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BARONY OF ST. SWITHIN'S
BOG: LAWS AND POLICIES UPDATED APRIL
2005 The following Laws and Policies
do not supercede the Kingdom laws.
These local laws are meant for the populace of St. Swithin's Bog and
the daily governing of the group.
These Laws and Policies must be reviewed yearly, or as needed, by the
officers of the group and appropriate changes made per that group. Changes to Baronial Law and
Policy take effect upon publication in the monthly newsletter. Baronial Law and Policy will be
published in its' entirety once a year. ONLY
IF CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE BYLAWS.
BYLAWS WILL BE REVIEWED EVERY APRIL. The populace and individuals
representing the Barony of St. Swithin's Bog are expected to conduct
themselves with honesty and chivalry at all times and obeys both Kingdom and
mundane law. PART I: TERMS AND VOTING RULES A. All offices (except where noted) will be
limited to a two-year term. Three (3)
months prior to the end of a term, the officer must announce that his/her
term is ending and their intentions.
Announcements will be made verbally at the Baronial business meeting
and in writing in the monthly newsletter B. Interested parties/ candidates for an
office must announce their interest no less than two (2) months prior to the
term ending. Announcements will be
made verbally at the Baronial business meeting. C. In the event that more than one (1) person
is interested in the same office, a vote by the populace must be held. This vote shall take place at the Baronial
business meeting, no less than one (1) month prior to the term ending. D. A vote of confidence may be called on any
office at any time during the term. E. Offices will change hands at different
times during the year in order to prevent chaos and aid in the smooth
transition of the governing body.
1.
The offices of Seneschal, Herald, and their deputies will change at
The Twelfth
Night
Event. 2. The offices of Exchequer, Arts &
Sciences, and their deputies will change on the first of March. 3. All other officers and deputies will change
in August F. When an officer steps down before his/her
term of office is completed and a replacement is not immediately available,
the Drop-dead will call for Letters of intent and maintain the office until
the position is filled. 1. The Drop-dead whenever possible will be the
person who previously held the position. PART II: OFFICES & OFFICERS A. REQUIREMENTS 1.
All officers and Drop-dead Deputies must be paid National members and meet Kingdom requirements. (See AEthelmearc Law & Policy Book
and/or Seneschal Handbook.) 2.
All officers must obey and support the laws of Kingdom and the
Baronial Law & Policies without prejudice. 3.
All officers are expected to attend officer meetings as scheduled by
the Seneschal. All officer meetings are open to the populace. 4. All officers are encouraged to support and
train deputies of that office. a.
Although not required, it is recommended that a person serve as Deputy
of the office he/she is interested in before taking on the responsibilities
of that office. 5.
All officers will provide a list of Baronial property held by their
office to the Seneschal on a yearly basis. 6.
Copies of all quarterly, event, and year-end reports will be given to
the Seneschal. 7. Officers are expected to keep the populace
informed of the workings of their office via the monthly newsletter and/or at
Baronial business meetings. 8.
Upon the presentation of receipts, all offices will be reimbursed a
yearly, non-cumulative, amount of $50 to cover any administrative expenses,
i.e. printing, postage, or other necessary supplies. Any expenses over $50 must be voted upon by
the Financial Committee. 9. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR ALL
OFFICERS WILL BE PUBLISHED ON THE OFFICAL B. SENESCHAL (President) 1. The Seneschal office is a two-year term
running from January to January. 2.
The Seneschal will oversee the finances/expenses of the group,
including the co-signing of checks, signature cards, Corporate Resolutions,
and any other related banking procedures.
The Seneschal must review and co-sign all Kingdom-required Exchequer
and Baronial reports. The Seneschal
will also be responsible for ratified funds heard and voted on by the
populace. 3. The Seneschal is in charge of monthly
business meetings. This Means calling
on officers or their deputies at each meeting to discuss their relative offices
with the populace. 4. Monthly meetings require the presence of
the Seneschal, or his/her deputy, three other officers or deputies. THE FOLLOWING WILL BE REMOVED, and at
least 10 members of the populace of St. Swithin's Bog. 5. If the Seneschal and his/her
deputy cannot be present for a meeting, they must inform the other officers
as soon as possible. 6.
The Seneschal is responsible for scheduling officer's meetings. C.
The PENNSIC LAND GRAB AGENT (falls under the office of Seneschal.) 1. The Pennsic Land Grab Agent is a one-year
term, January to January, with an automatic roll over to the next year. The office will continue to roll over until
the PLG Agent no longer wishes to hold the office, or another party expresses
interest in the office. The PLG Agent
is not an officer, but an Agent for the Barony. 2.
The Pennsic Land Grab Agent is responsible for obtaining the information
about the Pennsic War land rush from the Pennsic land distributor and for
submitting the necessary paperwork to reserve camping space for Barony
members at Pennsic each year, preferably in the traditional area. 3. The PLG Agent is allotted a yearly
allowance of $50. 4. The PLG Agent shall be present at the
Pennsic War for the Required time and shall assist in the placement of
campers to insure fair distribution of the reserved land. D.
EXCHEQUER (Treasurer) 1.
The Exchequer office is a two-year term running from March 1st to
March 1st, as this will facilitate the filing of the year-end report. 2.
The Exchequer is required to keep the original paperwork of all incoming
funds and all outgoing expenses. a.
The bank signature card is also the responsibility of the Exchequer.
This card requires four signatures: i. The Seneschal. ii. The Exchequer. iii. The Kingdom Exchequer. iv. A third Barony member agreed on by the
Seneschal and the Exchequer.
(Preferably one of their deputies.) v. No two signatories on the bankcard shall
share the same address. 3.
The Exchequer is required to have a current balance of the Barony's account
and a complete breakdown of incoming and outgoing funds and furnish that
balance at the monthly meeting. Bank
statements will be sent to the exchequer with a copy to be given to the
Seneschal monthly. 4.
The Exchequer is required to fill out quarterly and bi-yearly reports
to the Kingdom Exchequer. 5.
The Exchequer must not furnish any funds to any person without ratification from the populace or consent
from the Seneschal. 6.
The Exchequer must follow Kingdom rules and laws and train his/her Deputy,
in these procedures. 7.
The year-end report must be published in the Barony's newsletter one
One month after the report is filed. 8.
Any funds going to any of the three signatories will require the
signatures of the other two parties. E. CHAMBERLAIN 1.
The Chamberlain office is a two-year term running from August to
August. 2.
The Chamberlain is responsible for keeping track of all Baronial
property /regalia. a. Provide complete listings of
property/regalia, updated yearly as to condition, repair, and removal. b.
Provide copies of listings to Seneschal and bringing to that officer's
attention any missing property, need for repair or removal. c.
Responsible for obtaining bids for any purchase of Baronial property
and presenting to the Financial Committee.
F.
FINANCIAL COMMITTEE 1.
The Financial Committee is responsible for any changes to these
particular policies. 2.
The Baronial Seneschal and the Exchequer are members of the Financial
Committee as are the Baron and Baroness. 3.
The officers and their Excellencies shall serve on the financial
committee for the term of their offices. 4.
Two paid National Society Baronial members who do not reside at the
same address or hold any of the above offices shall be selected from the
populace to fill the final two seats of the committee. The term for these two members is limited
to one year. 5.
Each member of the committee is allocated one vote. The exception would be when a Baron and
Baroness are both serving on the committee.
Their Excellencies shall share one vote between them. 6.
Unless otherwise specified, a majority of votes, of the full financial
committee, is sufficient to carry any decision. 7.
All members of the Barony are welcome to observe any Baronial
Financial Committee meeting. 8.
The Baronial Exchequer is responsible for creating and proposing a
yearly budget. The members of the
committee may make suggestions to the addition or subtraction of any budgeted
item or propose new items be included in the budget. The final version of the budget must be
approved by vote of the Baronial Financial Committee members. 9.
The Exchequer shall ensure that the final budget is published, along
with the annual financial report, in the Baronial newsletter. The Exchequer should receive requests
for additional funds with sufficient time to convene the Financial
Committee. Changes to a final budget
must be reviewed and approved by the Financial committee. 10. The Financial Committee shall create
and approve all officers' funds (does not include Kingdom Office
sponsorships). The Exchequer shall
maintain a list of these funds, their purpose, duration, any restrictions,
and the method of dispersal of any funds remaining at the end of the fund's
life. This information shall be
available upon request to the committee. 11.
The Financial Committee shall be responsible for approving documented reimbursements
or cash advances in lieu of documented receipts for amounts greater than
$50.00. Emergency expenses can be
reviewed and voted upon via e-mail or an on-line meeting of the committee. 12.
The Baronial Financial Committee shall work in concert with the
Baronial Chamberlain to handle purchase requests for the Barony. All bids shall be submitted to the
Financial Committee for review and selection.
Upon selection of a bid, the Chamberlain shall notify the person
submitting bids of the results and coordinate the purchase of the approved
item. Receipts shall be handled
following the same process for other baronial expenses. 13.
In the event the office of Chamberlain is vacant, these duties revert
to the Exchequer. G. HERALD 1. The Herald office is a two-year term running
from January to January. 2.
The Herald is required to submit quarterly reports to Kingdom as
Necessary. 3.
The principal job of Herald is to help members of the group acquire
names, badges, and devices. The Herald
is also responsible for announcements at events, tournaments, and arranging
and running Royal and Baronial courts. (The choice of Herald at a court is
the sole prerogative of the noble holding that court.) 4.
The Herald is responsible for the Heraldic Library and must make it
and himself/herself available to the populace on a regular basis for
consultation and submissions. 5.
The Herald should also keep the populace aware of any changes regarding
submission policies/fees. The Barony
does not pay for heraldic submissions, except for Baronial devices or badges,
since these submissions are for the populace, not one person. 6.
The Herald is also responsible for maintaining and updating the Baronial
Order of Precedence. H. ARTS & SCIENCES 1.
The A&S office is a two-year term running from March to March. 2.
The A&S officer must submit all required reports to Kingdom. 3.
The A&S officer will adhere to all Kingdom requirements and laws. CORRECT THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS 4. The A&S officer will be in charge of
the archives and compiling an Annual list of the available literature to the
populace. The A& S officer is also
responsible for seeing that loaned items are returned to the A&S
archives. The terms for the lending and return of books to the archives will
be determined by the A&S officer. 5. The A&S officer will be in charge of
scheduling and conducting any monthly A&S classes and informing the
populace of such meetings. I. CHATELAINE 1.
The Chatelaine office is a two-year term running from August to
August. 2.
The Chatelaine's main duties are to welcome new members into the
Barony and the SCA, and to see that such persons obtain the information they
need to function as part of the group. 3.
The Chatelaine is the "contact" person to whom all inquiries
regarding Society activities should be referred. It is the Chatelaine's responsibility to
arrange demonstrations of various Society activities, as time and
availability of members to participate allow. 4.
The Chatelaine's duties regarding demos are to get members and equipment
to show the diversity of studies, i.e. dancing, garb making, brewing,
calligraphy, etc., and different types of marshal activities. 5.
The Chatelaine's duties regarding new members are to make them feel
welcome, answer questions about the society, provide beginner information
about event requirements, and introduction to members that may share an
interest in an activity or study. 6.
The Chatelaine must work with the Chronicler to compile a yearly Baronial
Directory for the Seneschal files. a. Permission must be given by individuals for
contact information to be published in a directory for the populace. J. CHRONICLER 1.
The Chronicler office is a two-year term running from August to
August. 2.
The Chronicler's duties are to produce and distribute by the 28th of each
month the following month's newsletter.
This means collecting articles, artwork and information from the group
about upcoming events and items of interest to the Barony, such as meeting
times and places of various guilds,
etc. The minutes from the monthly
meetings should be published in each newsletter. 3.
The Chronicler will be reimbursed for the cost of publication and distribution
of the newsletter monthly. Such costs
are to be considered beyond that of the routine administrative fund. 4.
The office of Scribe is a Volunteer office and answers to the
Chronicler. The Scribe does not have
to be a National member. The office of
Scribe will be responsible for the meeting minutes and will give them to the
Chronicler at the end of the meeting or in an otherwise timely manner for
publication. If neither the Scribe nor
the Chronicler can attend the monthly meeting, the Seneschal must be
notified. 5.
The responsibilities of the Scribe are not a responsibility of the
Chronicler. THIS SHOULD BE LETTER K. The office of
Historian (falls under the Chronicler). 1.
The Historian has no set term. 2.
The Historian is responsible for all Barony records and reports. 3.
The Historian will keep Barony history alive, i.e. the first time something
new happens, "war stories," family trees, and timelines. L. MINISTER/MISTRESS OF LISTS 1.
The MOL office is a two-year term running from August to August. 2.
The MOL is the scorekeeper for tournaments and keeps track of Who fights
who and who wins that competition. 3.
The MOL must work closely with all Barony Marshals. 4.
The MOL is responsible for all Kingdom-required paperwork and waivers.
M. MARSHALS 1.
The various Marshals are:
Knight Marshal (heavy weapons), Marshal of Fence, Archery Captain,
Thrown Weapons Marshal, and Equestrian Marshal. 2.
All Marshals must be warranted by Kingdom and be paid National
members. 3.
The Baronial Marshals will be voted on by the participants directly
under this Marshal. Warranted deputies
are encouraged. 4.
The Marshals are responsible for the safety and conduct of the participants
on the field, participant authorizations, and equipment inspection. Marshals must get a signed waiver form and
provide Kingdom rules to all new participants. They must keep the participants updated on
all Kingdom rules that affect them. 5.
The Marshals are responsible for getting signed waivers from minors,
nonmembers, or members who cannot produce a current membership card at any
and all gatherings where fighting may be taking place. These waivers must be sent, to the appropriate
Kingdom official, for filing, and in a
timely manner. CHANGED TO MONTHLY. N. MINISTER OF YOUTH 1.
The Minister of Youth office is a two-year term running from August to
August. 2. The Chancellor Minor's duties, of this
office, are to provide structured activities for children at Baronial events,
not a baby sitting or day care service. 3. It is suggested that the Chancellor Minor
obtain adult assistance when conducting Baronial children's activities. O. CHIRURGEON 1.
The Chirurgeon's office does not have a limit due to the training
necessary. 2.
The Chirurgeon is responsible for the administration of first-aid only
to the limit of the Chirurgeon's mundane certification. The Chirurgeon is responsible for stocking
and updating the first-aid kit. 3.
The Chirurgeon must comply with all Kingdom requirements (see Kingdom
Law and Policy Book). P. WEB MINISTER 1.
Responsible for maintenance and upgrades of the Baronial web Pages. 2.
Responsible for obtaining written consent for publication of personal
information on the web. PART III: EVENTS AND DEMOS A. PREFERED DATES FOR TRADITIONAL EVENTS 1.
12th Night- The 3rd weekend in January 2.
Spring Thing- June 3. Annual July Event The 3rd weekend in
July 4. Baronial Champs-The 1st weekend after
Pennsic B. EVENT PROPOSALS 1.
Call for proposals will be made to the populace at the monthly Meeting
in October for the upcoming Three Day event; April for the upcoming 12th
Night event; any other event should be proposed a minimum of three months in
advance of said event. This does not
include bonfires and other single- evening gatherings. All Autocrats and Co-Autocrats must be paid
national members. It is strongly
suggested that Autocrats are active in Baronial activities. 2.
Both the annual 12th Night event and the Three Day event should have
both an Autocrat and a Co-Autocrat. 3.
The proposed event must be delivered in a planned manner, not just
suggested. Use the Event Bid form in the appendix. 4.
The proposal must include the following information: Proposed event
date, site and site fee; Autocrat and Co-Autocrat(s); proof of membership;
Feastocrat and a general idea of cost. 5.
Once a bid has been accepted, the Autocrat or Co-Autocrat will provide
progress reports on the event at the monthly meeting until the event is held. 6. If for some reason the event plans are
not progressing as proposed, the Seneschal and Baronial officers may step in
and take over responsibility for the event. C. Bid Failure If no event bids are received by the
deadline, any subsequent bids can be presented at an officers meeting/monthly
meeting. The minority needed for approval is the Baron/ess, Seneschal and
Exchequer. D. EVENTS 1.
The Autocrat has the final word on all decisions during the event however,
the Seneschal can intervene in case the Autocrat is unavailable, or when
Kingdom and mundane laws are being broken. 2.
The Autocrat must consult with the Baron and Baroness on matters of protocol
and court. 3.
The Autocrat must work with the Marshals to see that all marshal
activities are safe and meet all Kingdom requirements. Waivers must be signed on all minors,
nonmembers, and members who cannot produce a current membership card. These waivers must be sent to the
appropriate Kingdom official for filing in a timely manner. 4.
The Autocrat must work with all officers to complete all the necessary
paperwork within 30 days of the end of the event. 5.
The Autocrat or Co-Autocrat must be on site at all times and be easily
identifiable. E. POST EVENT 1.
The Autocrat must see that the site is well cleaned and restored to
its original condition (preferably cleaner than the original condition). 2. The Autocrat must save all receipts. 3. Immediately contact the Exchequer to fill
out the Kingdom event report. 4. The event report is the Autocrat's
responsibility, not the Exchequer's; however, it is strongly recommended that
consensus between the Exchequer and Autocrat is reached. 5. The Autocrat must make the completed event
report known to the populace in the newsletter, with in 0ne (1) month of
completion. 6. Any monies collected in the course of
Events/Demos must be forwarded to the Exchequer with in one (1) weeks time
from the end of the event. Failure to
do so may result in prosecution. PART IV: BARON AND BARONESS A. GENERAL 1.
The Barony of 2.
The Baron and Baroness will serve a 3-year term. 3.
The Baron and Baroness will be limited to two consecutive terms, but
may run again upon the next election process. B. RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES 1.
RIGHTS A.
The Baron/ess have the right to display the arms of the Barony of St.
Swithin's Bog or to delegate the carrying of the Baronial banner. B.
The Baron/ess has the right to appoint a Captain of the Guard to serve
at his/her pleasure. 1.
The Captain of the Guard will be responsible for deciding the make-up
of the guard. 2.
Anyone may be appointed to serve in the Guard. C.
The Baron/ess has the right to hold 1.
Baronial awards carry no precedence and are equal in status. 2.
Baronial awards shall be known as The Order of St. Swithin. a. Service:
Purpure, three bulrushes Or. b. Martial:
Gules, three bulrushes Or. c. A&S:
Azure, three bulrushes Or. d.
Youth (for children age 16 and under):
Pending. E. FRIENDS OF THE BOG: PENDING 3.
There will also be a Special Order of St. Swithin to be given by the Baron/ess once a year at their pleasure to
any individual they feel has shown
outstanding skill, grace, courtesy, chivalry, and service within the Barony. a. Sable, three bulrushes within a bordure Or. D.
The Baron/ess has the right to choose various Baronial Champions by
whatever methods he/she desires. a.
Only members of the Barony whose physical residence is within the
borders of the Barony may be considered for Baronial Champion. 5.
The Baron/ess will be allotted a yearly amount of $100.00 to cover any
administrative expenses (printing, postage, or other supplies) or traveling
expenses for their office. 6.
The Baron or Baroness has the right to resign at any time. 2.
RESPONSIBILITIES A.
The Baron and Baroness are Baronial Officers. B.
The Baron/ess has a responsibility to the Barony to conduct them selves
in a manner that reflects the ideals of the SCA. C.
The Baron or Baroness shall make every effort to attend all official
events and meetings held within Baronial borders. D.
The Baron/ess are liaisons to royalty and hold the Barony in fealty to
the Crown. E.
The Baron/ess hold a seat on the Financial Committee. C. QUALIFICATIONS OF BARON AND BARONESS 1.
The Baron/ess must be at least 18 years of age. 2.
The Baron/ess must be paid National members of the SCA. 3.
The Baron/ess must have resided within the Baronial borders for at
least 1 year prior to the election process. 4.
The Baron/ess must have at one time submitted a name and device to the
5. The Baronial Seneschal and Baronial
Exchequer may not run for the position of Baron/ess. Should he/she wish to run, he/she must step
down prior to the published call for letters of intent, and take his/her name
off the Baronial checking account signature card. D. ELECTION PROCESS 1.
VOTER ELIGIBILITY a. Voters must at least 17 years of age. b. Voters must be paid National members. c. Voters must have a society recognized
postal address with in Baronial borders.
2.
ELECTION PROCESS Ten months prior to the end of the
Baronial term (September), a call for letters of intent will be published in
the Baronial newsletter. 1.
Any Baronial member who wishes to run for Baron/ess may do so by
submitting an application packet to the Baronial Seneschal. 2.
Packets must include but is not limited to: a. SCA and Mundane name. b. Proof of national membership in the form of
a mailing label or copy of membership card. c. Proof of having submitted a name and device
to the d. Letters of Intent which must include: i. Qualifications ii. Willingness to travel iii. Willingness to accept the costs
associated with the office. 3.
Letters of intent must be received by the Seneschal no later than the
published deadline (October). 4.
Letters of intent must be published in the Baronial newsletter and
sent to the AEthelmearc Crown. a. It
is the responsibility of the candidate to submit their letters to the Crown
and the Barony Chronicler 5. Failure to provide the information outlined
above will disqualify the Application packet and the candidates submitting
it. 3.
BALLOTS A.
Ballots will contain the required vote on change of status. a. If the majority vote is to change branch
status, the election process will stop and the Crown will be notified. B.
Ballots will contain a list of single candidates and/or couples from
which to choose either a single Baron or Baroness or a couple to hold the
position jointly C.
The candidate(s) receiving a plurality of the votes cast will Hold the
office. D. In the event of a tie, the Crown will
choose the next Baron/ess E. Ballots will be mailed using the mailing
labels supplied by the corporate office of the
SCA. Any member who is not on this
list may vote by showing proof of membership to the Seneschal prior to the
counting of the Ballots. 4.
VOTING A.
Ballots (votes) will be counted at the Barony meeting seven months
prior to the end of the term of the present Baron/ess (December). B.
Absentee voting will be permitted for members not able to Attend the
meeting where the vote is taking place. 1. An absentee vote must be received by the
Seneschal prior to the counting of the Ballots at the December meeting. 2. Ballots will remain sealed until the count
of all ballots takes place. 2.
To insure one vote per member, ballots must contain the mailing label
sent on the ballot envelope to verify membership. C. The ballots must be counted by the
Seneschal and two other Officers. 1. None of the Officers counting
the ballots may be named on the ballots nor may any of their family or
Society household members. E. RESIGNATION OR REMOVAL OF BARON OR BARONESS 1.
REMOVAL 1.
A vote of confidence may be called upon the Baron/ess at any time. 2.
The vote of confidence will be a formal mailed polling overseen by the
Baronial Seneschal, the Seneschals of any Cantons, and the Baronial Herald. a. Should the vote be to remove the Baron/ess,
the Crown will be requested to appoint a
Vicar until such time as the procedure to select a new Baron/ess can be
implemented. 3.RESIGNATION A.
Should the Baron or Baroness choose to resign, he and/or she must send a letter of resignation to the
Baronial Seneschal, Kingdom Seneschal, and the Crown. B.
In the case of a reigning Baron AND Baroness, should only one choose
to resign, but not both, the one remaining will serve for the remainder of
the term. C.
Should the Barony be left without a titular head, the Barony will ask
the Crown to appoint a Vicar and the election process will begin. a. Should this occur during the last 6 months
of the term, no replacement will be invested; instead the Crown will be asked
to place a Vicar until the next scheduled election process. Any appointment of a Vicar will proceed
according to Kingdom law. F. REGALIA 1.
All regalia will be inventoried and inspected on a yearly basis by the
Baron/ess, Seneschal, and Chamberlain. a.
Any regalia no longer in use, but still in good condition, may be
placed in the Barony's traditional fundraising auction at 12th Night. G. CANTONS 1.
FORMATION a.
Will be according to Corpora and the Laws & Policies set down by
the 2.
FUNDING 1. The Barony will permit a
"one-time" transfer of funds of $500.00 (Maximum) to the a. This transfer amount, is dependant upon the
liquid assets of The Barony, at the time. 3. |