Hello Everyone,
We have been receiving feedback regarding the upcoming group status discussion.
The lists below are by no means a complete accounting for concerns and or opportunities but it is at least a good start towards our discussion. I have broken down these items that impact individuals and the group as a greater whole. Many of the items listed could fall under either category, but the overall impact was used to determine which category they are listed under.
As mentioned through previous postings and announcements at meetings, we will be holding several “town hall” meetings throughout the Province so that individuals can freely and openly discuss these ideas. During each of these meetings only the best most respectful behavior, that our society is built upon, will be expected and appreciated.
Thank you to Lord Otto Gottlieb of the Barony of Endewearde for providing many of these talking points that I’ve adapted specifically for our group.
Moving to Barony:
Individual
- Baronial Court can provide a place for Heralds, Guards, and Champions to learn the ropes in a less stressful environment, in case they ever take on the same role in Royal Court.
- Baronial Awards are recorded in the OP.
- Baronial Court can provide a display of pageantry for local folks who rarely see Royal Court.
- Being able to hold baronial court means that awards can be presented to members of the local populace who don’t travel or are less known on a kingdom level.
- The process of recommending people for Baronial awards and having local polling orders helps maintain involvement and interest in the SCA by local members who might not otherwise get drawn into the SCA at a Kingdom level for some time, if ever.
- Our game is not all about tallying an award score, it is potentially worthwhile to be able to acknowledge individuals efforts and achievements and contributions to the group.
- Baronial Championship Tourneys & Challenges now do more than recognize the skills of the participants; they have the winner take on a position in the Court.
Group
- Creating scrolls or other physical tokens of recognition for Baronial Awards can help create and maintain continued interest in the SCA by local members by getting them involved with arts & sciences.
- The right Baronage can help act as an advocate for all the local talent to a Kingdom level, and help get Kingdom or Society level recognition for those deserving. (This isn’t to say that this doesn’t already happen through local Peers and other advocates doing the same, but it can act as yet another avenue for information to flow.)
- Local courts and a landed Baronage can add to the medieval feel we’re trying to recreate.
- A baronage might become a focal point for group activities and direction.
- Baronial investiture creates a more or less certain royal progress to the area.
- This is not necessarily true but potentially true. Investitures are sometimes combined with other regional events to reduce the amount of travel required of monarchs. This will become more evident as the new term limits on baronages is implemented.
- Baronies can form subgroups such as cantons and strongholds which allows for growth and organization of the group outside of the central Bangor area without further carving up the territory over time.
- Note that Malagentia currently has two active and thriving Ridings that would continue if Malagentia is a Province or a Barony.
Staying a Province
Individual:
- People worry about being ostracized for disagreeing with or speaking out against the Baronage.
- There may be additional workload for some members
- Storing, making, transporting, and maintaining regalia.
Group:
- Losing our identity
- Malagentia is one of the few if not only Province in the East Kingdom
- Politics: The selection process for a Baronage, and re-selection in the future could be stressful times that create division, instead of bringing the group together.
- Factions and rifts could be created. How adult we are as a whole will depend on how and if these wounds can be healed.
- This is heavily dependent on how we, as members of the Society, comport our own behavior.
- Burnout: Having local Courts, regalia, awards, champions, and the events to support them is more work, and that means more volunteers or more volunteerism by those who already do the volunteering. This can lead to burnout if not carefully managed.
- This also falls on the number of officers. Adding one or two baronages potentially pulls from the officer numbers as well.
- Concern that the wrong Baronage could create division within the local group
- The expense of creating and maintaining regalia.
- Additional bureaucracy.
In Service,
Christian
Seneschal, Malagentia