Report from the Grand Council: Quarter 2, 2007

A. COMMITTEE ACTIVITY

With no specific topic assigned by the Board, the committee concluded its discussions on organizational structure and related challenges, summarized in the previous Quarterly Report. Limited further discussion of conflict resolution and the need for training at all levels of the SCA spawned a discussion of ways in which the highest levels of the SCA – the Board and Society Officers – could increase the transparency of their deliberations, and the potential benefits of doing so.

This discussion resulted in the following Motions:

MOTION: In order to promote a perception of a more fair and open governance, as well as to increase members' awareness of Board actions, we of the Grand Council suggest that steps be taken to make certain information more readily available to the populace of the SCA.

Specifically, we recommend that appropriately redacted regular reports from Society Officers and standing committees, as well as any reports from special investigative bodies such as commissions or subcommittees be more widely publicized and distributed.

By appropriately redacted texts, we mean no more editing than the removal of confidential information or for similar legal or privacy purposes.

We also feel that the most obvious available venues for this publication and distribution are the sca.org website and the SCA-Announce list. The aforementioned reports could be made available on the sca.org website and said availability publicized by posting links on the SCA-Announce list.

This motion received 31 votes in favor (18 strongly in favor) and 6 negatives (2 strong negatives), with 1 abstention for a weighted score of 41. The majority of the Council believed adopting the procedure described above would help to reduce certain tensions within the Society, and between the Society-level leadership and the membership at large. A few felt this procedure would be either ineffective or redundant given current procedures for disseminating information.

MOTION: Further, we recommend that the Society Chief Technology Officer examine whether this publication can be performed automatically - perhaps via a Content Management System on the sca.org web site, or RSS/Atom syndication feeds.

This motion received 17 positive votes (9 strong positives) and 17 negative votes (6 strong negatives), for a weighted score of 3. Many of those who voted against this motion did so because they felt it was too close to micromanaging the publication process, not because they necessarily thought automating the process was a bad idea. A representative comment was “I don't believe it is best for a committee to try to direct someone in the specifics of a job, whether it be web publication of meeting notes or the publication of a book.”

As these motions were being formulated, it also occurred to the council that its officers were nearing the end of their terms, and that it would be necessary to hold officer elections, particularly as some officers had announced their intention to not stand for re-election, and a concomitant desire to turn their office over as soon as possible. The results of these officer elections are summarized in Section D: Committee Status and Commendations.

After the elections, the new Chair directed the Council to discuss, compare, and contrast the role and structure of the site security and waterbearing functions in the various Kingdoms represented on the Council, pending assignment of a topic by the Board. There was more consistency in the handling of waterbearing than in how security was organized across the various Kingdoms. Specifically, waterbearing was organized as a deputy of either the Kingdom Earl Marshal or the Kingdom Chirurgeon, and regardless of formal structure waterbearers performed largely the same functions and had the same responsibilities. Security, on the other hand, was a function of the Constables office in some Kingdoms, was handled informally by the Autocrat in others, and might vary from event to event within the same Kingdom.

This discussion was relatively brief, as the Council was assigned a topic by the Board shortly after the discussion began – recruiting and retaining Society-level officers. While no motions related to this topic have yet been introduced, a number of discussion points have emerged. There is general agreement that the largest barrier to recruiting Society-level officers is that the perceived costs – time and effort involved, as well as the potential for negative reactions from the populace – are seen by many as greatly outweighing the possible benefits. A number of suggestions were made to address this imbalance, ranging from hiring professionals from inside the Society to creating one or more awards or gameside “tokens of esteem” to be bestowed by the Board for Society-level service.

However, many Council members felt that the more productive course would be to concentrate on making the jobs less negative by reducing the amount of effort involved, either by providing better tools and support or by dividing job responsibilities so as to create multiple offices. The Division of Laurel Sovereign of Arms into three positions – Laurel, Pelican, and Wreath – was cited as an example of doing this. As of the end of the quarter, discussions on this topic were continuing and had begun to merge with discussions of creating a strategic plan and a business plan for the Society, as a deal of overlap among these topics was seen.

B. COMMITTEE STATUS AND COMMENDATIONS

Results of Officer Elections:

CHAIRMAN – Brendan ap Llewelyn

VICE-CHAIRMAN - Theodora of Trebizond

SECRETARY - Kevin Eriol

CLERK - Megan nic Alister of Thornwood

MODERATOR - Ian Cradoc, Bertrik

NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR - Wulfred+

NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE MEMBERS – Berengaria de Montfort de Carcassonne, Leyland O'Lee, AshaHito, Colm Dubh, and Kat MacLochlainn

WEB ADMINISTRATOR - Jean Louis de Chambertin (non-member of the GC)

Other Changes

George Anne stepped down as AEthelmarc Kingdom Representative.

Fridrikr Tomasson began his term as AEthelmarc Kingdom Representative.

Orla Carey began her term as Atlantia’s Kingdom representative.

James Llewellyn ap Gruffydd, at-large Council member from An Tir stepped down.

 

C. PUBLISHABLE SUMMARY

The Grand Council examined a number of topics during the second quarter of 2007. Initially, it addressed the need for a more consistent and structured process for disseminating certain types of reports and the results of special investigations to interested members of the populace. Specifically, the Council examined the potential of using existing vehicles, such as the sca.org website and the SCA-Announce mailing lsit for this purpose

The Council also held internal elections for the various offices and posts within the Council.

The Council then turned to comparison of organizational structures across the Kingdoms of the SCA, and also discussed issues relating to the recruitment and retention of increased candidate pools for Society-level offices, as well as strategies to smooth the transition from an officer to his or her successor at this level. Ways these same strategies could be applied at the Kingdom level were also discussed.

D. CONFIDENTIAL

Nothing to report.

APPENDIX: LIST OF COUNCIL MEMBERS CONTRIBUTING TO THE DISCUSSIONS

SCA NAME	KINGDOM REP/AT-LARGE	KINGDOM
Aelric of Battle	Kingdom Rep	Drachenwald
Aleksandr Vasilevych Lev	at-large	Northshield
Annalies Grossmund	at-large	Calontir
Armand Dragonetti	Kingdom Rep	Ansteorra
AshaHito	at-large	Atlantia
Berengaria de Montfort de Carcasson	at-large	An Tir
Brendan ap Llewelyn	at-large	An Tir
Cairistiona inghean Raghnall	Kingdom rep	Lochac
Colm Dubh	at-large	Trimaris
Daniel de Blare	Kingdom	West
Dietrich von Vogelsang	at-large	Caid
Elana Blakefenn	Kingdom	Caid
Elias Gedney	at-large	East
Fiskr Hammondson	at-large	Northshield
Flanna Dunwalton	at-Large	West
Fridrikr Tomasson av Knusslig Hamn	Kingdom Rep*	Æthelmearc
George Anne	Kingdom Rep*	Æthelmearc
Helena Bryenissa Raoulaina	at large	An Tir
Herzog Dietrich von vogelsang	at-Large	Caid
Hrothgar the Smith	at Large	Calontir
Ian Cradoc	at-large	Atenveldt
Baron James Llewellyn ap Gruffydd	at large	An Tir
Kat MacLochlainn	at-large	Ansteorra
Katriona ni Chonarain	Kingdom Rep	Northshield
Kevin Eriôl	at-large	Meridies
Marion “Leyland” O’Lee	at large	Calontir
Megan nic Alister of Thornwood	at large	West
Mitchell MacBain	Kingdom Rep	East
Roger of Belden Abbey	Kingdom Rep	An Tir
Theodora of Trebizond	at Large	Artemisia
Therasia von Tux	at large	Artemisia
Thomas Blackmoore	Kingdom Rep	Meridies
Timothy O’Brian	Kingdom Rep	Outlands
TSivia bas Tamara v'Amberview	at large	Ealdormere
Wulfred Hansard of Richmond	at large	Atlantia

*NOTE: AEthelmark appointed a new Kingdom Representative during this quarter, so two individuals are listed in the above tale as Kingdom Representative from AEthelmark