SR - Principality raison

[Dennis and Dory Grace]

Hi Crystal, Aquilanne here.

You wrote: 
>I have to disagree with you on this one for a number of reasons:
>1) Does everyone realize that the only way that the P will lessen the burden
>on the crown is if they NEVER come to our events??? 

I don't know about that. If the Prince & Princess handled enough Kingdom
business in their Courts to support the Crown, it *could* give the Crown
the breathing room of a couple events per reign. Even one or two events
less would lessen the Crown's burden; sometimes every little bit helps.

>If you want a P so that you can just play
>together, how will the crown see the people in the P and give out awards like
>this?

"Just playing together" isn't a *reason* for making a Principality. We do
that already. Playing together is just one of the things most of us see as
a *prerequisite* for considering a Principality.

>So if he didn't have to go
>to the events in the Southern Region it would have cost him $7000 x 80% =
>$5600. Do you think the difference between $7000 and $5600 is it really going
>to change whether someone enters crown tournement? I just really don't see
>this making a difference

Boy, I still think of $1400 as a big chunk of money (and probably always
will). ;-> Of course, you're right, though. I doubt very seriously whether
the fighters have actually sat down and made a budget before strapping on
their helms at Crown Tourney. ;->

>I think that the people who enter crown tourney do
>so because they want to serve their kingdom.  Being Crown is a big
"sacrafice"
>- it cost a lot of money, a lot of time, and a lot of work.

This seems like a good point to interject something I've been thinking
about. If a fighter wanting to win a Crown is someone who wants to serve
their Kingdom, why wouldn't a fighter wanting to win a Coronet be someone
wanting to serve their Principality? Why do I not hear people giving
fighters sh*t for wanting to win a Crown, but I do hear people sniping
about fighters who might want to win a Coronet?

(Just as an aside, I've already heard that Lyonel and I are being talked
about and included in a handful of people who are believed to be looking to
become "bigger fish in a littler pond." To you I
say--bwahaahaaaaahaaaahahheeeeheeeeheehoooo!!!!! ;-> Lyonel wants to win
crown and has no interest in fighting in coronet list and I have no
interest in being the Princess Grandma, thank you very much. I can't tell
you how I giggled when I heard this rumor. You guys are funny. Of course, I
*would* make a totally awesome Queen.  heeheeee ;-> )

Ok, back to stuff. Here I've snipped a bunch of calendar stuff. Yes, having
Principality events will mean *adding* a few events to the overall Kingdom
calendar. Take a look at some other Kingdoms' calendars, and you'll find
that some have a less crowded calandar, and some have a *waaaaay* more
crowded calendar. Part of making a Principality includes doing Principality
events. I might point out that when everyone started talking about doing
more *regional* events and when we started actually planning *regional*
events, no one uttered a peep about how *that* would add to the Kingdom
calandar. Kinda makes you go "hmmmmm?" don't it? ;-> Just something to
think about.


>2) You could try to piggy-back the events, but I really just don't see this
>happening.

I don't either. I *can* see Principality events possibly *replacing* some
of the smaller local events that don't get much play at present. 

>I honestly don't think that if we call ourselves a P that this is going to
>make any difference to the crown.  The believe that most crowns are still
>going to feel that it is their responsibilty to attend a LOT of events.

I think that's a pretty concise statement. The only difference would be
that a Crown could *choose* to utilize the presence of a Prince and
Princess in a Principality to take up some of the slack if they so desired;
some Crowns may, some may not. I don't think the whole "burden of the
Crown" thing is much of an argument either for or against making a
Principality, since it's impossible to pre-guess how much any Crown might
utitlize Their Prince and Princess.

>2) Now, as for who is better at holding court??? 

That's going to vary from Crown to Crown and Coronet to Coronet.

>I hate to say it, but making this region into a P is not going to
>change the level of volunteers or the amount of planning.

That's a pretty bold statement. What are you basing this opinion on? We've
seen the phenomenon at work; it *does* happen.

>It may change it
>for a couple of months when every one is all excited about a new P.  But down
>the line 6 months, or a year, or 5 years, the newness wears off and people
>find other things that they would like to be doing.  When that happens, the
>same people who are willing to do the work today will still be the only
people
>willing to do the work then.

Forming a Principality is something like forming a codified family (ok
now--no fish puns ;->). When you marry and start a family, there's the
excitement of the new relationship, the new babies, etc. This particular
flavor of newness does wear off. However, there is the ongoing newness of
each stage of development: the baby's first steps, a spouse's raise at work
or change of career, a child's first report card, the death of a relative,
the acquisition of a new car or a new home. The parallel isn't exact, but
the metaphor is apt. If these things happened amongst a group of friends,
they wouldn't go unnoticed or have no effect, but the same things within a
codified family have more effect on the members and draw more interaction
because there's more investment. (I hope I haven't gone too far into
metaphor to lose anyone here.) To sum up, things *would* change, there
*would* be more involvement, simply because there's more investment and
more to invest in.

>Dieterich, what you are describing, "have an account", "publish a letter",
>etc. This doesn't soundlike more "glamour, more limelight" - this sounds like
>more WORK.  If "it is a common complaint that regional offices are hard to
>fill" why do you think they will be easier to fill if we become a P and there
>is more WORK involved?

You're right, it *is* more work. That's been addressed and fully
acknowleged. However, there *is* more "glamor, more limelight." In a
different thread on another list, some people were talking about how we
tend to catalog and categorize events and experiences and other people as
part of a human social interactive phenomenon that we humans are heir to.
Categories (read "offices") which carry a title are more largely perceived
than offices that are designated as simple administrative posts. We do it
in the mundane world all the time. "Salesman" isn't nearly as impressive as
"Account Executive." "Secretary" isn't as impressive as "Administrative
Assistant." Which of these sets of titles do you think will draw more
attention on a resume? Same thing in the SCA. A title like "Lionsmouth
Herald" will carry more prestige and draw more attention than "Regional
Herald." We take our mundane experiences into the SCA, and our perceptions
while playing SCA are pretty consistent with our perceptions outside the
SCA. I don't believe that the fact that Principality offices do carry more
responsibility than regional offices would be lost on anyone.

Aquilanne


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