Re: baronies/shires/etc

[Michael Houghton <herveus@access.digex.net>]

Poster: Michael Houghton <herveus@access.digex.net>


Miri grumbled:
>Poster: "Heather Swann" <swannh@psi.com>
>
>> > > That isn't just local perception. I was OUT AND OUT TOLD
>> > > that Stierbach could not create "Shire orders." Not just that
>> > > we couldn't register their names, they were NOT ALLOWED TO
>> > > EXIST. Period.
>> > >
>> > When I was seneschale of Isenfir I was told the same thing about
>> > shire orders and awards.
>>
>> Mmm, this is interesting.  I know our Canton is in the process of
>> creating our own little 'order'.  We know it's not official in any
>> sense of the word, and carries absolutely no 'real weight' with the SCA
>> as a whole, but that's not why we're creating it.  We're creating it
>> to honor those of our members we think serve the Canton in a
>> special function.
>>
>> Even knowing that those involved realized that such orders were
>> completely unofficial, they still stated point blank not to create
>> them?  I'm wondering if our group will get the same sort of flak down
>> the road...
>>
>> Julien de Montfort
>
>That's what I was told....granted, that was <mumble,mumble> years ago.....
>
Orders and Awards are Honors, and the working premise is that the giving of
Honors is the province of the Crown and its representatives. Princ/ess/es
and the landed Baronage are such representatives, along with anyone else
duly deputized for a particular honor ("Fred couldn't make it here, so go
forth and give him this Award of Arms for us").

Shires and Cantons do not have an official representative of the Crown,
thus no one with the general authority to confer Honors. That is one reason
some groups seek Baronial status. It provides a way to formally Honor
people for good works.

Note that I have been capitalizing Honor so far. Consider other ways to
honor people for doing good. The group might register a badge "for the
Stierbach Bucket Brigade", say, and then define within itself how one is
counted as a member of such a "household". Any SCA entity (person or group)
can register a household name. Yeah, this is rules lawyering...what's your
point? The key is to avoid the undeniable appearance of creating an Order
or Award.

Caer Galen appears to have come up with a creative solution to the problem.

yours,
Herveus
(who has in the past pointed out the "no orders or awards" rule to various
and sundry)

------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael and MJ Houghton   | Herveus d'Ormonde and Megan O'Donnelly
herveus@access.digex.net  | White Wolf and the Phoenix
Bowie, MD, USA            | Tablet and Inkle bands, and other stuff
                          | http://www.access.digex.net/~herveus/


=======================================================================
List Archives, FAQ, FTP:  http://sca.wayfarer.org/merryrose/
            Submissions:  atlantia@atlantia.sca.org
        Admin. requests:  majordomo@atlantia.sca.org