An attempt at communication

["duane moore" <brycedebyram@hotmail.com>]

From: <SCAVard@aol.com>
<a large section of arguement snipped>...
tell us what your "take" on this situation is.  In exchange, we would be
willing to explain why the initiative was started and why 4/5ths of 
those
polled said "Yes".
---> I'm sorry Vard but I don't believe your numbers are correct.Folks 
keep bantering a 80%ish positive return, but that was only of those 
pollings RETURNED. If you look at the big picture, I don't see a mandate 
for anything. 

I'm going to play devil's advocate, please understand that I am not 
attempting to attack ANYONE, but simply offer up opinions that I have 
heard. (For those who don't know me, I'm the Seneschal of Caer Mear, 
Prince Anton's Squire, and a fairly active member of the SCA whose been 
in around eight years, and travels to at least 30 events a year, hanging 
out with all sorts of folks, from all areas of the Kingdom.)
 
I also find it odd that there has not been much discussion about the 
fact that this polling was conducted in a almost reckless, haphazard 
fashion. With a large section of the area forgotten (That, I realize was 
through a clerical error.)and then polled on a later set of labels from 
California, this polling was allowed to proceed. A Baronial polling 
would never be acceptable under these circumstances. And yet, the TNNP's 
was able to continue on. Can you see how this might appear to be rushed?

Other factor's to add to the Kingdom's chagrin:
Thru the formation of this process the Kingdom Seneschal was a member of 
the Steering Comittee, and while I deeply respect Mistress Keilyn as a 
friend, and in her capisity as Kingdom Seneschal,I know that there were 
members of the Kingdom's populas that believed that they could not come 
to her to voice their concerns, and recieve a TOTALLY unbiased opinion. 
As well, Atlantia's member of the BOD lives in the TNNP area, and while 
Her Grace has publicly stated that she would remove herself from any 
TNNP vote, surely, could it not be perceived that if Board members 
wanted a Atlantian Opinion, that they would go to her? So a large number 
of folks could have felt put off from the start.

The North was the same area that made up the majority of the principalty 
of Atlantia, (and in fact, still make up, numbers wise, the majority of 
the Kingdom.)and that region was instumental to the formation of 
Atlantia as a Kingdom. IF (and i said if!) influencecial members of the 
north wanted to, they have all the tools. Certainly, there is enough 
population in the TNNP to form a kingdom,(it's bigger, as the polling 
just drew it, than the rest of the Kingdom, has more peers, etc.)and has 
the folks involved to make it happen. ( From a slew of Former Monarchs, 
BOD members, SCA Officers, etc.) 

I believe(please remember that i'm voicing MY opinion not anyone else's) 
that there is a perception in the rest of the Kingdom that the North, as 
a whole doesn't travel. And why should they? There is certainly engough 
events in the TNNP's area to keep one busy.Why should the South not be 
afraid of the North's clamor for MORE regionization? If there ia a 
perception that folks are too busy with all the stuff on the northern 
calender now, how is that going lession with the fomation of a 
Principalty? Perhaps as a "principalty idenity' grows that gap between 
the TNNP area and the rest of the Kingdom will only increase. That would 
be natural, after all. In my SCA experience I have found that only small 
number of folks keep ANY SCA group going. (Witness the low numbers in 
Caer Mear, as a example: 127 polled for B&B polling, 57 returned. 130 
polled for Principalty polling, 50 returned.) Will all the folks in the 
North that ARE active on the kingdom level still have time to 
participate?

Geographically, the borders of this proposed principality reach deep 
into the heart of the Central Region, a area that has had great growth 
in the last few years, perhaps more so than any other area in the 
Kingdom. Could the move to include Caer Mear look like a "expansionist" 
one? And what option does a group like Black Diamond have if the P. were 
to go kingdom?

IF the TNNP area starts to turn inward, "protecting a furtile field by 
building a hedgerow, against a windswept one", as was stated to me once, 
what does the rest of the Kingdom have to build on? I believe that the 
largest City, outside of the TNNP area would be Charlotte, N.C.(That's 
quite a drive from Marinus, folks!) and I believe that that alone is 
quite frighting to folks who live outside the TNNP area and want to see 
the SCA grow, and flourish. Isn't Charlotte a Canton, and not a very 
large one? (I plead ingnorance, on this one without a Acorn in front of 
me.)
   
I can only hope that is posting will start serious discussion between 
the various regions, which I feel is neccessary, no matter what happens 
to the TNNP.Please feel free to respond/ flame me privately, if you so 
desire.

Laus prae Lucro,
Bryce de Byram
Duane_Moore@yahoo.com

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