From: kathy@xn.ll.mit.edu
Subject: Re: M-word: new ruling from Hilary
Organization: MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, MA
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 92 21:26:39 GMT

In article <9204091312.AA09815@ellis.bedford.progress.COM> schuldy@bedford.progress.COM (Mark Schuldenfrei) writes:
>
>Can anyone tell me why the ability to send money to California makes one
>more suited to being a temporary officer of the local group?  I thought the
>liability insurance applied only to Directors of the Board, and their
>directly appointed officers.

I don't believe that the insurance issue relates here.  As I understand the 
insurance issue (as explained to me by the current Deputy Steward, in the 
context of determining what insurance options we needed for an upcoming event),
the insurance that covers events insures *THE SITE OWNER* and only the site 
owner, for liability and property damage.  (In other words, if the stove blows
up while cooking the feast, they and we are covered, for example).  It does
not cover property damage if the site owner is an SCA member, though I'm 
unclear whether member in this context means paid, card-carrying member, or
simply member by virtue of being a regular participant in SCA activities.
[If it means paid member, that might be an incentive *NOT* to be a member if
you're about to allow your property to be used for an event.  However, please
note that I'm not advocating this, merely pointing out the potential problem.]

I can't comment on the legal validity of whether or not being a paid member is
significant in terms of being able to be delegated the authority to sign contracts
on behalf of SCA, Inc.  However, I do believe that in a practical sense it is a
good idea.  One of the more telling arguments I've heard proposed here on the
rialto in favor of not requiring paid membership to take part in most activiites
of the SCA is the fact that it might entail a financial hardship for some very
active members.  Given the current economic climate in this area, I don't find
this exceedingly hard to believe, and don't believe it should be a barrier to
active participation in the SCA.  

However, there are some types of participation that practically speaking require
a reasonable degree of financial stability from the person involved.  One can 
argue quite convincingly that a broke student, or someone out of work, or with
some other reason to be extremely short of money, can participate in many of our
activities for a very limited financial outlay.  I am convinced that those 
activities don't include most of the great offices at even the local level (with
the possible exception of college-based groups), or autocrats of large (i.e. 
advertised in a Kingdom newsletter) events.  To effectively be a Seneschal, or
Royalty, or autocrat a large event, one needs to stay in contact with many 
people, who are often not in the local calling area.  Can someone to whom that
$25 is a real fiscal hardship afford the little out-of-pocket expenses that 
come up in the course of doing a good job on any of these positions?  I would
say not.

In addition, autocrating an event involves a lot of little things, which are
often not reimbursed.  Gas and milage used by the autocrat in the course of 
planning the event, as well as phone time, are examples of things not generally
reimbursed, at least in Stonemarche.  I helped with an event once where the 
autocrat did not have a phone, due to a large unpaid phone bill, and being 
unable to maintain regular contact with him made it a logistical nightmare.
[Our senschal has since decreed that anyone who autocrats an event must have
a phone # where they can be reached.]  

Finally, I think that a subscription to the kingdom newsletter, which is currently
available only  if you are a member, is highly advisable for anyone who is 
trying to autocrat an event of significant size.  

						A'isha bint Jamil



-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kathryn L. Smith	    System Administrator 		[The text above is
MIT Lincoln Laboratories    					my personal opinion,
Lexington, MA		    ARPANET: kathy@XN.LL.MIT.EDU        not MIT/LL policy]