From: WHITE@DUVM.BITNET (Avid Reader - Fledgling Writer)
Subject: Re: Seneschal's courts
Organization: The Internet
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 14:22:26 GMT

Andrew Draskoy <andrew@bransle.ucs.mun.ca>              writes:
>
>> If a group is large enough to want be a Barony and wants a local reward
>> structure--let 'em become a Barony.
>
>It may not always be a case of "want", so much as "need".  Doesn't corpora
>require 25 paid members to form a barony?  At a 1-5 ratio of paid to non-paid
>(aproximately right for our group, and probably typical for the SCA) that
>means you need about 150 people in your group.  Our group is only a third
>of that size, and is fairly stable in it's population size, so it's not
>likely that we'll ever become a barony.  Nevertheless, we are a thriving
>group with lots of regular activities, and a level of expertise that
>compares well with many larger groups.
>
      Corpora may state the required number of paid members, but it does
not mandate that there be a 5 to 1 ratio of non-paid to paid.  If you
have about 50 people in your group, get 25 of them to pay up (for long
enough to establish your new status, if money is a problem), and go for
Baronial status.  If your group's reputation and expertise are what you
say they are, then you should have no problem at all attaining the
consent of all concerned.

      Some things we do are at least intended to be almost medieval.  We
try to maintain the flavor of the high nobility, fealty, and all that
good stuff.  We also try to be fair to everyone, and sometimes that
cuts into the recreation.  Frankly, I'm not sure where to draw the line
between seneschals giving out awards and something like non-fighting
kings or same-sex consorts.  Thus far, none of these things are done,
mostly because they aren't medieval (well, the non-fighting king thing
isn't banned for that reason, but it is an unfair rule that we have
created).  Baron/Baronesses, as due representatives of the crown, are
permitted to reward their populace for service - however, said rewards
are not all that important outside of the group, since there is no
objective standard to apply to the award (I'm saying this as a holder of
the Salamander, a Baronial award that I am quite glad I was deserving of
but which means nothing to anyone else reading this.  I also hold a
Baronial award from Three Rivers, my home-barony, that probably doesn't
even exist anymore).  Baronial awards don't carry Kingdom honors - like
AoA's or such.  They are just pats on the back, and can be done in an
official manner or not.  If your shire has need of a way to encourage
its members, then find one.  It doesn't have to be official, frankly -
make a household and have them give recogintion.  Have the seneschal
give his/her own thanks, perhaps with a pin or braided cord, to those
who have served well.  And, of course, nominate these people for the
appropriate Kingdom awards.

     Medievally, seneschals were those who ran the castle.  Seneschals
didn't hand out favors from the King.  If you want the ability to sit in
court and be important, do the work to become a barony.  If you want to
hand out encouragement to your shire, do so anyway.
>
>Miklos, residing in Ar n-Eilean-ne (that's a shire :-)
>andrew@bransle.ucs.mun.ca
>
     Arglwydd Dafydd Cyhoeddwr, Ivyeinrust, Bhakail, East.
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca