(LONG/RAMBLE)Attempting to achieve "Spiff"

[Razmus the Innocent <azrael@access.digex.net>]

Okay, before I even start, I want to thank His Highness for coming to
Highland River Melee this weekend.  If anyone had any question
regarding whether this truely noble Prince would travel -- I'll just
say, this past weekend he probably travelled as far as he could and
still be IN Atlantia!  Vivant!

Now, if anyone has a low tolerance for clueless people trying to do
new things - delete this message right now - and email me a generic
flame message.  I'll understand...

I'm not sure where to start, other than to say I'm in a shire which is
growing, technically large enough to be a barony, but we probably don't
have a sufficient number of truely active members to support baronial
type activities.  (And before the whispering starts that "Highland
Foorde is considering trying for Baronial Status", I'll just say, like
probably every group, there is always a little whispering in the
background... always... even in Baronies, I'm sure there are groups in
the Baronies that want to form Cantons, groups of Baronies that want
to be Principalities, or Principalities that wish to be Kingdoms.  Of
course I could be wrong.  ;-)  

A number of people point out that local
awards and orders can't be given/formed by shires... Why? No
representative of the Crown.  Okay, that makes some sense to me...
Although there are still people in the shire which deserve recognition
- and don't travel outside the shire very often.  (Okay, everyone
knows the arguement..  And I realize that SOME things can be done by
individuals.. but I think it would probably mean more if awards were
given within the scope of the society.)  
Well, I guess in addition to that, - I think it would just make the
game we play a little more "spiff", if we could do a little more, i.e.
if we had a representative of the crown in our local group, even
though we might not be ready to become a barony.

I scanned Corpora (1993), and if my rattan shocked mind remembers the
entry correctly, the division shires fall under ("Other local groups")
allows for whatever titles etc acceptable by Kingdom law and accepted
customs.  So I pulled out my dictionary this morning and discovered...
"Sheriff: (ME:schirreff, the representative of royal authrity in a
shire < OE scirgerefa: scir, shire + gerefa, reeve)"  "Hey," I
thought, "This is just what the doctor ordered!"

*weak.grin*  I was told by a friend I respect a great deal that
something like this wouldn't work.  I fear that is probably correct,
but before I dropped the subject, I thought I would ask the eminently
learned folks in the Merry Rose -- "Am I violating an unspoken law by
even suggesting such a thing?"  "Would this be something that our
Crowns would have to approve, or would something have to be written
into Kingdom Law, or would the *gasp* BoD have to get involved?"
"Should I drop it now?  and if it is worth pursuing who would/should I
start with?  (I mean after I talk to our senechal - and the rest of
the group... I'm one person rambling here!)"  "Is this another idea
that someone has had before me?  If so what happened?"

Okay, this is just my attempt at making "stuff" a little more spiff...
*tongue.in.cheek*  I mean its not like I want to create a whole new
Principality of anything... ;-)  (Oh, and if anyone is going to flame
on this - please send it to me directly - I feel guilty enough
forcing the whole kingdom to read this message.)
In service (and rambling)
-- 
              Razmus the [Innocent | Pure] of Norwode
               AKA: Rich Weissler [azrael@access.digex.com]
                  "Programming today is a race between
      software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-
        proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger
    and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning."  - Rich Cook