[Elfsea] Advice to Candidates and others

[Vicki Marsh]

Xene here again,

Here are a bits of advice that I have shared with other Barons &/or
Baronesses. These are not all based on what we did, but what we learned was
important. I wish I had known all of these things from the beginning of our
reign.

As you are reading this, think about what we expect from our Landed Nobles
and Crowns.  It can be very overwhelming, so please do whatever you can to
help them with their jobs.


1) Make files on your computer and in a handy desk file.  Keep all
correspondence in them.  Organization is one of the primary keys.
Especially, keep files for all the officer reports that they are supposed to
be copying you. That way, if they *don't* get their reports in to the proper
officer up the line, you will have a copy.
2) Make it public that one night a week is yours and you will not answer the
phone or e-mail on that night. You might take a weekend or two a month as
well.
3) Keep a list of things to do.  Use the list. Call people back and answer
your e-mails.
4)Invest in a portable telephone with an ear-jack and a belt clip.  One of
the best things I ever did, so I could continue to get things done around
the house, or make notes on the computer.
5)Try to set up a monthly meeting with your seneschal - before the populace
or business meeting - so you know what's going on.
6) Go to fighter practice.  The people need to see you there.  After you
leave, take a minute in the quiet of your car to make notes about what you
observed, any issues, etc, that you may need to discuss with your officers.
7) When an office is vacant, you may have to encourage an individual to put
in their application.  People like to be asked to take a job.
8) When an office is vacant and you have more than one application, make
sure you contact the regional officer with your recommendation ASAP or you
may have someone in a job that you don't work well with.
9) Let the populace know what events you will be attending.  We used to do
that at the end of each populace meeting.
10) Ask what events people attended the previous month and what they did
there.  It's amazing how many people travel and the recognition that some of
them get elsewhere that we never heard of until then.
11) Pay your officers.  At Christmas, I tried to get each of them a little
something and thanked them publicly for the work that they did.
12) Pay your autocrats.  After each event, I would give our autocrats a gift
and thank them publicly as well.
13) Stay interested in your hobbies and arts.  Your enthusiasm and
involvement will spur others to become involved in their own. It also helps
you stay sane:)
14) Try to give everyone your full attention. No one likes to be blown off.
15)If people come up to you at a time when you cannot give them the full
attention that they deserve, tell them that you want to give them your full
attention, but now is not a good time.  Could they possible get back with
you later?(After court, send you an e-mail, two weeks from next Thursday,
whenever..) Just make sure that you set a specific time so they will know
you are truly interested.


These things help with the day-to-day running of the Barony.

Now, for events...

1) Have a valet &/or lady-in-waiting crew to take care of you.  You cannot
take care of yourself when you are on stage. Have meetings with your
entourage crew before the event. You may have to tell someone that they
can't be on the crew, because they drive you nuts.  Of course, you can't
tell them that they drive you nuts, but that they are needed for another,
more important position.  Only have entourage that are willing to work hard
and truly care for you.  If you can't trust them, don't have them near you.
2) You should prepare for the event, though.  Make sure that you are
organized with your stuff and the baronial stuff.  The crew should know
where everything is in your tent or car.  That way, if you forget a baronial
cookie and need it two minutes before court, they can go fetch it for you
and not have to dig through every box in camp.
3) You are the "Host with the Most!".  Make sure that preparations for a
luncheon for the Crown, yourself, and entourage is provided somehow.
4) Take *very* good care of yourself.  Get a good night's sleep, eat a good
breakfast - protein is our friend - and make sure that you drink enough
water and take time to go to the bathroom.  Let people pamper you, because
you will need it.
5) Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Use sunscreen.
6) Brush your teeth in the morning.  Nobody likes a Baron with green stuff
in their teeth and breath that will knock a buzzard off a s**t-wagon. I
don't care how period it is. Breath mints after lunch are also nice.
7) The Baronial Coronet must be shiny and you have to wear it, at least for
court.  If the current ones don't fit you or your persona, see about getting
another one.  The Barony might go for it.
8) If you can lay down for 15 minutes before the evening court/activities,
it will really refresh you.  So will an afternoon shower. Put your feet up,
have a cool drink of water, be alone, say prayers for help and patience.
Tell people you have a headache, and set a guard before your tent.  If you
don't take a break, you will have a headache.
9) Make sure the autocrat knows in advance not to schedule you for a little
while in the afternoon.
10) Two to three weeks before the event, do your award recommendations.  We
got a lot of them by e-mail, so we would go through them, cut and paste some
of the recommendations, and write our own remarks as well.
11) You should have a personal scribe or two.  If you are lucky, you might
have a whole guild.  Ask the guild mistress or master at least a month in
advance to have a special award scroll ready for the event.  Six months is
even better, but check up on it at the one month date. Baronial
Championship, Baronial Bard (I never got a scroll for that, did you?),
Baronial Artisan, etc, all should have some sort of pretty scroll.
12) At the event, the scribe will need to know the names of the winners for
the competitions,so they can rapidly write the names on the scroll.  You
will have to sign it, too. If you can't write very well, designate a
signatore and use your baronial wax and seal.
13) Area rugs and a small table next to the throne lend a polished look to
the court.  The rugs and the wooden TV-tray table can be bought at Garden
Ridge pottery.
14)Make sure you have a herald keeping track of the awards given at court
and sign the court report afterwards.
15) Before court, sit down with TRM and their herald and your herald, in a
quiet place.  Set your guards up so you can discuss court without being
interrrupted. Figure out who is going to do which award and the order that
business will be brought up.
16) Never, ever let anyone talk in court if you don't know what their
business is. You could lose control if that happens.  Also, if you have
someone who wishes to make a presentation or a squire, see if they would
like to do it during feast or before court opens.  Keep court business in
court and keep it short.
17) Keep your populace happy and comfortable.  If you have to move court
around so the populace is in the shade, then do it.  Keep to your schedule,
as close as possible, so people won't miss court.

I'm sure there is more, but this is a start. Let me know if you have any
questions.

In Service,

Mistress Xene