Re: Regional event planning

[Lance Harrop <lharrop@mrj.com>]

Poster: Lance Harrop <lharrop@mrj.com>


Lady Mordrea, you wrote:

> If there is a conflict problem with an event, be it Northern or Central or
> Southern, it is the fault of the autocrats for NOT stating that there COULD NOT
> be an event within 150 miles of their event when they registered it. The
> current Kingdom Chronicler, who is doing a very FINE job, is using the system
> put into place when I was the Kingdom Chronciler. Another deputy position just
> for the gratification of one part of the Kingdom is not necessary...
> communication and using the system already in place is!

In this I think you are absolutely correct.  Lord Rabah and his 
predecessor Lady Ann E. have been doing an excellent job of handling 
events.  Nor do I believe there needs to be a deputy created by them and 
the kingdom which would be little more then a sinecure.

However, none of that deals with Master Malcolm's complaint, which is 
that the Seneschals of the northern groups are allowing competing events 
to fall against each other on the calendar.

I don't think it would be appropriate for the Kingdom or the GOofS to 
create a position and endow it with the power to determine the events 
calendar for the North (South or Central, for that matter).  The Kingdom 
Chronicler doesn't really have that power right now, and it would be 
inappropriate, as well as terribly unpopular, for him to try to assume it.

The Seneschals and Landed Baronages of the local groups, on the other 
hand, do have it within their authority to work together to coordinate 
their events.  And if they create a position answerable to them as a 
body, and subscribe to rules of event scheduling which they find mutually 
beneficial, then that would be appropriate.

Now I know that some individuals may now jump up and say this is 
incorrect.  And their arguments would likely boil down to one of two 
points.  Either their argument would be that no such position could be 
created except by the authority of the Society/Crown/GOofS/Curia, take 
you pick.  But none of these institutions currently have the power to 
tell a local group when they may hold events, or must hold events, or 
what kind of events to hold.  Since that authority does not reside in 
these higher bodies, they cannot delegate it.

..Or, their argument would be that such restrictions can not be forced 
on local groups.  But as what I propose would be voluntary, and the local 
groups through their seneschals and baronages could opt in or out as they 
wished, that argument would not stand either.  It is, after all, the 
seneschals who are the local representation of the SCA's legal authority, 
and who control the assignment of events and access to insurance coverage 
through the Society.  If you don't have the seneschal's blessing to hold 
an event within his/her territory, you do not have insurance protection 
for that event, and the autocrat would be liable for any accidents which 
might occur.  So, as the authority to decide if and when and what kind of 
event will happen resides with the Seneschal and baronage (depending on 
their relationship), obviously they have the authority, and can delegate 
it to a coordinator answerable to them.

Whether this would be advantageous, is subject for discussion.

Leifr Johansson
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