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<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">Mistress Claryce Rapheal Orfevre
here.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">First of all, I will say that these are my
opinions, and not those of my husband, my protégés, my friends, my barony, or of
anyone else. Any responses, agreements, or arguments should be brought to
my attention, not to theirs.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">Next. Up until the last few days I have
chosen to be inactive within my home barony for my own reasons. As a
matter of fact, I did not know that Namron had even put in a bid for Northern
Regional Tribute until the lists exploded. I could have been considered
indifferent to the actions of the barony. This is no longer
so. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">To the best of my memory, I can not remember a
single occasion in the history of the entire kingdom of Ansteorra in 18 years
where a local group (of whatever size) had an autocrat <U>chosen </U>for them by
any outside party. Let alone have an autocrat from outside of the local
area chosen for the group. In my entire experience of the chronicler's
office (spanning over 10 years) I cannot recollect <EM>ever </EM>hearing about a
group that had the autocrat <STRONG><EM>selected </EM></STRONG>by a regional or
kingdom seneschal.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">The local group has their name, their
reputation, and their monies at risk every time they attach their name to an
event <U>regardless </U>of whether the event is local, regional, kingdom,
or society-wide. <STRONG>Shouldn't the group <U>itself</U> have the
right to choose who will represent them? </STRONG>After all, this is the
person that can and will commit the group to financial obligations or staffing
requirements.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">In addition, if such an unprecedented decision
should be made, then by all rights, shouldn't the local group have the right to
remove their name from the event??? Or, is the regional and kingdom
seneschal now choosing who <STRONG><U>every</U></STRONG> group will have for an
autocrat, regardless of whether the group approves of the person or not??
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">Are we now living in a dictatorship where
everything that can affect a group's reputation or finances now is dependent on
regional or kingdom seneschals?<FONT color=#0000ff><STRONG> <U>Has this
been applied in other regions?</U></STRONG> </FONT>Was the <STRONG>autocrat
</STRONG>chosen <U>by the regional/kingdom seneschalate </U>for the
upcoming coronation? Has the <STRONG>autocrat </STRONG>been chosen <U>by
the seneschalate </U>for the upcoming Queen's Champion?? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">If so, then why, all of a sudden, is the
seneschal dictating orders to the local areas? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">If not, then why is Namron being singled
out?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">But it doesn't end there. If the
group even <EM>considers </EM>pulling out, the seneshalate punishes the
entire group for not going blindly along with the decisions of the
seneschalate. Is this right?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">I ask you all to consider these things.
I won't argue people, personalities, or old conflicts. I merely question
whether the seneschalate is changing policy and <EM>dictating </EM>to the local
groups of who will be allowed to commit them to expenses and
reputations. I also question whether this is being applied only to Namron
(or the north), or whether the <STRONG>entire </STRONG>kingdom is being ordered
to comply to the wishes of a few individuals.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">Just my opinion,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman">Mistress Claryce Rapheal Orfevre</FONT></DIV>
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