From: whheydt@pbhya.PacBell.COM (Wilson Heydt)
Subject: Re: Why have the SCA, Inc.?
Reply-To: whheydt@PacBell.COM (Wilson Heydt)
Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 20:35:41 GMT

In article <atterlep.719002131@vela> atterlep@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Montgomery J. Moose) writes:
>aryk@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (A.J.S. Nusbacher) writes:
>
>>In article <Bw0z50.7Mz@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> tbarnes@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (thomas wrentmore barnes) writes:
>
>>>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.
>
>  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.

Good counter.  However, Aryk has mixed problems here.  The reason for
banning wood-shafted polearms was concern over the way they'd break.
Neither rattan nor poltruded fiberglass makes splinters when it fails.

>>>3) Central registry for names and armory. So we don't have armory
>>>conflicts when we go out of kingdom.  
>
>  Actually, the CoA could take this over with no problem--it's almost
>completely independent of the BoD anyway.

I think that eliminating conflicting armory is one of the weakest
arguments in favor of a broad-based organization.  If each kingdom is
a 'independent country' then you'd *expect* conflicts to occur--just
as they did in period.  Nor would one expect to be the only person
with a particular name--even on the scale of single towns (let alone a
city of any respectable size).

>  Don't forget that centralization is actually cheaper than 12 orgs.  The cost
>of offices, furniture, and paid people for 12 organizations would be very
>expensive, and kingdoms would have to find some way to pay for the increased
>costs.

This is also debateable.  Until relatively recently, the entire SCA
didn't need to rent office space.  It is arguable that 12 separate
organizations could be run out of the homes of individuals without the
overhead of either rented office (or storage) space or any paid staff
at all.  Given that the largest of the Laurel Kingdoms has less than
4000 paid members, volunteer labor could do what is needed to maintain
records and mailing lists.

Please keep in mind that I am *not* arguing in favor of dividing up
the SCA--I think the strengths outweigh the weaknesses.  I don't think
the organization is 'broken' in any meaningful way--though it is (in
parts) under some stress.  In that sense, I don't think it needs to be
'fixed'.  I do, however, think that we should be on a constant lookout
for ways to make it work better with an eye to seeing that it
continues to function effectively as the Society grows--and that
should not rule out needing to break it up sometime in the future.

	--Hal

        Hal Ravn, Province of the Mists, West Kingdom
        Wilson H. Heydt, Jr.,  Albany, CA 94706,  510/524-8321 (home)
-- 
Hal Heydt                    |    "Boycott Time-Warner"
Analyst, Pacific*Bell        |         --J. Danforth Quayle
510-823-5447                 |    "... kill all the lawyers."
whheydt@pbhya.PacBell.COM    |         --William Shakespeare