SR - The word for the SR Meeting on voting

Timothy A. McDaniel tmcd at crl.com
Wed May 5 23:43:41 PDT 1999


I can't really reply to Sosha's note to the extent I want to.
I should already be in bed.

Before discussion goes too far, I want to make these points:

> The list will come from Daniel

To quote Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the TV show):
    "When Giles gives me an order, he says 'Please'.
    And then he gives me a *cookie*."
When attempting to tell Daniel what to do, you may certainly omit the
cookie (though it can really help, if it's a nice toolhouse).  Please
do not omit the "please".

> we are not a democratic Society.

(Boy howdy, THAT'S a red flag!)

In Caid, the crowns have a text inscribed in the inside:
    "You rule because they believe".

Fundamentally, the Society is not an autocracy, because fundamentally
nobody can really make anyone else do something -- the most that can
happen is that an officer can be fired, but that's all.  "Voting with
one's feet" and "six-month vacation" happen.

The SCA is a consensual anarchic feudalism.  Weird, but it works.

But I digress.

> We are not trying to rewrite the rules

Corpora V.B.1 talks about how a proposed branch is formed.  Mind you,
we're not talking about branch status for the South yet; containing
baronies, it'd have to be a principality, and the P-word is, um,
controversial and (In My Most Humble Opinion) premature.  However,
I think it's a decent procedure.  It has "The members [of a proposed
branch] shall reach a consensus as to a proposed name (and device,
where required)", and talks of a petition of support from the
populace.

Rules-lawyering is not the point of this message.  What I want to
emphasize is my answer to

> Those three names will then be sent to the Kingdom Heralds office,
> the Kingdom Seneschal's office, and to the Crown for the final say.

with

> we are not a democratic Society.

This region will develop a regional identity and cohesion only through
working together towards agreed goals, through common vision, and
through consensus.  This has to be nurtured.

Furthermore, I believe deeply in consensus in a volunteer organization.

Futhermore, names are deeply personal and emotional.  If they weren't,
we wouldn't have discussed the whole subject at such length.  (For
example, when the Outlands went principality, the College of Arms
tried to tell them that the name was unacceptable and got them to
register "Utanwayard".  Newcomers were told there, "It's spelled
'Utanwayard', and it's pronounced 'Outlands'.".  Lookie who won.)

Set an event months off for major decisions, sounds good to me.  Set
ways to narrow the current long list by getting input from people who
care to speak up there, OK.  We've floundered without anyone else
coming up with good ideas, and these allow plenty of participation.

Saying "so-and-sos will have the final say in the name", period --
well, I can't speak for anyone else's dander, but *my* dander is at
least stirring if not getting up.  And there's a danger it won't work.

Only in limited situations could I advise not going with choice #1.
The only one I see is if two of them are pretty close in popularity
and there's another strong reason to prefer one (noticably closer to
period practice, say.  Let me know if you think of others.).  For all
that I dearly want an Authenticity Policeman's badge, I'd still
suggest a popular "eh" choice over a notably less-popular "wow!"
choice.

Daniel de Lincolia

P.S.  By the way, SCA CoA legend has it that Laurel King of Arms
finally said "Outlands?  What land is it 'out' of?" and got the reply
"The same land that the West is west of, the East is east of, and the
Middle is in the middle of.".  To paraphrase Tolkien, "he bowed as one
who is fully answered" and registered it.  Legend is probably wrong,
rules were different then, it's still a good story.

-- 
Tim McDaniel (home); Reply-To: tmcd at crl.com; 
if that fail, tmcd at austin.ibm.com is my work address, or tmcd at us.ibm.com.
tmcd at tmcd.austin.tx.us is a lie.

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