NR - Principality

[BSilveraxe at aol.com]

OK people, I have been very silent for a long time on a lot of lists.  Here's 
my take on this whole thing. We have started a discussion on the pros and 
cons of whether a Principality is a viable thing in the North or not. 
(Whatever it started out being, this is where we have ended up).  My answer 
is, maybe.  But that does not mean that I support it, I don't!  And here are 
my reasons.

1)  Other than a few groups and households and political buddies there is not 
the cohesivness in the North that is being portrayed here.  The lack of 
participation from certain groups in the north last weekend kind of makes 
that obvious. Right now in this region you have the political pirhana chewing 
away at everything that isnt thier way of doing it or not their idea.  Then 
you have the people who are trying to have fun and remember what the game was 
about.  The majority of the people who just want to have fun aren't going to 
participate in this discussion one way or another because they see it as 
"just another argument" in a region that has had more than it's share in 
recent years.

2)  Unless the State of Oklahoma triples in population it does not have an 
adequate base to ever attain Kingdom status. IMHO.  I just don't see the 
point in becoming a Principality just for the heck of it.  What we have now 
seems to accomplish the same things a new name, more banners, more brass, 
etc. would accomplish.

3)  Another level of Royalty.  CPs can't bestow any awards except 
Principality awards without permission of the crown.  CP's are subject to the 
Crown's will.  The Crown approves changes to principality laws, etc, because 
they are part of kingdom law.  CP's do what the Crown says and go where the 
Crown says.  Frankly I think we have enough representation if the peers and 
the Landeds do our job by recommending people for the awards they deserve.  
Anyone can recommend anyone for any award.  If there is an abundance of 
people who deserve recognition but aren't getting it, then that reflects 
badly on everyone in this region because they aren't doing what is necessary 
to get that recognition for the folks who deserve it.   The idea that we need 
another level of awards to recognize people for thier work in the region is 
ridiculous at best.  The Region is part of the Kingdom, and anything that 
betters the kingdom or region and not an individual group is already covered 
under the current award structure. Unless of course you're only in it for 
more cookies, not the dream.

4) It frees up the Kingdom calender.  How is this possible? The deputy in 
charge of the calender already checks to see if there is anything in the 
region and ajoining region for conflicts.  That argument doesn't wash.  If 
anything it clutters it up more with four more events on the calender with CP 
tournaments and CP coronations.  As a landed noble, I must travel in the 
kingdom to baronial investitures, Crown Tournaments and Coronations.  As 
Baron, I'd like to travel to as many baronial championships around the 
kingdom as I can.  I constantly find myself unable to travel to these events, 
though, because there is the strong perception that the landeds *must* 
support events in this region.  

5)Over the last five or so years the SCA has been undergoing a steady drop in 
membership.  This Kingdom has been losing the equivalent to a Shire a year in 
population.  All of the groups in the North have been fluctuating at a pretty 
steady basis and in some cases recruitment efforts right now are marginal at 
best.  We get some new members, but we lose an equal number of older members 
for different reasons, ie, moving, politics, arguing, or just get tired of it 
and go on.  These are facts.  

It is obvious to me that there are people here with PERSONAL differences.  We 
all have the right to our personal opinions but when it comes to flaming 
someones peerage because of their opinion, this has gotten out of hand.  Over 
the past several years, Northern unity has decreased.  To get back what we 
once had, this community needs all the support it can get.  I'm afraid that 
serious principality discussions will end with folks tearing each other 
apart, rather than respecting differing opinions.  With that kind of internal 
politics we will never make it as a principality.  The ideals we try and 
follow are our own.  No one else's, just ours.  If you try and jump into a 
principality with politics like they are at present, you will fail.  Years 
ago I might have been persuaded to change my mind about principality for the 
North.  But in the recent years there have been some serious political games 
between some of the higher ranking members of this region.  Things are only 
just now dying down a bit.  I think to push this issue now would reopen all 
of those cans of worms (and we only just now seem to be getting them back in 
the can).  I have seen what politics and power grabbing can do to a Kingdom, 
a region, and a local group and trust me people if you think its bad now just 
wait till you have a principality.  

HE Barn Silveraxe
Wiesenfeuer

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