From: leeu@stacken.kth.se (Leif Euren)
Subject: Re: Kingdom Timing
Organization: Stacken Computer Club, Stockholm, Sweden
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 09:06:44 GMT

Bertram of Bearington (Dave Schroeder) writes:
:
>As I understand it, Drachenwald has well over 500 paid members,
>most of whom are from the rapidly growing Barony of Nordmark
>in Sweden.  ... I gather that the average "SCA-age" ... in 
>[Nordmark] is under two years.

Being Nordmarks List-minister, I think I've a pretty good idea of our
barony's demography, especially since I've kept records of all members
for the last 6 years.  My interest was piqued by your questions, so I
checked the records, and found 616 active SCA "participants" in Nordmark
where by active I regard persons who fulfill one or more of the
following conditions:

	a valid membership in SCA, Inc.
	a valid waiver on file
	a valid Authoriztion card
	participation in a tourney in the last 365 days
	subscriber of the baronial newsletter

Of these, 212 are members of the SCA, Inc. and 186 have been around
for more than 2 years.

>Given that rather
>"low" average "SCA-age" is _now_ or a year from now really
>the right time for Drachenwald to become a kingdom?  Would
>another year be "enough" time to make a difference?

My percption is that _now_ is as good as any time.  Nordmark (which is
my prime area of knowledge) is stable, and has now a good body of
officers. As all the offices has changed officers at least once, and
the former officers are still active, we have resources to fall back
on, should anything go wrong.  Surely, Nordmark will continue to grow;
new members will join while others will drop out, but the "core" of
long time members will also grow.

And I wonder, is the average (mean? median?) SCA-age in other groups
much greater?

>But it seems to me ... that going kingdom soon
>is *not* a good idea, that Drachenwald's plans to become a
>kingdom soon may be a bit premature.

The problem is that nowadays "water dillutes communications", i.e.
communications are harder to maintain over a body of water.  You may
not beleive this if you haven't experienced it, but it's true
nonetheless.  Ask any inhabitants of canton of Styringheim (Gotland,
the island in the Baltic Sea). They complaint that it's so hard to
communicate with the rest of the barony.  We, in mainland of Nordmark,
are divided from the central of Drachenwald by the Baltic Sea, too.
And Drachenwald has all the Atlantic to cross before reaching the East
Kingdom proper.

You may argue that there's mail and telephone.  But it doesn't help.
The effect is psycological: an area you can't reach by walking
(regardless of how long you do it) is perceived as REMOTE, and OF NO
BIG IMPORTANCE.

It's this we in Drachenwald want to change, by moving the
administration nearer to us. It WILL make things run smoother, but
it'll also make us all feel happier.  It does make a change to
actually see the King and Queen.  In my 8 years in the Society, I've
personally seen them twice... and that doesn't add much to my feeling
of belonging.

>I deeply believe that the "right" size for an SCA kingdom is closer to
>500 than 1000 people

Would you then think Nordmark, with its 616 inhabitants, should be a
kingdom of it own ? :-)

	your humble servant
	Peder Klingrode
-- 
  Herr Peder Klingrode                    | Leif Euren    Stockholm, Sweden
  Holmgard, Nordmark, Drachenwald, East   | leeu@alex.stacken.kth.se