Principality of Oertha

Oerthan Seneschals Handbook

Original edition published July 2010

Dont Panic

The author would like to thank the following people for their contributions and support: Viscountess Katarzina Porajski Viscountess Viresse de Lighthaven Viscount Cyrus Aurelius Viscountess Caitriona inghean ui Chionaodha Viscountess Bianca Rose Byrnes Viscountess Gwyneth Rhiannon of the Sea Master Khevron Oktavii Tikhikovich Vorotnikov Hersker Breock of Whitby Mistress Clare Elena de Montfort Mistress Alienor FitzHenry Mistress Heleyne of Aveberia Baron Rowan Buchanan Lady Lilandra of Sheep Rock Lady Ellisif a Reikiavik and Mairghread Dubh inghean Alasadair, my inspiration.

The many Princes and Princesses who wrote and defined the Laws of Oertha The authors of the Society Seneschal Handbook The authors of the Kingdom Financial Policy The authors of the Society Exchequer Handbook The Honorable Lord David de Bohun and the authors of the Northshield Seneschals Handbook

And an especial thanks to all the respondents to the Great Oerthan Seneschal Survey, I couldnt have done this without you!

Compiled by Hlaefdige Cynehild Cynesigesdohtor If you have questions, comments, or would like to use any part of the text in your publication, please contact Cynehild at clairemargery@gmail.com

1st Edition presented to the Coronets of Oertha at Summer Coronet AS XLIV

Table of Contents
Table of Contents.........................................................................................................i Introduction................................................................................................................ 1 About the office.......................................................................................................1 Before you say yes..................................................................................................1 The Basics..................................................................................................................2 Running a good meeting.........................................................................................2 Attendance........................................................................................................... 2 Making an agenda................................................................................................2 Keeping on point..................................................................................................2 Taking notes.........................................................................................................2 Reports.................................................................................................................... 3 Reporting schedule.............................................................................................3 Getting reports.....................................................................................................4 Who you report to and who reports to you...........................................................4 Writing reports..................................................................................................... 6 The Filing................................................................................................................. 7 Officers....................................................................................................................8 Finding good officers............................................................................................8 New officers......................................................................................................... 8 Warrants...............................................................................................................9 Dealing with officer turnover................................................................................9 What your officers can do for you........................................................................9 Finding a Successor...............................................................................................10 Where to look....................................................................................................10 Qualities to look for............................................................................................10 Training..............................................................................................................10 Events...................................................................................................................10 Calendaring........................................................................................................ 10 Finding event stewards......................................................................................11 Sites...................................................................................................................11

Keeping a record................................................................................................11 Publishing event copy........................................................................................11 Event Forms.......................................................................................................12 Ceremonial Heads.................................................................................................13 Polling................................................................................................................. 13 The Law.................................................................................................................14 Oerthan Law.......................................................................................................14 West Kingdom Law.............................................................................................14 Corpora..............................................................................................................15 Local and State Law ..........................................................................................15 Communication.....................................................................................................15 Internet Groups..................................................................................................15 Email..................................................................................................................16 Surface Mail........................................................................................................16 Phone................................................................................................................. 16 Face-to-face....................................................................................................... 17 Money.................................................................................................................... 17 Budgeting........................................................................................................... 18 What the Chancery of the Exchequer can do for you!........................................18 Financial committee...........................................................................................18 Regalia committee.............................................................................................19 Fundraising.........................................................................................................19 Insurance............................................................................................................20 Beyond the Basics....................................................................................................21 Coronet..................................................................................................................21 Coronet bids....................................................................................................... 21 Priority Bids ....................................................................................................... 23 Officer-run Coronet.............................................................................................24 Requirements to enter Coronet..........................................................................24 Principality Seneschal duties at Coronet............................................................24 Coronet problems...............................................................................................25 Failure to Complete and Curia Princeps.................................................................26 What to do when the Sovereign, Consort, or both fail to complete their reign...26 ii

Curia Princeps.................................................................................................... 26 Branch Suspension................................................................................................27 What is suspension.............................................................................................27 How to avoid suspension....................................................................................27 Weve been suspended, now what.....................................................................28 Conflict..................................................................................................................28 Conflict Resolution.............................................................................................28 New Groups...........................................................................................................29 Things to consider..............................................................................................30 Your first year checklist......................................................................................30 In the Community..................................................................................................31 Demos................................................................................................................ 31 Toys for Tots.......................................................................................................31 Food Drives........................................................................................................31 Other volunteer opportunities............................................................................32 Asking for donations...........................................................................................32 Public relations...................................................................................................33 Burnout.................................................................................................................34 Symptoms of burnout.........................................................................................34 Coping with burnout...........................................................................................35 Preventing burnout.............................................................................................35 Helping others....................................................................................................36 Resources...........................................................................................................37 Other duties as assigned.......................................................................................37 Award recommendations...................................................................................37 Officer Directory.................................................................................................38 Stepping down...................................................................................................39 Tips From Your Predecessors....................................................................................40 Frequently Asked Questions.....................................................................................41 General Questions.................................................................................................41 Reports.................................................................................................................. 42 Law........................................................................................................................42 Appendix 1............................................................................................................... 44 iii

Appendix 2............................................................................................................... 45 Non-attending officer report...............................................................................45 Quarterly Report................................................................................................46 2-Year Report..................................................................................................... 48 Appendix 3............................................................................................................... 49 Appendix 4............................................................................................................... 51 Appendix 5............................................................................................................... 56 Appendix 6............................................................................................................... 57 Appendix 7............................................................................................................... 61 Appendix 8............................................................................................................... 63 Appendix 9............................................................................................................... 64 Appendix 10............................................................................................................. 66

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Introduction
The seneschal is the administrative head of any SCA group. As the group leader, a good seneschal should have good interpersonal skills, good diplomatic skills, and a strong attention to detail. If you feel that this is you, read on!

About the office

Seneschal comes from the Frankish siniscalcus, meaning senior servant, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as an agent or steward in charge of a lord's estate in feudal times. Under the Ancien Rgime of Valois and Bourbon France, the snchal (plural snchaux) was the kings representative charged with the application of justice and administration of the snchausse in southern France. In the SCA, the seneschal is the administrative and legal head of a group. In groups without a ceremonial head (a Baron and Baroness or Prince and Princess), the seneschal is also the face of the group. In groups with a ceremonial head, the seneschal is still in charge of the administrative and legal aspects of running the group but reports to the Baron and Baroness or Prince and Princess. The symbol of the seneschals office is a gold key set horizontally on a red background; each group should have a key for their seneschal to wear on occasions of state.

Before you say yes

Before you say yes, consider the time and emotional commitments that you will be expected to undertake as seneschal. The seneschallate can be a very rewarding office, but it can also be very stressful and overwhelming. You will be expected to collect reports from your subordinates, write regular reports to your superiors, and to lead regular meetings. You will also be the administrative head of your group and therefore expected to sign contracts and mediate disputes between officers. On the plus side, you will be in a position to see a lot of the inner workings of the SCA and get to know many new people. Also, as Seneschal you will get to make the game better for your populace by making the group's official tasks run smoothly and helping guide your group clear of difficult situations.

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The Basics
A seneschals job is varied. Below, you will find information regarding some of your most common tasks.

Running a good meeting

Attendance There are two schools of thought on who should attend business meetings. One says that more will be accomplished if only officers attend, the other that if only officers attend, the populace will be unaware of upcoming opportunities. It is the opinion of the author that the latter is the better school. To encourage the populace to attend, consider holding your meetings at events (check with the Event Steward to make sure this is acceptable) or holding the meetings concurrently with other activities, such as fighter practice. Food is also a good motivator, though it is better to trade off food duties between officers rather than undertake the expense and burden on your own (this is especially true of college groups, nothing will attract students faster than free food.) If officers are unable to attend, request that they submit a short report to you ahead of time so that you can share their thoughts with the group (see Appendix 2 for an example). In short, business happens at business meetings, if you know a member of the populace has been interested in helping out, encourage them to attend. Making an agenda Agendas are one of the most important parts of running a good meeting, they keep you on track and they keep your officers on track. A good agenda should give each of your officers an opportunity to talk and include present and past business, while still being flexible enough to deal with changes that may come up. An example agenda can be found in Appendix 1. If possible, make the agenda available in advance so everyone knows what is planned. Keeping on point Keeping on point is one of the most difficult parts of running an SCA meeting. Especially with small groups, we all know each other and enjoy socializing. However, excessive chatter can result in business meetings that never end. To counteract this, try and set a firm schedule. For example, allot 20 minutes for officer reports, 20 minutes for old business, 20 minutes for new business. If the meeting is over quickly and business is taken care of efficiently, there will be more time for chatting afterwards. Taking notes Its a good idea to have notes from the previous meeting when setting up your next agenda. Also, having meeting minutes available to the

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populace ensures everyone a chance to catch whats going on and submit comments as necessary. The best way to get notes and minutes is to assign someone to take them, either yourself or someone else. If you take your own notes, do not forget to note what you said as well as what everyone else said, if you assign someone else to take notes for you, make sure you get a copy before you set the next agenda.

Reports
Reporting schedule Quarterly Reports should be prepared by all seneschals according to the following schedule. Please note that there is quite a bit of time between the due date of the report and the end of the reporting period. If something that must be reported right away (injury, theft, etc.) occurs after you have handed your report in, notify the Principality and Kingdom seneschals post haste. If something that does not need to be reported right away occurs after you have handed in your report, include it on the next quarters report. 1st Quarter Jan. March Local to Principality Principality to Kingdom Kingdom to Society February 21 March 1 March 31 2nd Quarter April June May 21 June 1 June 30 3rd Quarter July Sept. August 21 September 1 September 31 4th Quarter Oct. Dec. November 21 December 1 December 31

Baronial seneschals should prepare, every other year, a 2-Year Report on the condition of their barony for the Baron and Baroness to present to Their Majesties at the appropriate Crown event. This report must be submitted to the Kingdom Seneschal 6 weeks before the appropriate Crown event. The Baron and Baroness are also expected to submit a written report to the Crown 6 weeks before the appropriate Crown event. Barony Eskalya Winters Gate Selviergard Numbered years Even Odd Odd Crown event Purgatorio Coronation June Crown October Crown

The Principality seneschal should prepare, in odd numbered years, a 2Year Report to the Kingdom seneschal on the health of the Principality to be submitted before October Crown. [3]

Please note that exchequers report among themselves on a different schedule than seneschals. Exchequers reports are due the last day of the month after the quarter ends (i.e. April 30 for the First Quarter). Getting reports Collecting office reports can be one of the most challenging part of an seneschals job. One of the most popular and successful methods of encouraging on-time reporting is to offer a reward such as cookies to officers who turn everything in on time. However, it is very important that your officers know the importance of turning their reports in, if cookies are they only way to get their reports, you may need to have a discussion with them regarding their responsibilities. Another excellent way to ensure on time reports is to publish the reporting deadlines frequently; this keeps the schedule fresh in everybodys minds. When officers do not report on time, use meeting minutes to complete your report and check in with the officer to ascertain why the report was not completed on time, late or missing reports may be a sign of burnout. If an officer is frequently late with reports or does not report at all, it may be time to suggest that they find a successor. If you feel that this is the only course of action, make sure to approach the conversation with tact and courtesy. The Barony of Eskalya is currently experimenting with online reporting using Google Docs. The benefits to using this method are ease of use and record retention. As the beta testing period concludes, more information will be available on whether or not this is a beneficial tool. Who you report to and who reports to you Branch type Barony Canton College (if part of a Barony) College1 (if not part of a Barony) Principality Province*
1

Who you report to Principality Seneschal Baron and Baroness Baronial Seneschal Baronial Seneschal Principality Seneschal

Kingdom Seneschal Prince and Princess Principality Seneschal

The Principality of Oertha does not currently have any branches representing these branch types, they are included in this table only for completeness and in case such branches should develop.

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Riding* Shire Stronghold*

Provincial Seneschal Principality Seneschal Principality Seneschal

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Or in other words: Board of Directors Society Senescha l Kingdom Seneschal Principalit y Seneschal Baron and Baroness Baronial Seneschal s Special Deputies

Crown

Coronets

Shire and nondependent Stronghold and College Seneschals

Canton and dependent Stronghold and College Seneschals It is a good idea also, to make your reports available to the populace; you are as responsible to them for the running of your group as you are to your superior officers and your ceremonial heads. Keep in mind, however, that some information in your reports may be better kept confidential. In these instances, release an edited version the populace. Writing reports See Reporting Schedule Writing reports is the bulk of the seneschals job, luckily it is also the easiest (assuming your officers complete their reports.) Seneschals of groups below Baronial status need only concern themselves with the preparation of quarterly and Doomsday reports. Baronial and Principality seneschals need to prepare both quarterly and 2-year reports. Quarterly reports Quarterly reports should be completed using the form in Appendix 2. Principality seneschals and seneschals of baronies which

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have subordinate groups should list officer changes for both their own group and their subordinate groups. Keep all answers concise but informative 2-Year reports 2-Year reports should be no more than one page long and make a general accounting of the health of your group. This report is meant solely as an overview for Kingdoms edification. Highlight any major successes and problems your group has experienced, all specific details should be available in your quarterly reports. An example 2year report can be found in Appendix 2. These reports must be turned in to the Kingdom Seneschal 6 weeks before the appropriate Crown event.

The Filing
Keeping good records is the hallmark of an excellent seneschal. Your group will hopefully have a box in which past records are kept, if they do not, start a new tradition. In general you should keep the following things in your permanent records: This binder, which includes: o o o o o The Oerthan Seneschals Handbook and attached CD-Rom The SCA Organizational Handbook (Corpora) Kingdom Law Principality Law Oerthan Officer Directory

Brochures from your local and principality Chatelaine The most recent Insurance Letter (available yearly from Kingdom) Copies of reports you send on to your boss Reports submitted to you Your Warrant Copies of your current officers warrants Correspondence related to your office Things you should consider keeping:

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 News paper clippings, articles, etc. about your group Copies of thank you letters your group has written Copies of thank you letters your group has received An inventory of group property with photos Meeting minutes Copies of receipts Access information to your groups webpage Always remember that these documents belong to the group, not to you. It is your obligation to pass them along to the next seneschal.

Officers
Finding good officers Before an officers warrant expires, ascertain whether or not they would like to renew their warrant. If they are ready to pass the office, begin advertising for their successor as early as possible. On some occasions, you may have volunteers for the office, but is important to still advertise the opening so that anyone who is interested can apply. It is important also not to simply appoint successors without getting input from your fellow officers or the ceremonial heads of your group. Likewise, do not simply suggest your friends. If the populace feels that it is just you and your friends running the show they may feel marginalized. Good things to look for in officers are organization, experience in the SCA, ease of contact, ability to work well with others, and enthusiasm for the job. Do not be afraid to ask for a record of offices that candidates have held or other qualifications they have, for an example of what to ask for, see Appendix 3. You may be able to draw new greater officers from among your lesser officers, these people have experience in an office and it is often easier to recruit new people to the lesser offices as they require less responsibilities. Every officer should have a deputy. This person does not need to be their deputy/successor but should be able to support the officer and take the office in case of emergency. New officers It is important to work with new officers to ease the transition from one officer to the next. If the individual is new to the officer corps, consider checking in every other week. If an office is left with a sudden vacancy or a departing officer is unable or unwilling to train their replacement, work with

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the corresponding principality officer to train your new officer. Exchequer, Chronicler, Chirurgeon, and Heavy and Rapier Marshal handbooks are available on the attached CD-Rom, these are good gifts for new officers. Warrants All officers saving the herald must be warranted, the herald must be rostered. There are different forms for Seneschals and Exchequers and a general form for all other offices. Seneschals warrants must be signed by their superior seneschal, and either the Baron and Baroness or the Prince and Princess, other officers should have their warrants signed by their superior officer, the group seneschal, and either the Baron or Baroness or the Prince or Princess. The best way to accomplish long distance warrant signing is electronically. If you use surface mail, make sure to make a photo-copy before you mail your original. Warrants are typically signed for two year terms, though less is certainly acceptable. Do not allow your officers to sign for longer than two years or to sign blank warrants, this is not only unfair to them but unfair to others who may be interested in holding an office. A sample of each type warrant form and blank forms suitable for photocopying can be found in Appendix 4. Additionally, copies can be found on the attached CD Rom or online at: http://www.westkingdom.org/files/Seneschal_Warrant.pdf http://www.westkingdom.org/files/RequestforExchequer_Warrant.doc http://www.westkingdom.org/files/Other_Officer_Warrant.pdf Herald rostering is handled by the College of Heralds. It is the duty of the outgoing herald to inform the incoming herald of their responsibility to inform the College of changes to the office. While not a requirement, group heralds should also have passed the Persuivant Extraordinary Test, this is available online at http://heralds.westkingdom.org/PETest.htm. More information on the question of rosters versus warrants can be found at http://heralds.westkingdom.org/ RosterAndWarrant.htm. Dealing with officer turnover When offices hand over there are benefits and problems that can result. The benefits are that you have a new officer who is (hopefully) enthusiastic about their new position and not burned out. The detriment to officer change-over is that you lose the previous officers experience. What your officers can do for you In general, your officers reports are helpful for producing your reports to Principality or Kingdom. Your officer corps should also be a good sounding board for ideas you are consider implementing. Do not take action without their input. For information on the Chancellery of the Exchequer, see Money [9]

Finding a Successor
Where to look As with replacing other officers you should begin advertising for a deputy-successor early and often. For local groups this is best achieved in newsletters and online, for the Principality Seneschal, you have the option of advertising in the Page, though the newsletter and online are still your best options. Advertising at business meetings and events is also an excellent way to promote the position. Do not be afraid to ask for a record of offices that candidates have held or other qualifications they have, for an example of what to ask for, see Appendix 3. Qualities to look for Organization Diplomacy Discretion Ability to work with difficult people Good writing skills Timeliness Good sense Enthusiasm Strong history of participation

Training The best type of training for a seneschal is on the job, the longer the better. Because something new can always happen that on the job training did not prepare them for, you should encourage your successor to thoroughly read Oerthan and West Kingdom Law and Corpora. They should also be familiar with the handbooks of the other officers as sudden vacancies must be filled by the seneschal until a replacement officer can be found. You should also encourage your successor to speak to former seneschals and former ceremonial heads (if applicable) for advice on the office.

Events
Calendaring Oertha holds its calendaring meeting at Summer Coronet and Investiture; this meeting does not guarantee event dates, only eases the process for later in the year. On September 1st, the Kingdom calendaring deputy begins accepting one proposed event date from each group seneschal. Group seneschals may submit any other dates they would like reserved to the kingdom calendaring deputy after November 1st. These requests may be made online at http://www.westkingdom.org/wk_ datesubmission.htm?alias=date_request.html&office=seneschal. Alternately, the kingdom calendar deputy can be reached at calendar@westkingdom.org. The online date request form has space for three date choices, list dates in all three. Remember, however, that Oertha is exempt from many of the conflict rules. Any group in Oertha may conflict with events in Central West and the Far West (conflicting with Crown events requires a written [10]

waiver from the Crown and permission is granted on a case-by-case basis.) Events in Oertha cannot conflict with Summer or Winter Coronet and Investiture. Groups in close proximity to each other may conflict so long as their events do not have similar focuses. For example, Eskalya may hold a collegium that conflicts with a Selviergardian tournament. This is, however, considered poor form. Finding event stewards A good event steward should be excited about the event they are hosting and willing to work within a set budget. If you have a good populace turnout at business meetings, they can be an excellent place to recruit people to run upcoming events. If you dont have a good populace turnout at business meetings, advertising online, at events, and in newsletters is your best recourse. Drawing all your event stewards from your officer pool is not recommended as this leads to a burnt out bunch of officers. Also, if the same person has run an event for a number of years in a row, consider working with them to allow a new person to take a turn. When you have a new event steward, consider suggesting they ask a mentor to work with them; this will help train them and make sure nothing is missed. Ensure though that they pick their own mentor instead of assigning one to them, they are in charge of the event, not you. While the event steward should be allowed to run their event outside of the interference of others, it is important to check in at meetings and as the event approaches just to make sure things are being taken care of. There is a fine line between checking in and taking over, try not to cross it. Sites A good site should have plenty of parking, handicap facilities, both indoor and outdoor space (for winter events) or some sort of picnic shelter (for summer events), be easily accessible from main roads, and, most importantly, be cheap. It is not always possible to get a perfect site; often you must choose between amenities and price. In these cases, price should be the deciding factor. Keeping a record Appendix 5 has a table with which you can keep track of sites in your area for future reference additional pages can be printed as necessary from the attached CD-ROM. Publishing event copy Event copy must be sent by the seneschal to chronicler@westkingdom.org by the first day of the month preceding the event; for a January event, copy must be to the chronicler by December 1st, for a February event, by January 1st, and so on. Local events are [11]

permitted 1/3 of a page (approximately 200 words or less) and Principality events are permitted 2/3 of a page (approximately 400 words or less). Event copy must include the following things in the following format: Month 1, 2010 Event Name Sponsoring Branch (Site location's City, State) Exciting and important information about your event that does not fall into the categories of Site Information, Autocrat, or Directions. Site Information: Name and / or address of the site, site opens at (time goes here) and closes at (time goes here). Site fees, $(amount) for members $+3 for non members, optional separate discounted fee for children. Please make checks payable to "SCA, Inc.- Sponsoring Branch Here" Event Steward: SCA Name, no titles please (Legal Name), Mailing address / City State zip code / 555-555-1212 / autocrat_email@email.com Directions: The most concise and accurate directions you can accomplish. It also helps if you put the full site address in the Site Information section, including the zip code, so that folks can MapBlast or Google it for themselves. (From http://www.westkingdom.org/wk_chronicler_template.htm) Event Forms Event forms are not required but they can be very helpful when trying to keep Event Stewards to a reasonable budget. An exemplar fund request form, event budget form, event sponsorship form, and event report form can be found in appendix 6 and blank forms can be found on the attached CD-Rom. The fund request form, event budget form, and event sponsorship form should be turned in at least two business meetings before the event, and event reports should be returned at the business meeting most directly following an event. For Coronet and Investiture, the funds request, event sponsorship, and event budgeting forms should be given to the event team at the preceding Coronet and returned at least two months before their Coronet. The event report form should be given to the Coronet event team at their Coronet and returned no more than one month later. The fund request form, event budget form, and event sponsorship form were adapted from the Eskalyan forms of the same name and the event report form was adapted from the Calontir Event Report Form.

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Ceremonial Heads
Polling A new policy has been enacted at the Kingdom level dealing with the process of baronial polling. Beginning in February 2009 the Kingdom seneschal has begun the process of holding votes of confidence among all the Western baronies. These votes are being held in order of length of baronial tenure. After the first vote, it will be re-taken every two years. At the moment the order the Oerthan baronies will be polled in is Winters Gate, Selviergard, Eskalya; this is simply a guideline however and you should wait for contact from the Kingdom seneschal before proceeding. The role of the baronial seneschal in this process is fairly simple, the Kingdom seneschal will contact you for a list of zip-codes included in your barony (see Appendix 7) and you will be asked to inform your barony of the upcoming polling. After Kingdom receives the list of zip codes, the seneschal will request members addresses from corporate and mail out ballots. When ballots have been completed and returned to Kingdom, they will be tabulated and the results shared with the Baron, Baroness, and baronial seneschal. If the vote returns no confidence, a polling will be held to select a new Baron and Baroness. This must be handled with respect; the outgoing Baron and Baroness have given of their time to serve the barony. They may, despite a vote of no confidence, submit their names to succeed themselves, as may any other member of the populace. There are no laws about how long the period will be between a vote of no confidence and a polling for a new Baron and Baroness so it is recommended that you consult the Principality and Kingdom seneschals during the process. When a Baron and Baroness announce their intention to leave office, they may not appoint their successors, but instead should work with the seneschal to begin accepting names for possible replacements. The polling can be held at an event, meeting, or through the mail. The results should be collected by the seneschal, tabulated, discussed with the outgoing Baron and Baroness and with the potential incoming Baron and Baroness to ensure that they understand the responsibilities and are willing to serve. The results must then presented to Their Majesties as a polling is merely advisory and only Their Majesties may choose the next Baron and Baroness. When the Crown has made their selection, and it has been announced to the populace, the installation of a new baron and baroness will continue according the traditions of the barony.

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The Law
You should be familiar not only with the laws of the society, Principality, Kingdom, and Corpora, but also the relevant laws of the state and your local community, especially those governing fundraising. Oerthan Law Oerthan Law emanates from the Coronets and thus it is the Coronets who have the final word in the interpretation of the law. The text of Oerthan law is available in the back of this binder. As a service to your successors, please update with any changes as they are announced. A full copy of the Laws of Oertha must, by law, be published in the principality newsletter every other year. Making changes to Oerthan Law The laws of Oertha emanate from the Coronets, not the seneschal. However, a new Prince and Princess may not be aware of the steps needed to change or update the laws. Kingdom law states Any changes to the laws of a Principality must be first submitted to the Crown of the West in writing and receive Its signature before being proclaimed. (WK I.4.2) Traditionally law changes must be signed in ink by the King and Queen, however, contact the King and Queen regarding their preference before mailing documents to Central West. When permission has been granted by the Crown, the new law must be proclaimed in an official court by the Coronets. The proclamation makes the law official but not binding, the final step is publication. Law changes must be submitted to chronicler@westkingdom.org as soon as they have been approved for publication in The Page. West Kingdom Law The laws of the Kingdom of the West emanate from the Crowns of the West, not the Kingdom Seneschal and therefore the final word on interpretation of the laws lies with the Crown. The text of the Laws of the West is available in the back of this binder. As a service to your successors, please update with any changes as they are announced. Changes to West Kingdom Law It is not the duty of any one in Oertha to change the Laws of the West. However, if a law is passed that adversely affects Oertha, (i.e. a law banning camping in areas where there is wild animal danger) the Principality Seneschal should inform the Kingdom Seneschal of the conflict and work with Kingdom to address the problem. If a local seneschal becomes aware of a problem that needs to be addressed, they must go through the Principality Seneschal.

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Corpora More correctly the called the SCA Organizational Handbook, the ByLaws and Corpora of the SCA are the laws governing all kingdoms. Within the SCA they are second only to Modern Laws. Corpora defines a number of key points of the SCA such as Membership, Types and Requirements for Events, Requirements for Participation, Appointment of Officers, and who is responsible for enforcing these points (the officers and presiding nobles). Also, Corpora defines the basic requirements for branch types and the process of establishing or advancing branches. Local and State Law While you dont need to memorize Alaska Statute or Municipal and City Codes, being aware of them is helpful. If you are ever unsure of whether or not a matter needs to be brought to the attention of the modern legal authorities, contact your superior seneschal for guidance, unless it is an emergency and you believe serious harm could be done to a person or the SCA, in which case contact the modern legal authorities and then inform your superior seneschal of your actions.

Communication
Communication is the most important aspect of the job of seneschal; it can also be the most trying. As seneschal, all of your communication should be undertaken with patience and forethought, considering the implications and possible outcomes of your statements. You are the face of your group and the person people look to for mediation and guidance. Internet Groups All groups should have an internet group (Yahoo, Google, or similar). These are great forums for group communication and the sharing of documents, images, or discussion. If you are a new group or if you are forced by convenience or necessity to set up a new group, keep the following things in mind: your group name should be short and include your group name (sca_oertha is preferable to principality_of_ oertha or sca_alaska), the description should reflect the purpose of the group, and you should have at least one group open to the public. Setting up internet groups is simple, you should work with your web minister, if you have one, and follow the directions available from your chosen service. Both the seneschal and web minister should be moderators of the group. Internet groups sometimes get out of control, people openly vent frustrations or sow discord. In these instances, you should consider sending a message, off list, addressing the issue in the most respectful terms possible. If it a complaint about the SCA, see what you can do to help alleviate it, if it is a complaint about a non-SCA issue, simply ask that they take their conversation off the list out of respect for their fellow members.

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Keep in mind always that the majority of the information that we convey when we communicate is non-verbal, and that written communication is purely verbal and thus can cause miscommunication. Always be careful and concise. Email It would be appreciated if an attempt could be made to keep a record of all official email both produced and received by the office of the seneschal, in either a digital or paper form. The easiest way to accomplish this is to have an official seneschal mail address that is able to store emails and that can be checked easily online (yahoo, hotmail, gmail, etc.). If you decided to go this route, the email address should be simple and easy to remember, oertha_seneschal@gmail.com for example. Keeping a record of emails gives future seneschals a resource to look for precedence when dealing with particularly sticky issues, especially recurrently sticky issues. A record of past emails can also be helpful in determining the source of a miscommunication and rectifying the problem. When responding to emails, keep in mind that the majority of the information that we convey when we communicate is non-verbal, and that written communication is purely verbal and thus can cause miscommunication. If the email you are responding to is a particularly hotbutton issue, remember that there is no rule that says you must respond right away. Write a response, save it as a draft, and re-read it the next day. If you are upset, always wait until you have reined your temper in before responding. Whenever you write an email, keep in mind that the person receiving it is a person who has likely given a lot to this society and that they deserve your respect. Even if you do not know the recipient, try to extend unconditional positive regard. When writing emails, especially to people who are not affiliated with the SCA, avoid using acronyms that they may not be familiar with, such as YiS. Surface Mail Although it is increasingly rare, using surface mail to communicate with people has some advantages, namely the amount of information that can be sent and the fact that you can make it look all pretty. Surface communication is best for mailing handouts or particularly large reports to people with slow internet connections and for thank you letters to businesses or associations that have done your group some service. A photo-copy of your correspondence should be kept for your records. Phone When placing a phone call, make notes of what you need to discuss ahead of time, to help keep you on topic. Also, if you can, take notes of your conversation as it occurs in case any of it needs to be in your report. Keep in

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mind always that 7% of what we mean is conveyed by our choice of words, 38% is conveyed by the tone of voice, and 55% is conveyed by non-verbal behavior, over the phone this changes to 10% verbal and 90% tone of voice. When leaving messages, leave your name, both modern and SCA, phone number, the date and time, and what your message pertains to. Face-to-face As mentioned above, 7% of what we mean is conveyed by our choice of words, 38% is conveyed by the tone of voice, and 55% is conveyed by nonverbal behavior. In order to prevent miscommunication, consider the following tips for assertive communication: Eye contact should be appropriate, neither avoiding the other persons eyes nor maintaining constant eye contact. Body posture should be poised, dignified and self-assured, not slumped or confrontational. Distance should be comfortable, if the other party is uncomfortable (generally marked by shifting or moving away) adjust your posture to make them comfortable. Keep in mind that cultural norms of distance differ within the state and Outside, but generally 2-3 is considered polite. Gestures should be contained to your personal space, neither pointing, poking, or fidgeting. Tone of voice should be articulate and careful, not particularly loud and staccato or quite and full of fillers. In addition to communicating your ideas you need to be a polite and attentive listener. When others are speaking, do not interrupt, ask leading questions, or try to pull their ideas into your plan. Instead, respond only when appropriate, and listen with the intent to understand.

Money
The information below is not intended to infringe on the duties of the exchequer. While you are the legal head of the group, they are in charge of the money. It is very important to keep legal and financial power separate. Whenever you or a member of the populace undertake a project that will require funds, consult with the exchequer and make sure that they remain part of the communication loop throughout the project.

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Budgeting Your exchequer will be your primary resource for budgeting; they should have easy access to the groups bank statements and be willing to share them with you. Appendix 6 has a number of forms (blanks of which can be found on the attached CD-ROM) that will help with budgeting. What the Chancery of the Exchequer can do for you! The exchequer should be your right hand officer, in this economic climate, making the best SCA event for the least possible money is the way we have to play. Your exchequer must be able to work with event stewards to set a reasonable budget, balancing the potential financial loss with reasonable site fees. Make sure you are familiar with the duties and procedures of the Chancery of the Exchequer; read the society handbook and Kingdom Financial Policy. In general, the exchequer is permitted to approve expenses less than $50 or more than that when directly related to site fees, deposits, or scheduled events. The seneschal and exchequer must approve expenses between $51 and $100 prior to disbursement. The full financial committee must approve expenses over $100 prior to disbursement. Alternatively, if a group holds populace meetings, a disbursement of over $100 may be approved by the majority vote of the populace attending a business meeting. If the expenditure must be made prior to the next business meeting, or, if one or more members of the financial committee are unavailable, the expense can be approved by the group exchequer and the group seneschal plus either the Kingdom Exchequer or the Kingdom Seneschal. This Kingdom-level authorization may be obtained by phone once the Exchequer and Seneschal are in agreement on the need for an urgency of the expenditure. An additional note on the Chancery of the Exchequer, your branch exchequer should forward to you copies of all reports they submit. You will be required to sign off on your groups financial doomsday report, if February has come and gone with no word of it, it may be time to contact your exchequer. Financial committee From West Kingdom Financial Policy: For Principalities whose law does not otherwise specify the composition of the Financial Committee/Exchequers Council, the Council shall consist of the Principality Exchequer, the Principality Seneschal, and the Prince and/or Princess (who shall vote as one). For Baronies who do not otherwise specify the composition of the Financial Committee, it shall consist of the Baronial Exchequer, the Baronial Seneschal, and the Baron and/or Baroness (who shall vote as one). For Provinces and smaller branches who do not otherwise specify the composition of the Financial Committee, it shall consist of the

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branch Seneschal, the branch Exchequer and the other designated officer for the branch required to maintain the status of the branch. From the Society Exchequer Handbook: The purpose of a financial committee is to appropriately spread the responsibility for decision-making to a team. The exchequers purpose is to first determine whether an action is allowable according to our rules. Once a determination that the proposed action is allowable is made, the financial committee decides as a team whether it is desirable to pursue the action. Even if the exchequer votes against an action, if it is allowable and the financial committee rules say that the action is approved, then the exchequer has to carry out their duties regarding that action. Obviously the above text refers to exchequers rather than seneschals, but the same statements hold true. While the exchequer is the specific guardian of the groups coffers, the seneschal should also be careful not to allow frivolous spending. The Financial committee need not meet in person. Regalia committee The regalia committee is made up of the exchequer, seneschal, the regalia officer, and either the ceremonial heads of the group or another great officer if the group does not have ceremonial heads. The duty of the regalia committee is to care for existing regalia and consider the purchase or creation of new regalia. As with the financial committee, the regalia committee is made up of multiple members so that no one person has the power to make regalia decisions. Fundraising Raffles or drawings in which entrants explicitly buy tickets must have a permit from the State of Alaska, other rules may also apply depending on the community in which the raffle or drawing is held. In general, the best fundraiser is one that doesnt tap the membership dry of funds, this is an expensive hobby, making it worse wont help anyone. In general there are three good ways to raise money: efforts that do not ask for a lot of money but that reach a wide audience (an inn at an event, a cooler of soda to sell at events over the summer, bake sales, etc.), efforts that ask for more money but that happen in frequently (cookbooks, DVDs, auctions, etc.), and efforts that ask varying amounts of money but do not tap just SCA participants (garage sales, booths at community fairs, etc.). Moderating how much money you hope to raise in a season can result in more steady income over time as compared to constantly asking for large sums and receiving little. Always consult your exchequer before undertaking fundraising, as there may be additional rules to take into account.

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Insurance From the Northshield Seneschals Handbook: Always use the current insurance letter only! Two Functional Components: Property and Liability o Property coverage Covers against damage to property not owned or on long-term lease by SCA members, being used for an SCA event Events can include business meetings, dance practices, fighter practices, and other activities in addition to what we normally consider events Covers damage (including fire damage) to sites including buildings, grounds, furnishings, and in some cases automobiles

SCA events may be held on members property, but the members own insurance must provide coverage Liability coverage Protects the SCA, its officers and members, while acting within the scope of their duties, against suits arising from actions performed as a legitimate part of SCA activities Covers paid SCA members only Includes personal injury liability and host liquor liability (but only if we do not sell liquor)

Responsibilities o Our insurance company considers us an acceptable risk because we: Have rules in place that are designed to make our game reasonably safe Put people in charge who have the authority to enforce those rules and who are expected to do so Limit our definition of covered events to those that are supervised and conducted according to SCA rules Expect both members and nonmembers to abide by those rules as a prerequisite to participating in SCA activities of any sort

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Expect both members and nonmembers to assume risks arising from their personal participation, in writing (that is, they have to sign waivers).

Officers are responsible for seeing that both Modern and Society laws are followed, to the best of your ability

Beyond the Basics

Coronet
Coronet bids Bidding for Coronet and Investiture is a great thing for a group to do; it gets visitors to your area, and sometimes increased royal recognition for members of your group. Both groups and individuals may submit bids to host Coronet. If an individual or household is bidding to host Coronet, they should inform the group whose borders the event will be in. When putting together a bid, the minimum information required by law is the specifics of event team, date, location, and accommodations for the List and Investiture. With the following points considered: A Any group within the Principality that meets Society, Kingdom and ) Principality Law for hosting a fighting event may place a bid. B Bids, once accepted, can only be changed by agreement of the ) Coronet, the Seneschal, the hosting branch, and the autocrat except as may be necessary to meet Society, Kingdom, or previously existing Principality law. C In consideration of the possible remoteness of some branches, ) the Coronet or Seneschal may request the bid to provide reasonable evidence that enough authorized fighters can be expected to attend so that the minimum List requirements set forward in Society, Kingdom, and Principality Law can be met. D In the unlikely case that no qualifying bid is received, the Coronet ) and the Seneschal shall select either the largest branch in the Principality or the branch that has not hosted a Coronet event in the longest time and request that group to prepare an event that meets at least the minimum requirements set forward in Law. 1) If no acceptable bid can be developed, the Coronet shall direct the Seneschal to autocrat the Event and the Principality Officers shall complete the Autocrat Team. Oerthan Law IV.3.2

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A more complete bid should address the following questions: Site o How much does it cost? (This is the most important thing to consider, Coronet and Investiture is the Principalitys largest fundraiser and it often loses money because event teams choose expensive sites. While it is acknowledged that there are few cheap sites in Alaska, every effort should be made to secure the cheapest possible.) What amenities are nearby? (hotels, camping, food stores, coffee, etc. Please include hotels as some individuals are not comfortable imposing upon peoples hospitality.) Is it big enough for 90-105 people in the winter or 100-130 people in the summer? If youre cooking, whats the kitchen look like? Does the site have handicap facilities (parking, bathrooms, etc) Is there a place for the Royals to use as a ready-room? Is there a place for peerage councils to meet? Is it easy to access from the highway system? Or, can it be flown into easily? Are there plenty of chairs and tables or would you need to rent some? Is there adequate parking? If the bid is for a Winter Coronet, will fighting be indoors or outdoors? If its outdoors can people watch from inside? Can a written contract be secured? Can the Principality Seneschal visit the site, or see photographs, before Coronet if it has never been used before?

o o o o o

o o o

o o

Financial considerations o Will the cost of site, food, and transportation make it prohibitively expensive for the majority of the populace? Alternatively, have you taken into consideration the cost of travel to your site from some of the more remote groups?

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Are your break even numbers reasonable for past Coronet attendance numbers? (see Appendix 8) Have you made a good faith effort at balancing a profit with a reasonable site fee? Can you justify the cost of a feast? Have you taken incidentals into account when calculating your final expected costs?

o o

Activities o o Are there activities planned besides fighting? If you plan to offer classes what kind of facilities can you provide for teachers? What is the proposed schedule? What are your proposed contests?

o o

Event Team o If the head Event Steward or the lead members of the Event Team are new to running Coronets, do they have experienced back-up? Do all the members of the team have a good record of communication with each other and principality officers?

The Principality Seneschal should work closely with the Principality Exchequer and Coronets to judge the merits of each received bid, choose a winner, and address any lingering questions regarding the winning bid. All bids are due to the Principality Seneschal six days before the preceding Coronet. Priority Bids Some groups can submit Priority Bids based on the following criteria: Section 3.3 A branch that has not held a Coronet event in as many times as there are eligible branches may submit a bid that asserts priority. In the case of multiple priority bids, the branch that has not held a Coronet event in the longest time shall receive higher priority. A priority bid that meets the standards set forth in these Laws shall be strongly considered in preference to any other bid. The final decision for the winning bid will rest with the Seneschal.

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The following points will be considered with regard to bids: A) Baronies and Shires are eligible for priority ranking. Other branches may receive priority ranking only by bidding through the nearest barony or shire. B) For a bid to receive priority consideration, it must be submitted no later than one week prior to the Coronet event preceding the event for which the bid is written (6 months and one week before the event). C) For purposes of priority, new groups shall be counted as if they held the Coronet event immediately prior to their establishment. In the case that this creates a tie for priority, the event shall be awarded to the new group. Oerthan Law IV.3.3 Officer-run Coronet In the event that no bids are received, it falls to the Principality Officer Corps to host Coronet. In these cases, consider the same points as above and remember to delegate to your officers! Requirements to enter Coronet To enter Coronet, both the fighter and consort must be paid members of the SCA at least through Coronet weekend (they have ten days to provide proof of membership through the end of the reign), and the fighter must be an authorized fighter in the West Kingdom or must be vouched for by a Knight or Senior Marshal. This information is collected by the Principality List Minister and then provided to the Principality Seneschal. All entrants must also be in compliance with the Laws of Oertha, Laws of the West, Corpora, and the By-Laws and able to attend their Investiture and the following Coronet and Investiture of Their heirs. Fighters and consorts must have physically resided in and participated on a regular basis with the Principality during the most recent reign. Regular participation will be defined as attendance at three or more published activities, such as: fighter practices, local events, officer or guild meetings. Fighters and consorts must agree to reside in the Principality for the duration of their reign. Principality Seneschal duties at Coronet Before Coronet weekend, the Principality Seneschal must secure from Kingdom a list of the current membership. This is then checked against the tournament list to ensure that all combatants and consorts are current members. The Principality Seneschal must convene a meeting of the local seneschals and a meeting of the Principality officers. [24]

 The Principality Seneschal must meet with the outgoing and incoming Royals to inform them of the status of the Principality. The Principality Seneschal must swear fealty to the incoming Coronets during their investiture. The Principality Seneschal should be present during the final count of the monies received, along with the Exchequer and Constable. The Principality Seneschal must be present and available to the populace to answer questions and hear concerns. The Principality Seneschal or a deputy must prepare an updated Officer Directory to be distributed to local seneschals and principality officers. (See the section on the Officer Directory under Other Duties as Assigned for more information.) If the Principality Seneschal cannot attend Coronet, for whatever reason, they should designate a representative who can act in their stead. Coronet problems Any Coronet Tournament which fields fewer than 5 entrants will be considered void and the reigning Coronets, Principality Seneschal, Principality Exchequer, and Principality Knight Marshal will meet at the event to reschedule the tournament and Investiture for as soon as possible. If the Sovereign is unable to attend Their Coronet and the Investiture of Their heirs, the Consort will act as regent and undertake all duties in the sovereigns place. Should the Sovereign- and Consort-elect not intend to reign, and sufficient evidence of their lack of intention is presented to the Coronet, or should they be unable to reign due to circumstance, the couple who placed second in the Coronet Lists will be invested as Prince and Princess. While there is no rule defining the minimum temperature for fighting at Principality, Kingdom, or Society level, it is not considered advisable to fight at temperatures colder than -20 Fahrenheit. If it is possible, it is recommended that you fight indoors. If this is not possible and temperatures do not rise, speak to the fighters to determine if they are comfortable with the temperature. If they are, continue the tournament, if not or too few are, the reigning Coronets, Principality Seneschal, Principality Exchequer, and Principality Knight Marshal will meet to determine the best course of action.

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Failure to Complete and Curia Princeps

Or what to do when things go seriously awry. This information is only necessary for executing the duties of Principality Seneschal, all other Oerthan seneschals should consider it informational. What to do when the Sovereign, Consort, or both fail to complete their reign This matter is dealt with in Section II.5 of the Laws of Oertha. According to the Laws of Oertha, if a Sovereign or Consort, for whatever reason, does not complete their reign, than the remaining Coronet will undertake all the duties of the pair. In other words, there will either be a Prince or a Princess and that person will have all the powers that the pair had before the departed member stepped down. There is precedent for this in other Kingdoms, but as of this printing it has not happened in Oertha. If this should happen during your tenure, give all the support you can to remaining Coronet, and carry on. If both the Sovereign and Consort must step down, for whatever reason, a Regency Council will be convened. The Regency Council will consist of the Principality Seneschal, Marshal, and Exchequer and will have the power to change Principality law to correct any contradictions between the laws of the Principality, and the Kingdom laws, the governing documents of the S.C.A., Inc., or mundane law, and any changes made must be publicly confirmed by the next set of Coronets. It will not have the power to grant awards and it will be dissolved upon the investiture of a new Sovereign and Consort, selected at a regularly scheduled Coronet. All decisions made by the Regency Council must be made by unanimous vote. When the time comes for the next Coronet Tournament, the Regency Council should make every effort to encourage the attendance of the Royal Sovereign, or, if they cannot attend, the Royal Consort. If neither Royal Sovereign nor Royal Consort can attend, it is the duty of the Regency Council to determine who the Crown wishes to act in Their place. Curia Princeps This matter is dealt with in Section II.4 of the Laws of Oertha. The Coronets may convene a Curia Princeps for the purpose of hearing counsel, discussing, or making pronouncements on any issue of concern to the Principality of Oertha. The Curia will consist of the Sovereign, Consort, any ministers concerned with the subject of the court, and any other people the Coronet choose to include. Any other subject of Oertha may attend the Curia and petition the Coronet with matters relevant and appropriate. Decisions in Curia will be made by the Coronet and published in the Guardian to be considered final. Only the Crown of the West and Board of Directors

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have the right to re-open a matter which has been deemed by the Coronet to be closed. When the Coronets decide to call a Curia, a notice and agenda must be published in the Guardian before the meeting. As the Guardian is only published at Coronet and Investiture, it may be necessary to work with the Chronicler to ensure a special edition is published that includes the notice and agenda. Without the publication of the notice and agenda, a Curia may be seen as secret and it is very important to the health of the Principality that the business of the Principality not be, or be seen as, secret. There is no requirement that a Curia be held at an event.

Branch Suspension
What is suspension Suspensions are levied at the Kingdom and Society level and therefore this section is provided primarily for information rather than instruction. According to the Society Seneschal Handbook, a branch can be suspended for any just and stated cause. What suspension means differs on the severity of suspension imposed. In all cases, suspension requires that the branch not handle money, beyond that, the length and type of sanctions are wholly left to the discretion of the Crown. For instance, a group might be denied events for a six month period, or practices for a few weeks. When the length of a suspension exceeds 6 months, a review must be conducted on the status of the issue that brought the suspension on. Suspensions may be appealed to the Board of Directors. Groups with traditionally transitory populations (colleges, strongholds, and ports) can be designated as Dormant when they are without a sustaining population. This designation has nothing to do with suspension and carries no negative stigma. How to avoid suspension To avoid suspension, make sure to do the following: Turn your reports in on time. If you have a conflict among your officers, work to resolve it amongst yourself, then with the help of the Principality Seneschal, then with the help of the Kingdom Seneschal. Make sure your Exchequer turns his or her reports in on time. Financial non-reporting is the primary cause of group suspension. Play well with others. Maintain required levels of membership.

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Weve been suspended, now what If your group has been suspended, you will be notified of the cause of the extension in writing. You have the right to appeal the suspension to the Board of Directors; if you choose to do this, the appeal should be submitted in writing, either via email or in a letter. If you choose not to appeal your suspension, you must wait until the term ends to return to regular activities. In either situation, whether you choose to appeal or not, you should make a point of addressing the reason behind your groups suspension as soon as possible.

Conflict
Coping with inter-Personal, inter-group, and intra-group conflict may occupy a lot of your time as Seneschal. Were all people and we all have our quirks and foibles that may grate on our fellow SCAdians. Conflict Resolution When you have a serious conflict between officers or groups, it is better to attempt a resolution than to allow it to fester. When you undertake conflict resolution there are two rules to keep in mind, listen carefully and stay neutral. The following advice is from the Northshield Seneschals Handbook When listening: Repeat back what you understand of what each party tells you to ensure that you have understood what they are trying to communicate. Listen to everything with a neutral ear, do not bring any preconceptions into the conversation with you. Always let someone tell you what theyre thinking, never assume you know. Keep in mind that your advice may not be necessary, in some cases, all that is needed is a third party to hear them out.

When talking: Focus on goals rather than fault. Allow the parties involve to suggest solutions to the problem. Only volunteer your own solution if the parties cannot come up with one. Never assume malice where ignorance or poor communication could be at fault. Keep your criticisms private and impersonal. Focus on positive and progressive ideas instead of past problems.

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Focus on the underlying needs in what you hear.

Always, if you feel you are in over your head, call for help. Dialogue One type of conflict resolution is a dialogue. This is a structured conversation between two parties with a moderator who helps the parties stick to an agreed upon set of rules. The most important part of holding a dialogue is to make sure that it is neutral and non-confrontational. Further, it should be understood that a dialogue is not about reaching decisions or enforcing ideas, but rather about finding consensus and furthering understanding. David Bohm, a quantum physicist on the Manhattan Project and later an advocate for social change, developed what is called Bohm dialogue to address world crises. His principles, while not wholly applicable can be considered a good basis for dialogue aimed at conflict resolution: 1. The group agrees that no group-level decisions will be made in the conversation. 2. Each individual agrees to suspend judgment in the conversation. 3. As these individuals "suspend judgment" they are simultaneously as honest and transparent as possible. 4. Individuals in the conversation try to build on other individuals' ideas in the conversation. If you feel that a dialogue is the best way to resolve a particular conflict, speak with both parties and make an appointment to meet at a neutral location. Work with both parties to make a set of guidelines for your meeting and remind each of the principles of dialogue. At the mutually agreed time, do not begin discussing the conflict until both parties have arrived and try to end by the agreed time. If both parties feel it would be beneficial to meet again, make an appointment to meet again, if not thank both parties for their participation.

New Groups
New groups are great. Theyre a sign that the Principality is healthy and growing across the state. When youre contacted with questions about forming a new group, provide the potential new seneschal with a copy of this handbook (in

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either digital or paper format). Detailed instructions on how to form a new group can be found in the Society Seneschals Handbook and Kingdom Seneschals Handbook, both available at http://www.sca.org. Things to consider Alaska is a large state, but only the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and Aleutian Islands are unclaimed by a group. If you are interested in starting a new group in areas which have been claimed, a discussion will need to happen between the contact person for the new group, the seneschal of the group whose territory is under discussion, and the principality seneschal. In general, if the new group is going to be formed more than two hours drive away, then they should be ceded the land, however, each group is different. When reckoning driving time, consider the actual travel time rather than just what maps say the driving time is. In some cases it may be easier for both the group ceding the land and the new group being formed to create the new group as a subsidiary (a canton, riding, college, or stronghold) to the established group. Another thing to consider is whether or not the new group will have enough members to sustain itself. To form a shire or a canton, you need five paid members, be a healthy group you need around 10 active (though not necessarily paid) members. Your first year checklist Some things to consider doing in your first year. Other than the first and last item, these are not required but they may help your group grow and flourish. Submit your groups name and device for registration with the heralds Grow your membership base Participate in community events and practices or events where people can see you Hold an event or two Hold practices Authorize some fighters Contact Principality officers to help train new officers Invite people to come visit Hold fundraisers Volunteer in your community Hold a demo Attend events outside of your group and get to know the rest of the Principality Hold a few A&S classes When your group is ready, prepare your petition to the Coronets for full Shire status See Appendix 10 for an example

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In the Community
Demos Demos are one of the most important things the SCA does; they fulfill our objective of being an educational organization and can win us new membership. Demos are the domain of the Chatelaine or Hospitaller, but the seneschal can support them by being a point of contact. At demos, it is the seneschal who must speak to the press (if any), not the Chatelaine or Hospitaller. Toys for Tots The SCA has a long history of supporting the Toys for Tots program. Many kingdoms hold special tournaments to raise toys and funds. In Alaska, we have a number of options for toy donation, either the Marines Toys for Tots program or the Alaska National Guards Operation Santa Claus program, which takes toys out to the villages. Counts of toys donated to both programs can be submitted to the Kingdom Toys for Tots coordinator towards the interkingdom contest that culminates at Estrella. As of 2010, the Toys for Tots Alaska website can be found at: http://anchorage-ak.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lcosites/default.asp As of 2010, information on Operation Santa Claus can be found at through the Alaska Air National Guard and Alaska Army National Guard. As well as toys, Operation Santa Claus takes donations of food and other supplies. Before conducting a drive for either program, get in contact with a regional coordinator to check on requirements for donation and whether or not they would like to pick the toys up or have them delivered to a specific location. Food Drives Raising food for the Alaska Food Bank and other local food banks is a great way for the SCA to support the community. Food, especially canned food, can be obtained fairly inexpensively so that there isnt a large drain on member resources, and food for the hungry something nearly everyone can get behind. If you are planning to hold a food drive in support of the Food Bank of Alaska, please visit their food drive coordinators website at http://www.foodbankofalaska. org/viewPage.php?ID=45 to register the drive, find out if they have any urgent requests, and get promotional information.

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Other volunteer opportunities Ideas for other volunteer opportunities Be the phone bank for a public TV pledge drive. Host craft night for Big Brothers Big Sister, Scouts, or another childrens organization. Collect school supplies for donation. Hold a game night at the senior center. Teach a class through community schools. Donate your time as a group to a local charity or community group. Sew scarves or mittens for a homeless shelter. Make blankets for the Infant ICU ward at your local hospital. Make quilts for a military family support group. Collect items to send to troops over-seas. Go as a group to donate blood to the Red Cross. Raise money for whomever. Teach a skill like dancing or fencing to a local youth theater group. And so forth Before undertaking any volunteer project, contact the group you wish to help and find out about any requirements they may have for donations or for any other information you may need before you start. Asking for donations As a non-profit, educational organization, the SCA has the right to ask for grants from local and national companies. If you plan to ask for donations from a company, check into their corporate giving program. Do they offer community grants? What does an applying organization need to provide? Who is the contact person? What are the deadlines? Youll also want to notify your superior officer what youre asking for and who youre asking it from. When youve gathered your information, write up a cover letter highlighting the SCAs goals and the things it does in the community. If you can, try and mention specific things your group has done. DO NOT LIE IN YOUR COVER LETTER, EVEN IF YOU THINK IT WILL HELP. It is not a bad idea however, to substitute terms like President or Vice President for Seneschal, or [32]

meeting for event to make the letter more understandable to modern readers. See Appendix 10 for an example. If you receive a donation, it is very important that a thank you note be written. Cite the particular people from the company, if you know their names, who helped you, and the date you spoke with them. If you feel it appropriate, adding illumination or calligraphy can really help encourage future donations by making the SCA memorable. If you receive a donation of money of gift cards, the exchequer must be notified. When you receive a donation of items or of a site make sure to write a thank you letter. Appendix 10 has an example of this too. Public relations Some tips from the Northshield Seneschals Handbook on Public and Community Relations: Always practice good PR, whether you are talking to a site owner, your nextdoor neighbor, or a reporter Expect the best o Dont defend the SCA against charges that havent been made. Our hobby is perfectly valid, and none of us needs to defend his association with the Society o Focus on the positive: the educational aspects of the SCA, our emphasis on courtesy and honor, the fact that we are mostly intelligent, creative people Behave yourselves in public places Do something socially conscious: any activity that generates good will pay off Evaluate your group: would you want your best friend to associate with your group? How about your spouse? Your mother? Your ten-year-old niece? o If you cant answer yes to all of the above, then you have a problem Always leave any site cleaner than you found it Any person representing the Society has a duty to uphold its reputation and goodwill If you are at a demo, if you are being interviewed by a reporter, or are talking to a site owner, you are representing the SCA, Inc. The Seneschal of the group is responsible for seeing that our legal standing and good public image are maintained and has a responsibility to limit who attends a demo Always emphasize o Courtesy o Safety [33]

o Good taste o Educational and social value Strictly adhere to SCA policies concerning religion and concerning association with political activities o See Governing and Policy Decision #6, Policy on Religion (part of the By-Laws and Corpora of the SCA) o Do not become involved in political campaigns or issues

Burnout
Burnout is defined as the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest. It is very important to understand, however, that another person cannot diagnose burnout; it is something that is different in everyone and is closely related to how a person processes stressful situations. If you notice someone who appears to be burnt out or beginning to burnout, talk to them in a neutral location (coffee or similar) with respectful language and discuss with them possible coping strategies. If you feel burnt out yourself, talk to a friend or confidant about your feelings and consider the coping strategies below. Symptoms of burnout Physical signs and symptoms of burnout Feeling tired and drained most Frequent headaches, back pain, of the time muscle aches Lowered immunity, feeling sick a lot Change in appetite or sleep habits

Emotional signs and symptoms of burnout Sense of failure and self-doubt Loss of motivation Feeling helpless, trapped, and Increasingly cynical and defeated negative outlook Detachment, feeling alone in the world Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment

Behavioral signs and symptoms of burnout Withdrawing from Using food, drugs, or alcohol to responsibilities cope Isolating yourself from others Taking out your frustrations on others Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done Skipping work or coming in late and leaving early From http://www.helpguide.org/mental/burnout_signs_symptoms.htm

[34]

Mark Gorpin, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker identified the following four stages of burnout: (from http://www.stressdoc.com/four_stages_burnbout.htm) 1. 2. 3. 4. Physical, Mental and Emotional Exhaustion. Shame and Doubt. Cynicism and Callousness. Failure, Helplessness and Crisis.

Keep in mind that the above signs and symptoms are not a hard and fast indicator of burnout, but rather a tool you can use to diagnose burnout in yourself and others. Coping with burnout The root cause of burnout is stress. When youve reached the point of no return, there are three burnout recovery strategies espoused by www.helpguide.org: Burnout recovery strategy #1: Slow down When youve reached the end stage of burnout, adjusting your attitude or looking after your health isnt going to solve the problem. You need to force yourself to slow down or take a break. Cut back whatever commitments and activities you can. Give yourself time to rest, reflect, and heal. Burnout recovery strategy #2: Get support When youre burned out, the natural tendency is to protect what little energy you have left by isolating yourself. But your friends and family are more important than ever during difficult times. Turn to your loved ones for support. Simply sharing your feelings with another person can relieve some of the burden. Burnout recovery strategy #3: Reevaluate your goals and priorities Burnout is an undeniable sign that something important in your life is not working. Take time to think about your hopes, goals, and dreams. Are you neglecting something that is truly important to you? Burnout can be an opportunity to rediscover what really makes you happy and to change course accordingly. Preventing burnout As burnout is primarily associated with stress, managing your stress levels is the best way to prevent burnout. Each person has their own best way to cope with stress, the below are some of the authors favorites. Take an hour of personal time each day to do something nonSCA. Take time to work on creative projects. Spend time with animals.

[35]

This could include cleaning, going for a run or walk, going to a movie, cooking, and so forth. Make a real effort to cut back on time spent around the SCA. Develop a strong group of friends who can support you. Practice saying No! or What a wonderful idea, Ill take that under advisement. Deputize when youre feeling overwhelmed. Remind yourself its just a game. o

Be reasonable about your goals, dont over reach. Praise yourself and others. Find your happy place and make a point to visit it regularly. Find something meditative that you can work on occasionally. Find a deputy and successor quickly so you have someone to commiserate with. Take time with friends outside the SCA.

If you are afraid burnout is approaching, talk to someone who has experienced it to learn more about the symptoms. If you catch it early enough, you can prevent it from taking over your life, like cancer. Helping others If you recognize the beginnings of burnout in others, the best thing you can do is talk to them about it. The person may not be willing to admit or acknowledge to them self that they are susceptible to burnout, but by bringing your concerns to them, you may encourage them to find their own solution. When discussing burnout, always maintain a polite, respectful, and discrete atmosphere. You can exaggerate the symptoms by being confrontational. Instead of demanding that they acknowledge their feelings of burnout, simply express your concern for their well being and allow them to process their feelings on their own. When burnout appears in Barons, Baronesses, and the Coronets, extra care must be taken to ensure their frustrations do not adversely affect the populace. It has been said that a smiling Coronet brings a smiling populace while a dour Coronet brings a dour populace. The same holds true for a frazzled Coronet, or any other ceremonial head, as their nerves fray so do the nerves of the populace. For Coronets there is little that can be done but to be a sympathetic ear and to try and support them as much as possible until the end of their reign. For Barons and Baronesses, especially those who have been in their office for longer than two years, it may be best to work with them to begin the process of finding their replacement. If a Baron and Baroness are near the start of their tenure, work with them to develop coping strategies that will either alleviate their feelings of burnout or at least make them bearable.

[36]

When you see burnout in your officers, the approaches are similar to those for a Baron and Baroness. Keep in mind, however, that it is easier to move officers around, either by asking them to step down or offering them a less stressful office, and can cause much less drama than replacing a Baron and Baroness. Always, before replacing an officer, discuss your concerns with them in a non-confrontational, non-aggressive manner; making sure to give them all their options, from keeping their post to resigning from the officer corps. Never force an officer out if you feel they have burnout, this is not constructive or helpful to anyone. Resources Some good burnout-related resources: http://www.stressdoc.com/four_stages_burnbout.htm http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/counsel/downloads/StressBurnout. pdf http://www.livestrong.com/article/14719-preventing-burnout/ http://www.mindtools.com/stress/Brn/CopeWithBurnout.htm http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx http://scs.tamu.edu/selfhelp/elibrary/burn_out.asp

Other duties as assigned

Award recommendations As seneschal, you should be familiar with the majority of the members of your group. When you see someone do something good, keep a note of it. If they are consistently good, make an award recommendation. Recommendations can be made through the West Kingdom website, http://heralds.westkingdom.org/ AwardRecommend.htm. Alternatively, you can send the seated royalty an email. In general, it is easier to make recommendations to the Coronets as they have more of an opportunity to give awards in Oertha, however, if you know the King and Queen will be coming up, recommendations should be sent to them as well. If nothing comes of a recommendation, do not hesitate to send it to the next set of royalty if you believe that the person still qualifies, often emails get lost in the shuffle from one set of royalty to the next. Some things to keep in mind: Do not include other business in an award recommendation letter. Recommend awards appropriate to the nominees accomplishments.

[37]

 Make sure to highlight the candidates personal accomplishments so the King and Queen or Prince and Princess can mention specifics. Write your letter clearly and fluently. Include the nominees SCA and Modern Name, spelled correctly, and their gender. If you can, include other references and their contact information. Sell your nominee, if you think they deserve the award, make sure the Crown or Coronets know it. Dont withhold recommendations for people you dont like personally. There is an excellent article on how to write award recommendations at http://www.greydragon.org/library/recommendation.html. Officer Directory The Principality Seneschal should update the Officer Directory before each Coronet for distribution (either electronically or in paper format) among the Principality officers and local Seneschals at the appropriate meeting. To update the Officer Directory, contact the local seneschals approximately three weeks before Coronet and Investiture and ask for the following information for each of their officers: Office(s) Held SCA Name Modern Name Phone Number Address Email Membership Status Warrant Status and Expiration (Roster status for Heralds and Scribes) Organize the collected information by office, Principality officer on top and then each of the other groups in alphabetical order. For example, the

[38]

seneschals page would list the Principality Seneschal, Earngylds Seneschal, Eskalyas Seneschal, Hrafnfjords Seneschal, Pavlok Gorods Seneschal, St. Bonifaces Seneschal, St. Guineforts Seneschal, Selviergards Seneschal, Winter Gates Seneschal, and Yns Taltreaths Seneschal. Stepping down Some Dos and Donts Do Allow your successor to succeed or fail on their own merits. Be available to answer questions when asked. Maintain the dignity of the office until youre clear of court. Have the keys prepared to be handed off before you pass the office. Audit your files and make sure theyre properly organized before passing your office. Dont Try to be a shadow seneschal Dont butt in with unsolicited suggestions. Skip down the aisle after handing off the office singing Im free, Im free! Forget to bring one or both of the keys when handing them off. Hand your successor an unkempt pile of paper.

THANK YOU. YOUR SERVICE TO YOUR GROUP, THIS PRINCIPALITY, AND OUR KINGDOM IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.

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Tips From Your Predecessors

From the Great Oerthan Seneschal Survey Read the SCA governing docs Review any issues that are left resolved during your predecessor's term Attempt to treat everyone in a manner that you would like to be treated Don't be afraid of picking up the phone or driving out to meet with someone face-to-face Make time to have FUN at events; dont get caught up in the politics game all the time. Don't take the job too seriously. Treat everyone fairly and with respect. Understand the modern life your officers are dealing with. Put everything you expect in your report in the request for the report every time. Don't force a group to do something they don't want to do, if what they want is acceptable. Keep your sense of humor Nothing's permanent It's only a hobby You're surrounded by people who want you to succeed Train your successor well and early! Get organized and stay that way so that you can stand on your own Take time for yourself and enjoy the little things Don't take yourself too seriously, and remember to laugh Take enough time so you don't have to rush things Have a support system, delegate, and communicate often with your superior officer. Listen at least twice as much as you speak. Remember there are always at least three sides to everything. Don't let people dodge out of finding real solutions to problems on the basis of "it's all political" or "personality conflicts". Aim for consensus; that doesn't mean 100% agreement, but it does mean solutions most people can live with. Keep in mind a "win/win" objective overall; if one group gets their way about an event or a branch purchase, another group should be honored the next time a decision comes along with a deliberate effort not to keep them disenfranchised. Never pass up a chance to use the privy. [40]

 You are the face of the branch -- remember that always. Make sure everyone is participating, and enjoying themselves. Your fellow officers are your new best friends. Have fun!!!

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions
Q.1. What have I gotten myself into? A.1. Only the best job in the world! For more information, read the preceding handbook. Q.2. Is it populace or populous? A.1. Populace noun the inhabitants of a town, region, or other area. Populous adjective - with a large number of inhabitants. Q.3. Whats the difference between an Autocrat and an Event Steward? A.1. Administratively here isnt one. Lexically there is. Event Steward has fewer difficult connotations (a tyrant, a cruel and oppressive dictator) and kitschy spin-offs (feast-o-crat). Q.4. I have a question about my duties, who should I ask? A.1. The best thing to do is work your way up the chain of command, ask your boss, if you dont get an answer, ask their boss. Do not, however, go answer shopping. If you dont get the answer you want the first time, you can ask for clarification but you shouldnt keep asking different people until you get the answer you were hoping for. Q.5. Our group was given a free site/some toilet paper/a discounted rate at a store/ etc., should I write a thank you letter? A.1. Absolutely! See Appendix 10 for an example. If you feel that their gift was particularly generous or youre just feeling creative, make a thank you scroll. Q.6. My group wants to make some new regalia, whats the process for this? A.1. Inform the populace of your plans and get their feedback. Then call a meeting of the regalia committee to look at proposed plans and discuss a budget. Q.7. My group is rebelling and totally hates me, what now? A.1. Find out whats wrong. Have you upset people with a decision you made, was there a miscommunication? Talk to everyone and work through the problem. You need to accept though that the solution may

[41]

be that you step down from your office. If this is the case, work with the Principality Seneschal and your officers to find a suitable replacement.

Reports
Q.8. My report is late, what do I do?! A.1. Dont panic. Contact your superior seneschal, let them know whats happening, and turn your report in when its ready. If you can, provide your superior with your officers reports, that may help them. Q.9. My ____ officer hasnt turned in a report, what do I do? A.1. Use the officers verbal meeting reports and what you know of the office to complete your report, but make a note that they were non-reporting. If they continue to be non-reporting and do not attend business meetings, it may be time to discuss their successor. If you must do this, do so with all courtesy and respect. Q.10. Do I need to turn in a Doomsday report? A.1. No, but your exchequer does! Q.11. Do I have to fill out the contact information each time? A.1. No, its fine to just fill it out once a year or whenever your contact information changes. Q.12. How long should my report be? A.1. Long enough to address the questions asked but not so long that you are writing a research paper. This usually comes out to 1-2 pages.

Law
Q.13. I just heard about a law change that weve been in violation of since it was announced in court, are we now in trouble? A.1. No. So long as the law change has not been published in the Page and you were unaware of it (rather than flagrantly ignoring it), you are not guilty of anything. Pronouncement in court is only part of the process to make a law official. Q.14. May we hold a raffle? A.1. To hold a raffle, you must get permission from the state gambling office. It is more advisable to offer tickets to anyone who wants one without asking for money and simply accept donations as offered. Q.15. The membership(s) of the fighter and/or consort who just won Coronet expire before the end of their reign, does this mean that their win was invalid?

[42]

A.1. No. They have ten days to update their memberships. Q.16. I have reason to believe that a theft involving SCA monies occurred at an event, what now? A.1. Speak to your exchequer immediately. Also, consult the Exchequer Handbook (found on the attached CD-ROM) for more information on how to proceed.

[43]

Appendix 1
Sample agenda

Baronial Business Meeting February 19, 2010 Officer Reports A&S Leonard Vincia Chatelaine Martin of Tours Exchequer Pecunia Monet Herald Laud Speaker Marshal Hitem Harad Rapier Marshal Dar Tan Yon Seneschal Ymin Charge Baron and Baroness Folbert de Rue Ssame and Earn de Rue Ssame Event Reports May Revel Tyr Rant Old Business Upcoming events Newcomers Fete June 12, 2010 Martin of Tours Regalia update Pecunia Monet Finding new sites New Business Membership retention Fundraising Other New Business Next Meeting Newcomers Fete at noon

[44]

Appendix 2
Sample reports The an electronic form version of the quarterly report can also be found on the attached CD-ROM.

Non-attending officer report

Ymin, I wont be at the business meeting Friday; I have to wash my dogs. So that youre aware, weve had two heraldic submissions since the last meeting, there is no word yet on the status of either submission. The baronial badge has gone to Laurel and I expect to hear back in a few months. The consultation table is going well, though consultations are rare. There were no events this month so no awards or honors bestowed. The ceremony book update has been moved to a back burner for the duration of the dog show season. Thanks, Laud

[45]

Quarterly Report
Quarterly Report for [Group Name] Seneschal: Address: Phone #: E-mail: SCA Name: Membership #: Date of Last Warrant: Quarter: 1. Meetings held this past reporting period: 2. Activities held by our group besides meetings: 3. List of officer and/or address changes since last report. 4. List members receiving awards during reporting period and which awards received. 5. Do you have a local newsletter? 6. Has your group received any media coverage? 7. Future plans for your group? 8. In your honest, objective opinion, what is good about your group? Possible problems? 9. What problems are you, as the Seneschal, noticing? How might these be remedied? 10. Do you feel burnt out or are you comfortable with the level of work? 11. Do you have any deputies and if so, who are they? 12. How is your officer corps doing? Do they get along? Do they need to be replaced? Are they happy and healthy? Do they talk about coming for you in the dark of the night? a. Do they have deputies? 12. Are you looking for a successor, and if so, do you have someone in mind? 13. Is there anyone within your area that is deserving of recognition? 14. Other Comments

[46]

Submitted by:

Date:

[47]

2-Year Report
Greetings Antoine! Herein is the 2 year report for the Principality of Oertha. The Principality is healthy and doing well in most respects. We have just come from Purgatorio Coronation, which was, as you witnessed, a very good event with a lot packed in it. We were so pleased to have hosted the event and having a Kingdom Investiture unfold before many who will never get the opportunity to travel to the Lower 48 to see such a thing for themselves. I have held the Seneschal office for one year now and have seen the Principality stabilize after a few surprising episodes involving wild animals and a volcano. I cannot take credit for that stabilizing alone. There were many others who have stepped up and stood firm when the situation called for it to bring about a resolution to most of those problems. These good people are my advisors and counselors, always ready to help when needed. If there were an award for just service then the awards should go to: Peter, Paul, and Mary. The good news is that the Shire of Petrus has been elevated to full branch status. It is healthy and growing and we expect great things from it in the future. The Shire of Grey Skull is still having membership issues; they are only 3 members there. We are going to take up the problem at Winter Coronet to decide whether to let Grey Skull continue, suspend it or dissolve, depending on whether they can attract more members and hold events as required. The Baronies are doing well, no problems reported in quite some time, huzzah! We have a bid for Winter Coronet, to be held in Eagle River and rumor of a bid from the north to host next Summer Coronet. The exchequer assures me that we have plenty of monies in our coffers and that we realized a tidy profit from this summer, thanks to the generosity of the Kingdom. Your humble and grateful servant, Beatrix Oertha

[48]

Appendix 3

Ymin Charage
Known modernly as Jane Doe Awards Received Member of the Society since 2002 Order of the Ivory Quatrefoil, 5/10/08 Order of the Argent Bough, 6/28/08 Eskalyan Order of the Mountain Sword, 3/7/09 Order of the Rose Leaf, 6/18/09 Award of Arms, 5/6/06 Diamond Willow, 1/20/08 Snowy Owl, 12/13/08 Princess Riband, 6/22/07 (Caitriona) Principality Honors Princess Escort, 1/20/08, Gwynneth Lady of the Chamber, 1/18/09, tan Baronial Honors A&S Champion, 12/13/08 12/12/09 Offices Held Principality Offices Deputy Seneschal , 2.5 years Baronial Offices Peregrine Herald, 1 year Web Minister, 3 years College Offices Seneschal, 1 year Events Worked May Revel 5/10/08, Barony of Eskalya Event Steward Toys for Tots Tournament 9/13/08, Incipient College of St. Guinefort Event Steward Winter Coronet 1/17/09-1/18/09, Principality of Oertha (Held in Eskalya) [49]

Honors Received

Co-Event Steward with Lady Lilandra of Sheep Rock May Revel 5/16/09, Barony of Eskalya Event Steward Time for Tewder 11/14/09, Barony of Eskalya Co-Event Steward with Mistress Alienor FitzHenry Other Projects Forms for online reporting SCA Lexicon definitions Charter member of the Oerthan Jumping Bean society Sewing for courts

[50]

Appendix 4
Sample warrant forms (Seneschal, Exchequer, and General)

WARRANT OF APPOINTMENT TO EXECUTIVE OFFICE LEGAL NAME: ADDRESS: TELEPHONE: JANE DOE 3341 E. 31 AVE, ANCHORAGE, AK 99517
ST

(HOME) (907) 555-1234

(OTHER) (907) 555-4321 MEMBER NUMBER: 999999

EMAIL ADDRESS: J.DOE@GMAIL.COM SCA

REFERENCE NAME:

YMIN CHARAGE

Let it be known that the above-referenced person is hereby appointed to the office of [ ] President [ ] Vice-President for _______________________ [x] Local President (Seneschal)
FOR BRANCH: EFFECTIVE AS OF:

BARONY

OF

MOUNTAIN REACH
AND EXPIRING AS OF:

4/1/2010

4/1/2012

with all rights, privileges, insignia, precedence, and responsibilities thereto appertaining the office while the Warrant is effective. This executive is specifically empowered to do business as a legal representative for the above-referenced branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., including but not limited to making contracts involving the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. This Warrant supersedes any existing or previous Warrant for this office. PRINT: NORINA MCPHERREN SIGN: /S/ NORINA MCPHERREN SIGN: PRINT: CHRIS SCHMID /S/ CHRIS SCHMID
OF

OFFICE: PRINCIPALITY SENESCHAL DATE: 4/15/10

OFFICE: BARON

MOUNTAIN REACH 4/1/10

DATE:

PRINT: ANDREA SCHMID SIGN: /S/ ANDREA SCHMID

Required signatures: President: 3 members of the SCA Board of Directors. Vice President for Operations (Society Seneschal): three Board members. Regional Vice President (Kingdom [51] Seneschal): Society Seneschal and the current Crown. Regional Vice President (Principality

OFFICE: BARONESS DATE: 4/1/10

OF

MOUNTAIN REACH

[52]

REQUEST FOR WARRANT

Branch: Barony of Mountain Reach This form should be completed by the individual who is applying to be Chancellor of the Exchequer and signed by either the out-going Exchequer or the current Seneschal (or Guild principal, if a chartered Guild). Legal Name: Andrea Banker Street Address: 30609 Breadmaker St. City: Anchorage Telephone: Home (907) 555-4867 Internet or E-mail address (not required): andy_b@yahoo.com SCA Name: Pecunia Monet Please find attached: [x] [x] Copy of Driver's License or other picture ID Copy of SCA membership card or other proof of membership State or Province: AK Work: (907) 555Zip or Postal Code: 99502

I understand that by applying for the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer of the above listed branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., I agree to assume full responsibility for all financial affairs of this branch upon confirmation of my appointment to the office by warrant. These responsibilities include: maintaining membership in the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc.; complying with Society, Kingdom, and this branch or guild's financial policy requirements; submitting reports when they are due according to Kingdom Policy and this branch or guild's requirements; making myself available to the membership of this branch or guild for consultation and reimbursements; and being a part of this branch or guild's financial committee. Legal Signature: /s/ Andrea Banker Date: 4/10/10

If aged 15-17, name and signature of Parent or Legal Guardian: _________________________________________ Legal Signature: __________________________________________ Date: ______________________________ [x] Current Seneschal or [ ] Outgoing Exchequer

Recommendation: I recommend the above individual for consideration as the new Chancellor of the Exchequer for our branch, and if possible, will assist in training him/her for the office. Legal Signature: /s/ Jane Doe Date: 4/10/10

Complete this form, make a copy for your files, and mail to the Kingdom Exchequer along with the required copies of personal identification. If you do not hear from the Kingdom Exchequer within 30 days, please call to see what is delaying your warrant.

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WARRANT OF APPOINTMENT TO OFFICE LEGAL NAME: MICHAL MILLER

ADDRESS: 6990 OLYMIC DR. ANCHORAGE, AK 99501 TELEPHONE: (HOME) (907) 555-3324 (OTHER) (907) 555-5867 MEMBER NUMBER: 902934

EMAIL ADDRESS:

MIGHTYMILLER@HOTMAIL.COM

SCA

REFERENCE NAME:

HITEM HARAD

Let it be known that the above-referenced person is hereby appointed to the office of: [ ] A&S Officer [ ] Herald
FOR BRANCH:

[ ] Chirurgeon [ ] Chronicler [x] Marshal

[ ]

BARONY

OF

MOUNTAIN REACH
AND EXPIRING AS OF:

EFFECTIVE AS OF:

4/15/10

4/15/12

with all rights, privileges, insignia, precedence, and responsibilities thereto appertaining the office while the Warrant is effective. This Warrant supersedes any existing or previous Warrant for this office. PRINT: JANE DOE SIGN: /S/ JANE DOE PRINT: JOHN ROCHETTE SIGN: /S/ JOHN ROCHETTE

OFFICE: SENESCHAL DATE: 4/15/10 PRINT: ANDREA SCHMID SIGN: /S/ ANDREA SCHMID
OF

OFFICE: PRINCIPALITY KNIGHT MARSHAL DATE: 4/1/10

Required signatures: President: 3 members of the SCA Board of Directors. Vice President for Operations (Society Seneschal): three Board members. Regional Vice President (Kingdom Seneschal): Society Seneschal and the current Crown. Regional Vice President (Principality Seneschal): Crown or Coronet and the Kingdom Seneschal.

OFFICE: BARONESS [54]

MOUNTAIN REACH

DATE: 4/1/10

[55]

Appendix 5
Site cost spreadsheet, additional copies may be printed from the attached CD-ROM Name of the site Picnic Shelter @ Abbot Loop Park Cost of site per unit of time 4-8 $90 hours Name of contact Phone number 343-4355

[56]

Event Budget Worksheet

Event Name Newcomers Fete Expenses Site Fee(s): Food and Feast Costs: Permits: Additional Costs: Total Expenses: $90 $50 N/A $30 $170 Notes: Notes: Notes: Notes: Prizes Enter on Event Sponsorship Form . Fees and Income Basic Event Fee: $7.00 adults $3.00 children The basic event fee is the estimated costs divided by the estimated low attendance. Actual event fees may then be set by adjusting for onboard/off-board, single day fees for weekend events, & c. Notes: Enter on Event Sponsorship Form. Notes: Attendance Estimated Attendance: Estimated Low Attendance: Break-even Attendance: 25 15 25 adults Enter on Event Sponsorship Form . Notes: Notes:

Additional Income: Estimated Income:

$0

Appendix 6
Sample Forms

[57]

Event Sponsorship Form

Event Newcomers Fete Name: Event 6/19/10 Date: Planned Abbot Loop Park Location: Event Martin of Tours Steward: (907) 555-1234 (include ph #) General description of the event of any other necessary information: A celebration of newcomers to the barony Budget Estimated $170 Costs detailed on the Budget Worksheet Cost: form. Estimated $175 Income: With 25 Adults Estimated Attendance of: Break-even 25 Adults Attendance: The group will cover expenses which are in keeping with the laws, guidelines, and rules of the SCA, the Kingdom of the West, the Principality of Oertha, and the sponsoring group, up to the estimated event budget. Eligible expenses above that amount may be covered, decided on a case-by-case basis. It is the Event Stewards responsibility to contact the group Seneschal if any changes to estimated costs should occur. Signatures Discussed at Business Meeting on Date: 4/22/10 Comments: Income is good!

/s/ Andrea Schmid Baron/Baroness /s/ Andrea Banker Exchequer

/s/ Jane Doe Seneschal /s/ Jason Olson Event Steward

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Funds Authorization Form

Requested By: Martin of Tours Expense Category x Event Demo Performance Newsletter Regalia Durable (Stuff) Administrative Other:__________ Description & Notes for event/demo/performance name/ date of event, for regalia/durable list item(s), for rest give details, for all provide receipts and additional information as needed. Site for Newcomers Fete, 6/19/10 Date: 4/22/10

Signatures
/s/ Jane Doe Seneschal /s/ Andrea Banker Exchequer Other Notes /s/ Andrea Schmid Ceremonial Head or Great Officer Check: 1234 Amount: $90 Receipt(s) Received: x Yes No

Approval of the populace at meeting on date: 4/22/10

Notes to Recipient: Your completion of this form is clear indication that you are providing the time and service to the group. Thank you for your efforts. The exchequer, as guardian of the group coffers, advises you of two responsibilities that you are assuming hereby: First, to see that the funds are either spent as indicated on this form or promptly returned to the group and secondly, to see that all resulting receipts are delivered to the group. Funds Received By: /s/ Jason Olson On Date: 4/22/10

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Event Report Form

Event: Newcomers Fete Site: Abbot Loop Community Park Event Steward Name: Martin of Tours (Jason Olson) Event Date: 6/19/10

Attendance
Adults Members Non-members Total paying NMS: Income Adult (Non-NMS): 18 Adult (NMS):2 Children 5-12:3 Children 0-5: Other: Total: Total NMS: $6 $155 18 2 2 Children 4 1

Monies
Expenses Occupancy/Site: $90 Food/Feast: $50 General Supplies: $28 Equipment rental: Other: Total Expenses: $168 Profit/Loss: -$13 Person in Charge Hitem Harad Dar Tan Yon Martin of Tours Notes regarding money:

Activities
Number of Participants x x Heavy Fighting Rapier Fighting 4 6 2

Archery x Arts and Sciences Contests Classes Bardic Other:

Other Notes
The event was not well attended, but it was average for what weve been getting recently. The site worked out really well, especially since they added the permanent bathrooms. We saw some moose but they didnt get very close. Lilla won the armored tournament, Sigurd won the rapier tournament, and Francesca won the A&S contest. /s/ Jason Olson Event Steward [60] 6/21/10 Date

Appendix 7
Group zip codes Group Earngyld Inclusive zip codes (99-) 689, 801, 802, 803, 811, 812, 820, 821, 824, 825, 826, 827, 829, 830, 832, 833, 836, 840, 850, 901, 903, 910, 918, 919, 921, 922, 923, 925, 926, 929, 950 550, 608, 615, 619, 624, 643, 644, 697 556, 568, 572, 603, 605, 610, 611, 631, 635, 639, 663, 664,669, 672, 682 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, 506, 507, 508, 512, 513, 515, 516, 517, 518, 529, 530, 540, 587, 599 566, 573, 574, 577, 586, 588, 629, 645, 652, 654, 674, 676, 677, 683, 686, 687, 688, 693, 694 558, 590, 602,627, 665, 671, 675, 678, 684, 691, 701, 702, 705, 706, 707, 708, 709, 710, 711, 712, 714, 716, 720, 721,722, 724, 726, 725, 730, 733, 740, 741, 745, 746, 748, 749,754, 756, 757, 758, 760, 765, 767, 768, 774, 775, 781, 782, 783, 788, 790 723, 727, 734, 736, 739, 742, 747, 750, 751, 752, 753, 759, 761, 762, 763, 766, General Location The Panhandle

Pavlok Gorod Hrafnafjord

Kodiak and Afognak Islands Island The Kenai Peninsula Borough

Eskalya

Parts of the Municipality of Anchorage

Selviergard

Mat-Su Borough, Valdez-Cordova Census Area, and parts of the Municipality of Anchorage Fairbanks-North Star Borough and YukonKoyukuk and Southeast Fairbanks Census Areas

Winters Gate

Yns Taltreath

Northwest Arctic and North Slope Boroughs and Nome Census Area

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769, 770, 771, 772, 773, 778, 784, 785, 786, 789, 790, 791

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Appendix 8
Recent Coronet Trends Corone t Aug-09 Jan-09 Jul-08 Jan-08 Jul-07 Jan-07 Jul-06 Jan-06 Jul-05 Jan-05 Attendan ce 165 105 111 99 159 111 150 85 205 154 Profit / Loss 1035.14 859.35 -415 -2393.77 -60 -1540 -1304.69 -1799.67 -1674.48 -2002.15

Location Ruth Arcand UAA Den Eagle River CG Lions Club, Eagle River Kenai - gravel lot Viking Hall Eagle River CG Badger Hall, Fbks Kincaid Park, Anch Willow Area Comm Ctr

Sponsoring Group Oertha Eskalya Eskalya Selviergard Ravensfjord Oertha ? Winter's Gate Oertha Selviergard

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Appendix 9
Example petition (non-English petitions must include an accurate translation. For the reason behind this, see http://cunnan.sca.org.au/wiki/Dominion_of_Myrkfaelinn), fancy script optional.

Greetings
To all those to whom these missives come, from the Populace of the Fair Lands of Rammetop, on the westernmost border of the Principality of Oertha, loyal subjects of the Coronets of Oertha and the Crowns of the West.

Be it Known
That the populace of the incipient Shire of Rammetop, now petitions the Crown and Coronets for full Shire status with all the privileges and responsibilities that this entails. We submit this petition for consideration at Winter Coronet, AS XLIV, being January 19, 2011 Gregorian, and hope that the Crown and Coronets shall look upon us with favor. Our arms, pictured right, were registered in AS XLIII and are, to wit, Argent, a Yeti rampant proper, upon its shoulder a laurel wreath argent. Our group has, in the year since our formation, developed a strong officer corps, have held weekly fighting and Morris practices, and have held three events with the help of our neighbors to the south, the Canton of Lancre. Our shire holds the lands commonly known as the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta within the State of Alaska.
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In hopes that the Crown and Coronets will, by Their grace and wisdom, grant our petition, we set our signs below: Modern Name SCA Name Membership Number Office

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Appendix 10
Kristy Brown Costco Wholesale 4125 DeBarr Road Anchorage, Alaska 99508 Re: Costco Warehouse Donation to the Society for Creative Anachronism

Dear Ms. Brown, My name is Claire Knudsen-Latta, I am the vice president for the statewide chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism. I am writing to express our groups interest in obtaining a donation of food and basic supplies for our August 14-16, 2009 Western Regional Conference. The Society for Creative Anachronism is an international organization founded in 1966 to research and re-create the best aspects of the Middle Ages. Since our founding, we have expanded our mission to include the education of others, especially through in-school demonstrations of medieval life from Feudal Europe to Muromachi Japan. We have been active in Alaska since 1977 and currently have branches in Kodiak, Kenai/Soldotna, Juneau, Anchorage, Wasilla, Fairbanks, and Kotzebue. As a statewide organization, we have a long history of doing drives for Toys for Tots and more recently the Alaska Food Bank, as well as providing demonstrations in schools, libraries, and at other local community events such as the State Fair, Three Barons Fair, and Fur Rondy. The grant funding we are hoping to receive will help us put on the first Western Region meeting that Alaska has been allowed to host in sixteen years. This meeting will allow Alaskan members who cannot afford the airfare to the Lower-48 the opportunity to take part in classes and discussions with members from California, Nevada, and the Far East that are important to maintaining the standard we set for ourselves when putting on demos or teaching classes. We will use the funding to purchase food and cooking supplies as well as basic necessities such as toilet paper, Purell, trashbags, and paper towels. Any supplies we do not use will be donated to the AWAIC Shelter or the Food Bank if such action is acceptable within the bounds of the Costco Giving Program.

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We appreciate your consideration of our organization, if you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (907) 952-6261 or clairemargery@gmail.com. Thank you, Claire Knudsen-Latta Vice President, Principality of Oertha (Alaska), Society for Creative Anachronism Thank you letter Good Afternoon, We would like to take a moment to sincerely thank you for the use of the University Lake Building Annex for our December 12th, 2009 Yule Celebration. The Society for Creative Anachronism (often called the SCA) is a living history group with the aim of studying and recreating mainly Medieval European cultures and their histories before the 17th century. SCA describes itself as a group devoted to the Middle Ages "as they ought to have been," choosing to selectively recreate the culture, choosing elements of the culture that interest and attract us. Founded in 1966, the society had about 32,000 members worldwide as of 2008. At our events, members strive to recapture the ambiance of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. This requires research into such topics as clothing, weaponry, armor, food, music, and innumerable other arts and crafts. There is something for everyone in our Society. Participants research nearly every aspect of medieval life, and we hold a wide variety of events. The SCA also attempts to create an atmosphere embodying those lost ideals that are found in medieval romance: chivalry, honor, and courtesy. Our goal is to re-create the Middle Ages as they should have been, without the strife and pestilence, but with an attempt to preserve the ideals of beauty, grace, chivalry, and fellowship. Events are gatherings of persons interested in participating in period activities. An attendance fee is normally charged to cover the rental of the site, food, and other assorted costs; a small additional fee is charged to non-members. We are a 501(3)(c) nonprofit group and therefore do not aim to make a profit beyond operating costs. All members of the organizational staff are volunteers in the SCA. As a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and operating on campus and in the city of Anchorage we deeply appreciate the use of your facilities to house one of our events. We hope that we may have the opportunity in the future to use your facility for more of our events.

Sincerely,

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Ymin Charage Seneschal of the Barony of Eskalya Principality of Oertha Kingdom of the West (Jane Doe)

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