The Pas d’Armes Council Meeting, August 22, 2015
Present: Seneschal, Queen, Chronicler, KMoAS, Exchequer, Web minister, KEM, retiring Chirurgeon,
Polaris, Their Royal Highnesses and James
Business:
Closing of the Chirurgeonate -
The Northshield online reporting system has particular implications for the divestment and removal of
all office records. Paper documents are almost ready to be sent. Decision made to temporarily delay
sending in paper records to BoD pending response requested below. Council approves the use of
general funds to pay for shipping these documents.
Action: Eilis to contact BoD contact for further clarification regarding Chirurgeon office records.
First Aid materials dispersal – Margalit is not sure what groups have what materials on hand. All have
been polled but to date they have not responded with detailed reports. Groups may no longer own first
aid materials. All groups have been contacted with details and expectations surrounding the closing of
the office and correspondences have included group seneschals. Responses will be channeled to Eilis as
Margalit’s official capacity is coming to an end. Redistribution of the first aid materials will occur on a
case by case basis as needed and appropriate and will be coordinated through the Seneschals’ office.
Events may not hold first aid assets and those held by the Warriors and Warlords event will be gifted to
individuals with an ongoing space rental agreement to be included until such time as the assets can be
disbursed.
A guide book, if produced, should not need to go to the Board of Directors if content is informative and
non-binding. It could include maps, best practices and contacts for public services. It can may be
published online as a helpful suggestion document that is widely available. The Mayo Clinic has a similar
document that could be used as a starting point. Completion of this document will be several months
away.
Exchequer – Details of ongoing challenges provided to council via email. In brief, event reporting is an
ongoing challenge. The reports are a necessary document for Kingdom level reporting to society and
also capture the Non-Member Surcharge amounts due. There are 6 event reports outstanding of which
3 have no NMS information completed. Regardless of the NMS information provided informally, the
filing of complete reports still needs to happen. The key challenge appears to be that local exchequers
are awaiting information or claims and cannot file until these are complete. This means that given new
reporting required at the society level that new reporting deadlines will need to be applied to ensure
compliance.
Action: Sefa to distribute new deadlines to groups for reimbursement and reporting.
Action: Eilis to look online for web based reporting and share details if found.
The Kingdom still owes money to SCA Corporate so this information is critical. Moving forward,
suspending individual groups may be the only way to ensure that the Kingdom itself does not face
suspension.
Action: Sefa to prepare a missive to all groups to reinforce this decision and outline requirements and
outcomes. To be sent out Monday, 24 August 2015 following council commentary.
Documents are now due to SCA Corp. by September 1, 2015 detailing, by individual group, donations
and contributions. Assistance is needed. Thanks to Katriona for providing several hours of aid during the
Pas to review documents on hand. Information is paper based so deputies, unless local, are not able to
assist. A work-night may be arranged locally, to be determined between local parties. This situation
arose because in the past, this information was not split out as individual line items so for this fiscal
year, there is considerable work to do to locate and highlight it. Moving forward, new quarterly report
forms will capture this information in an accessible way.
Web Minister – the office will now post missives and articles online. To facilitate this, officers are asked
to cc the webminister when submitting to the Chronicler. Approved.
New website preparations ongoing. At this time the group is building an intake system to allow officers
to submit these documents via the website and it will be distributed to the appropriate other offices as
needed or posted directly online. The website is still at least a year out. The information gathering
process in ongoing and feedback is being solicited from past officers and royals – identified as heavy
website users. The artisan and library database and the marshal systems will be added/updated before
the transition. Event information form will also be added.
Action: Eilis to provide input on Event report form content.
Chronicler – Content concerns continue. Ideas on where to get it, who to approach would be very
welcome. A laws issue is forthcoming, probably over two issues. A full laws supplement will also be
issued.
Action: Eilis to request a complete list from the Law’s Clerk.
His royal highness encouraged officers to approach individuals to mentor and engage as replacements.
Polaris – seeking permission for the possibility of fighting in Crown. Alisdair remains the drop dead
deputy. Accepted. Alisdair should be in attendance.
Discussed prior to meeting:
KEM – A new MiT process is rolling out September 1st. To date no complaints have been received
regarding the new process.
Society has yet to provide a response on the requested details regarding concussion policies with
minors.
Rapier and C&T Handbooks will be reviewed and revised once Society updates happen. Society is
currently beginning to revise their handbooks so this is being postponed to avoid having to change the
books twice in a row.
Vidi's term as archer general is complete. However, candidates for the job are currently running as
contenders for Baronage of Nordskogen. KEM to check with Vidi to see if he wants to step down
immediately, leaving the position open in the interim until a candidate becomes available.
A few safety concerns have been popping up. KEM continues to work with the marshals to correct these
concerns before an incident occurs.
Seneschal – Some interest in providing bids for 2016 Crown and Coronations has come in. No formal
bids as yet.
Baronial Transitions are in progress. Mailing labels have been received for the Nordskogen Poll. Sigeric
should be sending them out by the end of the month. He is managing the Nordskogen Poll since Samia is
a candidate.
Jaravellir has narrowed down their candidate list to three couples. The poll will be sent out in the near
future. No set date yet.
A group has expressed some interest in hosting Officer’s Day. Eilis has suggested it be held sometime in
the spring after Gulf Wars. Plans are very tentative at this time.
It has been reported to me that Hvitskogar – Iron Mountain, MI is having issues with their major offices.
Nothing has been officially reported to me or Sefa. Inquiries have been made to clear up the conjecture.
Kingdom laws have been updated per society changes concerning the chirurgeon and MOD. These
changes were posted at the beginning of August.
LAW CHANGES
I-341 Stallari Permission for use of terms suggesting Kingdom Patronage
Law change has been published and waiting on commentary. I have received no commentary. If Their
Highnesses choose to accept this law change, it can be made law in late September or October.
CHRONICLER
Shava asked if this change could be made to the Chronicler description.
Current law states:
The Chronicler is responsible for publishing the Northwatch, the official newsletter of the Kingdom of
Northshield, on a monthly schedule. The Chronicler will print official announcements and report news
therein.
Nowhere does it indicate overseeing branch newsletters, supervision of Historian, and should have
supervision of the Editor instead of just the responsibility of publishing the newsletter. I suggest that the
law definition of Chronicler be rewritten. It's not really substantive but would bring us into line with
Society Chronicler's policies.
Action – approve to work on changes
AUGMENTATION OF ARMS
1. The law regarding augmentation of arms is contrary to Laurel and the BoD.
X–1250—Augmentation of Arms An Augmentation of Arms may be awarded by the Crown to specially
honor a person for service to the Kingdom above and beyond the call of duty. Each augmentation is a
specific charge at the Crown’s discretion, to be added to the individual’s heraldic arms.
However, the form of the augmentation cannot be specified by the Crown.
From the Administrative Handbook of the College of Arms, section II.D.3
While the right to an augmentation is given by a kingdom, the form of the augmentation and its
suitability for use and registration with a specific device must be approved by the College of Arms.
From the October 2003 Letter of Acceptances and Returns (http://heraldry.sca.org/loar/2003/10/03-
10cl.html) on augmentations:
Who Specifies the Form of an Augmentation
We remind the College that the form of an augmentation is determined according to the normal
registration process: the submitter proposes the form of the augmentation and it is either accepted (or
not) based on the Rules for Submission. The form of the augmentation cannot be mandated by the
crown bestowing it. RfS VIII.7 states "While the right to an augmentation is bestowed by the crown, its
form is subject to the normal registration process." The Board of Directors has upheld this policy:
[Concerning an augmentation whose form was specified by the granting Crown] At the time of the
August [1987 Laurel] meeting this submission was pended, despite the strong conviction of most of the
College that it infringed on the proper usage of [a reserved charge]. Since it involved a "constitutional
issue", i.e., in the event of conflict between the will of the Crown and the decision of the College, which
takes priority. As the Board of Directors at its January meeting has now decided that the College may
not be compelled to register that which is in violation of its existing rules, this submission is now
formally returned. (LoAR February 1988)
To bring this law into compliance with CoA and BoD decisions, I propose replacing "Each augmentation
is a specific charge at the Crown’s discretion, to be added to the individual’s heraldic arms." with "Each
augmentation is a specific charge determined by the individual in consultation with and with the
approval of the College of Arms, to be added to the individual's heraldic arms."
Action - approve to work on changes.
Meeting adjourned.