Proposal One:
Current:
- Baronial meetings must be announced at least two weeks in advance by the Seneschal using any official means of communication including email lists and newsletters.
Proposed:
- Baronial meetings must be announced at least one week in advance by the Seneschal using any official means of communication including email lists and newsletters.
____ No
____ Yes
Proposal Two
Current:
If a guild head or officer steps down midway through a term, their replacement will serve out the existing term.
Proposed:
If a guild head or officer steps down midway through a term, their replacement may either begin a fresh three-year term, or finish out the current term.
Remove section I. 6. 5. 2. (Schedule of Terms).
Add section I. 6. 6:
The Seneschal, or an appointed deputy, shall maintain a list of all Baronial Officers, with the dates when their terms began and shall end. This list must be maintained online, in a location and format such that members of the Barony can easily access it.
In section I. 6. 2:
Current:
Each year, the seneschal, officers and guild heads will announce which positions are open to the Barony at meetings, Great Council and through any other official channels of communication. People interested in holding the office will be asked to inform the seneschal.
Proposed:
Twice per year, the seneschal or designated deputy will announce which positions are open to the Barony, at Great Council and through any other official channels of communication. Officers whose terms are ending should announce this at relevant meetings or practices that they run, if any. People interested in holding the office will be asked to inform the seneschal.
____ No
____ Yes
Proposal Three:
3A:
Delete:
Round one will occur if there are more than five nominees. If there are five or fewer nominees, then this step will not occur, and the process will move directly to Round Two.
(Functionally this makes Round One automatic, and not based on the number of candidates, and allows non-paid members a voice in selecting the new baron and/or baroness.)
3B:
Delete the subsection beginning
“1. Round one will occur…”
and all its inner subsections.
Replace with:
“1. Round One will be a vote by the Great Council of Carolingia.
i. This vote will take place at a publicly held baronial meeting no sooner
than thirty days and no later than ninety days after the final list of
nominees has been announced to the populace.
ii. During the period between the announcement of the nominee list and the
meeting, all members of the Great Council should consult with any baronial
subgroups they represent, and any other Carolingians they consider their
constituents, about the candidates. Members of the Great Council should
take into account the opinions they collect by this process when
determining how to vote.
iii. Proxy votes are not allowed; absentee votes are allowed. Any Great
Council member who expects to be unable to attend the meeting at which the
vote will occur may request an absentee ballot from the seneschal not later
than one week before the meeting. Such ballots may be distributed
electronically. However, to be counted, an absentee vote must be submitted
as a physical ballot in a sealed envelope with the voter’s signature on the
outside, which must be presented to the seneschal before the vote is taken
at the meeting.
iv. All nominees will be listed on the ballot. The ballots will be
tabulated using the instant runoff method. To wit: each ballot will be
counted as one vote for that first choice candidate. At the end of the
first round, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated. If a
voter’s first place candidate is eliminated, then the next highest ranked
choice on that ballot will be used. This process will continue until five
candidates are left.
v. The votes will be counted at the meeting by three people, who will
include the current seneschal, a representative at the Kingdom level from
outside Carolingia, and a retired Baronial seneschal or former Baronial
officer. None of the vote counters can be candidates for the Baronial
Seat. If the current seneschal is a nominee, another baronial officer must
take their place.
vi. The vote counting will continue until the top five candidates have been
selected. The final order of these candidates will be used as the order
for listing them on the ballots for Round Two of this process.
vii. The results will be announced that night as well as published in the
next Baronial newsletter and any official electronic mailing lists.”
(Please rank your preferences 1-3)
____ No Change
____ 3A
____ 3B
Proposal Four
4A:
“Section I. Officers
…
4. Selection of officers:”
include a new subsection:
“4. Anyone who considers himself Carolingian, and who is otherwise eligible
to hold office in Carolingia, may be considered as a candidate for any
Carolingian office, regardless of where he happens to reside. Non-resident
and resident Carolingians will undergo the same processes for officer
selection and retention, so far as is allowed by East Kingdom Law.”
4B:
Adding under Section I:
– Any office other than Seneschal, Baron/Baroness, or Exchequer, including autocrats of events and the heads of guilds, may be held by an individual residing outside of Carolingia, provided that individual resides within a group that physically borders Carolingia, is capable of regularly attending Council meetings, and is capable of fulfilling the duties of the office, including holding regular meetings or practices if applicable.
– For the purposes of these guidelines, a “non-resident” will be defined as someone living outside the designated borders of Carolingia, and a “resident” will be defined as someone living inside the designated borders of Carolingia.
– Non-resident officers must be affirmed by a vote of Council, even if filling that office is not normally subject to this process. In the event that a resident and a non-resident are competing for the same office, if there is a tie in the number of votes, the tie will always be decided in favor of the resident.
– A non-resident officer may not hold the same office for more than one consecutive term, unless no other person is willing and able to take over the office when their term ends. The non-resident officer may then volunteer to hold a different office, or to hold the office again later for another non-consecutive term. No non-resident may autocrat an event in Carolingia more than once per calendar year. No non-resident may hold more than one office within Carolingia at a time, with the exception that a non-resident may simultaneously hold an office and autocrat an event, pending the approval of the Seneschal and Council.
– No individual may simultaneously hold an office in Carolingia and in any other local group, even if they are different offices. No individual may simultaneously autocrat an event in Carolingia and in any other local group.
– The Seneschal or Exchequer may choose to have a Deputy who resides outside Carolingia, as long as that Deputy is not the sole or “drop dead” Deputy. Under no circumstances are either of these offices to be transferred to a Deputy residing outside of Carolingia.
– The “greater offices” of Seneschal, Baron/Baroness, and Exchequer may only be held by a resident of Carolingia, without exception. In the event that one of these officers moves outside of Carolingia before their term is completed, the process will be as follows:
– In the event that the individual holding the office of Seneschal or Exchequer moves outside of Carolingia’s borders, they are expected to officially announce their move no later than the first meeting of Council following the move. At that time, if they are still able to attend Council and Carolingian events, they will have a grace period of approximately 90 days to determine a successor and complete active projects. Their successor will then be installed no later than the third meeting of Council following the announcement of the move. If the Seneschal or Exchequer are moving too far from Carolingia to attend Council meetings or events, they are expected to transfer the office to their Deputy until a replacement can be elected by Council.
– In the event that the individual(s) holding the office of Baron and/or Baroness move outside of Carolingia’s borders, the process for transfer of office will be determined first and foremost by Kingdom law. In the absence of stricter Kingdom guidance, the Baron and/or Baroness are expected to officially announce their move no later than the first meeting of Council following the move. At that time, if they are still able to attend Council and Carolingian events, they have the choice of appointing a Vicar as described in Kingdom Law, or initiating the process of polling the Barony for their replacement(s) and remaining in office until the subsequent Investiture. If the Baron and/or Baroness are moving too far from Carolingia to continue to attend Council meetings or events, they are expected to exercise the option of selecting a Vicar.
– If a sitting Baron and Baroness pair do not reside at the same address, and only one of the pair moves outside the borders of Carolingia, the remaining individual may choose to continue to serve out their elected term(s) singly. This choice requires a vote of confidence of the officers of Council, and is subject to being superseded by Kingdom Law or direction of the Crown.
– The offices of Seneschal or Exchequer of a Canton are subject to the same guidelines regarding residency in their Canton as are the offices of Seneschal or Exchequer of the Barony regarding residence in the Barony.
– Other general officers of a Canton are subject to the same guidelines regarding residency in their Canton as are the other general officers of the Barony regarding residence in the Barony, unless the Canton in question elects to determine more restrictive guidelines.
(Please rank your preferences 1-3)
____ No Change
____ 4A
____ 4B
Proposal Five
Delete the entire section “Section VII: Baronial Orders” and all its
subsections.
Replace it with the following text:
“Section VII: Baronial Orders
1. There are three orders given in Carolingia. All inhabitants of the
Known World are eligible for these orders, provided only that their
services have been of special benefit to the Barony of Carolingia. These
awards are therefore not redundant to recipients of similar kingdom orders,
but imply a different geographical center of activity. The orders are:
i. The Carolingian Order of the Daystar (established 6 December 1975),
which is given to honor continued excellence in service over an extended
period of time, of which service the Barony of Carolingia is the primary
beneficiary.
ii. The Carolingian Order of the Moon (established 6 December 1975), which
is given in recognition of achievements in the arts which further the
progress of those arts in the Barony of Carolingia. It is given to honor
not excellence alone, but achievement combined with teaching or other
dissemination of the arts such that a considerable impact has been made,
and the place of those arts is secure within the Barony.
iii. The Carolingian Order of Perseus (estabished 3 March 1990), which is
given in recognition of achievements in the martial arts which further the
progress of those arts in the Barony of Carolingia. It is given to honor
not prowess alone, but achievement combined with teaching or other
dissemination of those arts such that the overall level of the safe and
courteous practice of those arts within the Barony has been raised.
2. Each Order may be granted to new Companions by the Baron or Baroness of
Carolingia, after making a fair attempt to consult with all locally active
Companions of the Order and with the Seneschal or the Seneschal’s
representative. The Principal of the Order must be informed of the result
of this consultation, and of the Baron’s and/or Baroness’s decision. A
candidate must be informed of the responsibilities and privileges of the
Order as set down in these by-laws, and may not be inducted into the Order
without his own prior consent. The person intending to present the award
may discuss with candidates the Order and the procedure by which they were
nominated.
3. Responsibilities of Companions
- Responsibilities specific to the different orders:A. Companions of the Daystar accept the responsibility of upholding the
highest standards of service in the Barony. They should continue to serve
the interests of the Barony, whenever possible, and to encourage and
instruct others to serve as well.B. Companions of the Moon accept the responsibility of upholding the
highest standards of the arts in the Barony. They should continue, whenever
possible, to practice and instruct in those arts in which they have shown
their skill and talent. All members should be willing to advise the
Baronial Minister of Arts concerning their fields of expertise.C. Companions of Perseus accept the responsibility of upholding the
highest standards of the martial arts in the Barony. They should continue,
whenever possible, to practice and instruct in those martial arts in which
they have shown their skill and talent.ii. Companions of each Order are to bring to the attention of the Baron
and/or Baroness others who deserve to be recognized for their
contributions, whether meriting Companionship in their own Order or some
other honor.iii. Companions of each Order should hold at least two meetings annually,
at one of which the Order Principal for the coming year shall be elected by
acclamation of the Order. Discussion of new candidates for the Order may be
held at these times.iv. Companions should keep the Baron and/or Baroness informed of their
current contact information so that they can be easily reached for
consultation.4. Privileges
i. Companions of each Order shall have the exclusive right to wear the
insignia registered as the badge of that Order. Medallions bearing the
insignia of the appropriate Order should be awarded to new Companions by
the Baron and/or Baroness. These medallions are to be provided by the Baron
and/or Baroness, or the Companions of the Order.A. The insignia of the Order of the Daystar is: azure, a pall wavy between
three suns in splendor or.B. The insignia of the Order of the Moon is: azure, a pall wavy or between
three moons in plenitude argent.C. The insignia of the Order of Perseus is: azure, semy of estoiles, a pall
wavy or.ii. Companions of each Order have the privilege of enquiring of the Baron
and/or Baroness who has been proposed for Companionship in that Order and
advising on those persons’ qualifications for the Order.iii. Each Order shall be represented in the Great Council of Carolingia.
The seat shall be held by the Principal of the Order or the Principal’s
representative.iv. Each Order may undertake various projects for the well-being of the
Barony and may dispose of any revenues accrued from these projects as the
Companions of that Order see fit, within the guidelines of SCA and East
Kingdom Law.”
____ No
____ Yes
Proposal Six
Current:
Presentation: The Order of the Daystar/Moon/Perseus is granted by the Baron or Baroness of Carolingia, after making a fair attempt to consult with all locally active Companions of the Order and with the Seneschal or the Seneschal’s representative. The Principal of the Order must be informed of the result and of the Baron and/or Baroness’, decision. A candidate must be informed of the responsibilities and privileges of the Order as set down in these by-laws and may not be inducted into the Order without the candidate’s prior consent. The person Baron and/or Baroness intending to present the award may discuss with candidates the Order and the procedure by which they were nominated.
Proposed:
Presentation: The Order of the Daystar/Moon/Perseus is granted by the Baron or Baroness of Carolingia, at their sole discretion, though they are encouraged to seek recommendations of candidates by members of each Order. The Principal of the Order must be informed of the result and of the Baron and/or Baroness’, decision. A candidate must be informed of the responsibilities and privileges of the Order as set down in these by-laws and may not be inducted into the Order without the candidate’s prior consent. The person Baron and/or Baroness intending to present the award may discuss with candidates the Order and the procedure by which they were nominated.
____ No
____ Yes
Proposal Seven
In section IV (Events), replace 2 and 2.1 and 2.2 with:
- Each event shall have an Autocrat. The term of the position of event Autocrat shall be from acceptance of the proposal until the end of the Great Council meeting after the event takes place.”
In section I (Officers), in 7.3, replace “Baronial officers or guild heads” with ‘Guild heads, event Autocrats, and baronial officers’.
In section I (Offiers), in 5.1, insert ‘event Autocrats’ in the list of voting members.
____ No
____ Yes