SR - ballots results (long!)

[Lee & Sosha]

Hello all, Donal here.

uriel wrote:
> 
> OK...I've been watching this for quite some time - through two "ballots".  Being relatively new to
> the area, I've no basis on which to form an opinion on a name.    But I do have these questions.:
(excellent questions and observations snipped)

> Mistress Tamlin du Bois Vert, OL


Well said, Mistress Tamlin!

I'm getting tired of this, so I'm going to add my two cents; anyone who
wishes to reply may do so privately to avoid causing Pug to blow a
gasket. Having been totally uninvolved in the decision-making process,
yet privy to its every detail due to my unique position, here is my
impression of what has gone on with the balloting:

A few people have been pushing the idea that the region should have a
name to help foster a sense of community. This idea caught on enough so
that a committee was appointed by general acclamation of the few, to
research possible names. People who received the "Lion's Tail"
(unofficial regional newsletter) and people on this list were urged to
submit names for research to determine their chances of passing Laurel,
with the idea that a registerable name would be needed to go
principality in the future. This list of names was disseminated, via the
two sources mentioned above. A consensus was reached, again by the few,
mostly on this list, that a vote should be taken to determine which name
was most liked. It was determined that this would be a good point to
actually involve the seneschallate, in the person of the regional
seneschal, so that the vote would have some sort of official imprimatur
when the results were sent to the Crown.

Let me note here that the seneschal did not "push" the vote. Certain
persons, mostly on this list, were determined that the region needed a
name - never mind that we have yet to put on a full event, or do much of
anything as a region. So the Regional Seneschal did as the vocal portion
of the populace asked, and put together a voting process. Guess what?
The majority response was APATHY. Every group seneschal was sent
ballots, a lengthy timeline was established (two populace meetings), and
almost no one responded. The deadline was extended 20 DAYS, people.
Group seneschals were contacted. All of them. I have the phone bills to
prove it. STILL almost no one responded. 

The results, such as they were, were published, admittedly, again,
mostly on this list. And then the whining started. "We didn't know about
it." "Nobody told us this was the real vote." "I thought we had more
time." "Our group's stuff is missing - I'm sure we sent it in." "We
didn't get our way; something must be wrong with the process." "We want
other names than the ones that have been asked for over the past year."

So she did it AGAIN. This time, she sent out ballots with a
self-addressed, STAMPED, 9" X 12" mailing envelope, so the ballots would
be sure to be returned to the correct address. In the case of a certain
vocal barony, TWO were sent - one to the outgoing seneschal and one to
the incoming - sent to the addresses provided by the two people in
question. Three came back - a fourth group's was sent in a regular #10
envelope. Looks like the majority voted for APATHY again.

Now admittedly, this time there was a shorter time limit. One populace
meeting. 30 days. Because there should have been NO NEED for the kind of
hand-holding that occurred on the first ballot. Sosha announced the
mailing of the second ballot - ON THIS LIST, as well as to the
seneschals who attended the meeting held at Raven's Fort Defender.
Everyone who has complained here that not enough warning was given,
reads this list REGULARLY, and had every opportunity to notice if
ballots were not mentioned in their home groups. 

I see these complaints that "Sosha had the responsibility to make sure
all the groups responded." That is, to put it mildly, a crock. This
"name the region" hoo-hah is supposed to be a popular movement. If that
is the case, the populace should have been clamoring for those ballots
at their populace meetings, fighter practices, on the phones to their
seneschals. But what happened instead? Well, let's see. Five out of nine
groups did not respond. Two of those are incipient, and apparently are
too busy being incipient to worry about what, or if, the region is
named. Two are established shires, but both with rocky histories.
Apparently also too busy. NO COMPLAINTS about the process have appeared
from any of those four groups - all of which have members on this list.
The last, a large and vocal barony, was WAY too busy with stepping downs
and investitures and such to follow what was going on with the regional
naming. In six weeks, NOBODY NOTICED that no ballots were given out. 

Now I'll be the first to say that the changeover of a baron and baroness
is a very important thing. But if regional cohesiveness, a regional
identity, is SO IMPORTANT, so greatly to be desired by the active
members of that group, WHY didn't someone call attention to it as part
of the changeover? 

I missed Bjornsborg Fall Court. I wish the new Baron and Baroness of
Bjornsborg nothing but the best, and have the greatest respect for both
of them. But I want to ask something: during all of the pomp and
ceremony, did ANYONE get up and mention how the new nobles could lead
Bjornsborg into a new era of regional solidarity? Did anyone say
anything about Bjornsborg's place in the region at all? Did anyone try
to drum up support for the regional event? Or the regional name? I'd
really like to know.

It's late, I'm tired, sad, and angry. Stop trying to cast blame. Write
to the Crown if you like; I plan to. But think about this: if the region
really develops an identity, we will want a name, and nothing can stop
the adoption of a name. If not, then a name is worse than useless.

Donal O Dochartaigh
============================================================================
Go to http://lists.ansteorra.org/lists.html to perform mailing list tasks.