.

Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years - these are usually family times either
mundane or SCA family.

44 weekends minus 3 holidays = 41 weekends

With these 41 weekends that are left EACH GROUP can choose 1 weekend as
their Perpetual Event Dates (PED).  EVERY GROUP IS ALOWED 1 WEEKEND NO
MATTER WHAT SIZE THE GROUP.

As I counted in the August BlackStar (the closest one at the time) there are
43 active and incipient groups. (I did not count the 1 dormant group near
Houston)  but only 41 weekends and we still have a few Kingdom events left
to assign.

The best solution at this point is to allow groups at the northern and
southern ends of the Kingdom to conflict their PED with each other.  There
are 9 groups in each region Northern and Coastal.  That leaves all in the
Western, Central and Southern Regions the ability to decide whether they
travel North or South or not at all.

The Baronies are allowed to keep their PED or change if they choose under
the current policies of the Kingdom Calendar, not to conflict in the same
region or with in 250 miles of each other the same weekend.

For organizational sake 43 groups minus 9 because Northern and Coastal can
conflict with each other = 34 groups can be assigned to a weekend out of 41
weekends.  7 weekends left ....Not bad.

The rest of those 7 weekends can be assigned to the Kingdom Events not
already discussed.  I am referring to Kingdom Law for this part.  Kings
Champion, Queen's Champion, Royal Huntsman, Kings Lancer in this proposal
has been combined.  What's left?

Laurels Prize Tourney, Kingdom A&S usually alternate year to year the same
weekend.  7 - 1 = 6 weekends left.

Academy of the Rapier, Academy of the Bow and Academy of the Sword can all
be combined in to 1 event.  We could call it "The Kingdom Academy."  It
might be a "Better Use Of The Weekends We Have Available."  6 - 1 = 5
weekends left.

In the time, 6 years, I have played I have not seen a Queen's Children's
College on the calendar.  Maybe it's time to delete that event.

Kingdom Eisteddfod could be combined with Kings College, Laurels Prize
tourney, or Kingdom A&S.  As these events rotate around the kingdom it would
not be a bad idea.  Or as proposed locally the Steppes has offered to host
that part perpetually as part of Steppes Artisan, it would be centrally
located in the Kingdom for everyone, always at an indoor event when there
are not many camping events because of the Texas heat.  Maybe it's time to
make this perpetually a part of another event.  It might be a "Better Use Of
The Weekends We Have Available."

Kings College is usually only held only once per year.  And it rotates
around the Kingdom as different groups host it.  We could assign it to a
specific weekend in the summer when it's hot and we need an indoor event.
 5 - 1 = 4 weekends left

Kingdom Warlord Tournament is the only event left in possibilities available
in Kingdom Law.  Is this event a sacred cow event?  What is the purpose of
the winner of this tourney?  What are the duties of the winner of this
tourney?  Should we keep this tourney or delete it?

Then there is Gulf War - 2 weekends in March.  It's on our calendar as we
are a participating Kingdom in this war.  4 - 2 = 2 weekends left

With this proposal every group has at least 1 weekend available to them as
well as Kingdom events already on the Calendar.  Here is a possible calendar
for 2003 strictly for the possibility of creating PED for every group.  If a
group wishes to hold more than one event they would follow the current rules
of calendar events AFTER ALL the groups have chosen their PED.  This
calendar below is taken from the current Kingdom Calendar on line as of
October 10, 2002 with some events left as is.

If this is proposal is put forth, the groups would choose their dates as
follows: Baronies first: in the order of their acknowledgement date as a
Barony.  The rest of the groups would go in the order of the date of
acknowledge as a group.

CKC = Currently on the Kingdom Calendar
PED = Perpetual Event Date by Kingdom Law
January 2003
3-5 -
10-12- Coronation - (CKC)
17-19 - Kings Round Table - (CKC)
24-26 - TRM Champion Tourneys (was Queens Champion) - (CKC)
February 2003
28-2 - Candlemas - Bryn Gwlad PED (CKC)(aren't they are also holding
Pre-Gulf War A&S this year and could hold this perpetually?)
7-9 -
14-16
21-23
March
28-2
7-9 - (The travel weekend before Gulf War) a group could hold an event here
but it's very unwise.
10-16 Gulf War (CKC)
21-23
28-30
April
4-6
11-13
18-20
25-27 - Octavian Tournament - Bonwicke - PED (CKC)
May
2-4 - Crown Tourney (CKC)
9-11 - Kingdom Academy - (CKC)
16-18 - Loch Soillier Baronial Championship and a Northern region PED (CKC)
23-25 - Steppes Warlord PED (CKC) always Memorial Day Weekend
30-1
June
6-8 -
13-15
20-22
27-29 - Castellan - North Keep- PED (CKC) and a Coastal Region PED
July
4-6 - TRM Champion Tourneys - HOLIDAY THIS YEAR
11-13 - Coronation (CKC)
18-20 - Kings Round Table (CKC)
25-27 - Laurel's Prize Tourney and Kingdom A&S
(Best in the middle of the HOT summer when no one wants to camp and TRM
don't always attend.  Here they're getting ready for Pennsic)
August
1-3
8-10 - Pennsic (CKC)
15-17 - Pennsic (CKC)
22-24
29-31 - Wiesenfeuer Baronial Championship (always Labor Day Weekend) PED
(CKC)
and a Coastal Region PED
September
5-7
12-14 - Stargate Baronial PED (CKC) and a Northern Region PED
19-21 - Defender of the Fort - Ravens Fort - PED (CKC)
26-27 - Elfsea Defender Tourney - PED (CKC)
October
3-5 -
10-12 - Namron Protectorate - PED (CKC) and a Coastal Region PED
17-19 - Bjornsborg Fall Court - PED (CKC)
24-26 - Samhain Celebration - Eldern Hills PED (CKC) and a Coastal Region
PED
November
31-2 - Crown Tourney - (CKC) was the weekend of LPT or KA&S
7-9 - (this is the weekend Rosenfeld usually has 3 kings GOOD PED for them)
14-16 - Bordermarch Melees - PED (CKC)
21-23
28-30 (Thursday 27th - Thanksgiving)
December
5-7 -
12-14
19-21
26-28 Thursday 25th is Christmas

Most Groups hold more than 1 event per year.  Most all Baronies hold 2 but
not all hold 3.  They are just allowed to hold 3 if they wish.

As this reads right now, there are 31 available weekends as a choice for 1
PED for each group with allowed conflicts there are 2 more if you want to
conflict with a holiday.  43 total groups - 13 baronies = 30 groups.  With
proper planning there could be some conflicts with PED and some of the
smaller groups.  It would definitely depend on geography.

Remember after all the groups pick a PED then if the Group wants to hold
other events they would use the current Kingdom Calendar Rules for conflicts
and precede to choose the other event dates they want to hold.

It's just a proposal and its very radical.

We could of course choose to do nothing and remain STATUS QUO.

In Service to Barony and Kingdom
HL Arabella de Montacute, past Kingdom Calendar Deputy