From: jtn@nutter.cs.vt.edu (Terry Nutter)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Why have the SCA, Inc.?
Date: 14 Oct 92 19:29:40 GMT
Followup-To: rec.org.sca
Organization: The Rialto

Greetings, all, from Angharad ver' Rhuawn.

Aryk wrote:

>>Here's my list of things that the BoD does well.
>>
>>1) Standardization of Fighting and Archery rules. So you don't have to
>>reauthorize every time you go out of kingdom.

>Yeah, thank Bod for all those helmets that had to be retrofitted because
>of the possibility that a 1 1/4" sword might penetrate a 1" occularium.
>And I'm really glad that I could turn my hardwood spear into a tent pole.

to which Alan Fairfax Aluricson responded, 

>  On the other hand, you can fight at Estrella, Pennsic, and in any other
>kingdom without any trouble.  C'mon, Aryk, give them credit for allowing
>someone to move from Caid to Trimaris without having to re-authorize.

Actually, no: you have to thank Caid and Trimaris.  If you move to Atlantia
from anywhere else, you get to fight for up to three months with what you
have, and then you have to reauthorize.  The Estrella and Pennsic situations
really work under the host kingdom's visitor rules, not under the BoD's
standardization.  Some kingdoms will consider anyone who ever authorized
anywhere authorized there too; others, however, will not even consider you
permanently authorized at home unless you actively do something to get your
authorization updated regularly.

Interkingdom Anthropology strikes again.

Alan also argues that the original number four holds, contra Aryk:

>>>4) Standardization of rules for Kingdom organization and behavior.
>>>So that people have a "legal" recourse when King Swaetsochs the Obtuse
>>>decides that he wants to go against public opinion, good taste and commn
>>>sense with some folly or another.
>
>  Again, the BoD has served a useful purpose in these cases ("Michael of
>Bedford" should ring a bell)

I'm sure that Alan is speaking in good faith here, but there's 
something that could use clearing up.  The view that the BoD has 
found Michael of Bedford guilty of misdeeds and applied sanctions 
against him is widespread, but false.  The only things that the 
BoD has taken as directly applied to him are as follows:

(a) When Michael resigned his belt, the BoD did not support his 
    getting it back automatically on changing his mind.  But the 
    BoD did not strip him: he resigned.  They just said that having 
    given it up, he no longer had it, and had to go through the same 
    process as anyone else to get it back.

(b) In his first Atlantian reign, the BoD insisted that he warrant
    a Chancellor of the Exchequer to get the taxes filed (there was
    an ongoing struggle with the corporate officer that threatened
    to extend into tax time); but no action was taken against Michael.

(c) The BoD heard a case on the question whether his reknighting was
    legal, and decided in his favor.

Several bits of law have happened afterwards, to the effect that 
something that was done ought not to be done again; but the BoD 
has never applied any sanction to Michael, and really, whatever 
one's personal view of the man, by the same rule that we would not 
want such falsehoods reported of ourselves, it's about time that 
the rumor to the contrary stopped.

Cheers,

-- Angharad/Terry