Caer Gwyn Charter

Charter for Shire of Caer Gwyn

Table of Contents

Preamble………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1

ARTICLE I — Defined Arms and Geographic Area of the Shire…………………………………….. 1

ARTICLE II – Shire Membership…………………………………………………………………………… 2

ARTICLE III – Amendments to the Charter……………………………………………………………… 2

ARTICLE IV – Shire Officers…………………………………………………………………………………. 3

ARTICLE V – Voting Procedures…………………………………………………………………………… 6

ARTICLE VI – Shire Expenditure Procedures…………………………………………………………… 7

ARTICLE VII – Shire Champions……………………………………………………………………………. 8

Baronial version of this charter was approved in September 2017, this Shire version is to be approved in December 2018.

Preamble

We, the members of St Carol on the Moor and the Shire of Würm Wald, do desire to come together in unity to foster cooperation, growth, and solidarity in the East Central region of the Midlands in the Middle Kingdom of the SCA Known World. In this spirit, we wish to form a new Shire for this region.

As this Shire is a branch of the SCA, Inc., we are mindful of the responsibilities incumbent upon us toward the Society as a whole. As such, we freely acknowledge that we and all our people are subject to the relevant regulations and laws of the SCA, Inc., and the Middle Kingdom and that in the event of a conflict, Society rulings supersede Kingdom rulings. Furthermore, we also acknowledge our responsibilities to civil authority and recognize that civil law shall supersede both Society and Kingdom regulations. Below, we therefore detail out these rights and responsibilities.

 

ARTICLE I — Defined Arms and Geographic Area of the Shire

1. The Shire Arms of the Shire of Caer Gwyn shall be as registered with the Laurel Sovereign of Arms, here blazoned:
   1. The Badge of the Shire of Caer Gwyn shall be as registered with the Laurel Sovereign of Arms, here blazoned: Per pale argent and sable, a tower counterchanged, on a chief embattled vert a laurel wreath argent.
   1. The Shire Arms and Badge may be borne as stated in governing sections of Middle Kingdom Law and the Corpora of the S.C.A. Inc.

• The Geographic Area for the Shire of Caer Gwyn shall consist of the following zip codes:

60901  60902  60910  60911  60912  60913  60914  60915  60917  60918  60919  60922  60924  60926  60927  60928  60930  60931  60932  60933  60935  60936  60938  60939  60940  60941  60942  60944  60945  60946  60948  60949  60950  60951  60952  60953  60954  60955  60956  60957  60959  60960  60961  60962  60963  60964  60966  60967  60968  60969  60970  60973  60974  61727  61735  61749  61750  61773  61777  61778  61801  61802  61803  61810  61811  61812  61813  61814  61815  61816  61817  61818  61820  61821  61822  61824  61825  61826  61830  61831  61832  61833  61834  61839  61840  61841  61842  61843  61844  61845  61846  61847  61848  61849  61850  61851  61852  61853  61854  61855  61856  61857  61858  61859  61862  61863  61864  61865  61866  61870  61871  61872  61873  61874  61875  61876  61877  61878  61880  61882  61883  61884  61913  61919  61929  61936  61941  61953  61956  61910  61911  61912  61914  61917  61920  61924  61925  61928  61930  61931  61932  61933  61937  61938  61940  61942  61943  61944  61949  61951  61955  61957  62011  62080  62247  62401  62411  62413  62414  62418  62420  62422  62423  62424  62427  62428  62431  62432      62433  62435  62436  62438  62440  62441  62442  62443  62444  62445  62447  62448  62449   62451 62454  62458  62459  62461  62462  62463  62464  62465  62467  62468  62469  62471  62473  62474  62475  62477  62478  62479  62480  62481  62534  62553  62565  62571  62838  62857  62880  62885   

ARTICLE II – Shire Membership

1. Shire of Caer Gwyn membership is self-determined by declaration, except when Society or Kingdom law requires a determination by zip code.

• Membership shall be self-declined if a person accepts an office in a different group which shall last for the duration of their time in office, unless both groups approve of this action.  In which case, membership in Caer Gwyn is continued.

• Shire of Caer Gwyn membership does not require any sort of fee or that a person be a paid member of the SCA, Inc.  In accordance with Corpora and Kingdom law a person must be a paid member of the SCA to hold an office.

ARTICLE III – Amendments to the Charter

1. This Charter and its contents will be modified, contravened, or negated in whole or in part to comply with any changes to Middle Kingdom Law or Society for Creative Anachronism Inc. corporate policy without discussion or vote process.
2. This charter and its contents will remain in force and can be modified with the following procedures providing the changes do not conflict with Article II.1:
   1. At any quarterly Shire meeting any member can call for an amendment.
   1. A second must be received from another member present.
   1. If such an amendment is called for and seconded it is then open for discussion for a suitable period of time.
   1. The amendment then must be publicized to members not present in all other possible relevant venues (in the group newsletter, on the group electronic discussion list, and social media). The final vote date and time must also be published at least one (1) month in advance of the vote.
   1. At the next quarterly Shire meeting a vote on the amendment will be held.
   1. The amendment will need a two-thirds majority of members present to pass.

 

ARTICLE IV – Shire Officers

1. The Shire Council will consist of the following officers (referred to as Great Officers): Seneschal, Exchequer, Pursuivant, Minister of Arts and Sciences, and Group Marshal.  This is the financial committee for the Shire.

2.      To hold a Great Office in the Shire of Caer Gwyn, a person must be at least 18 years of age.  This can be waived if agreed upon by the respective Regional and Kingdom officers.  ALL officers MUST be able to provide proof of SCA, Inc. membership.

• Other potential officers include: Social Media Officer, Chatelaine, Chronicler, Rapier Marshal, Archery Marshal, Webminister, and Minister of Youth.

• Rules for Shire officers
  • All officers (Great or otherwise) shall have a budget of $100 per year as discretionary funds for the work of the office.
  • All Shire officers must be members in good standing as defined in Corpora.
  • Shire officer business meetings will be held once per month.  These meetings can be attended either in person or via call-in, video, etc.  Quorum for officer meetings shall be 3 of the Shire council.
  • All Shire officers are required to have a fixed mailing address, reliable email, and reliable working cellphone/telephone access. Approved social media access is strongly encouraged but not mandated.
  • Shire Great Officers shall serve a minimum of two years in that office. They may resign early at the discretion of the Shire Council.
  • As per Kingdom law, all officers will send reports as required by Middle Kingdom Law and policy to their Kingdom and regional superiors with a courtesy copy of their reports to the Shire seneschal.
  • As per Kingdom law, the failure to send in required reports can be held to serve as a resignation from office by the Great Officer of State that the office reports to.
  • All Shire Great Officers shall maintain a minimum of one deputy, who will be prepared to take over the requirements in the event of the officer moving, quitting or being otherwise unable to complete his/her duties.  Other officers may have deputies as they choose. 
  • Most officers may serve as deputies for other officers.  The exceptions are:  Seneschal may not be deputy to the Exchequer.  Exchequer may not be deputy to the Seneschal.
  • Removal of an officer: Removal shall be brought up at any monthly meeting, and voted on at the following monthly meeting. Notice shall be posted immediately following the first meeting in the minutes and on standardly used media to allow populace to be present for discussion and vote.  2/3 of all present at the second meeting must vote for removal for the motion to pass.

• Definition of Shire offices
  • Seneschal -The seneschal acts as the administrative head of the group and leads business meetings, and is responsible for reporting, as directed, to the regional seneschal. 
  • Exchequer – The exchequer, or treasurer, handles the financial matters for the Shire and is responsible for reporting, as directed, to the regional exchequer.  The Exchequer is also responsible for maintaining a catalogue of items belonging to the Shire.
  • Pursuivant (Herald) – This officer is responsible for serving as heraldic consultant to the populace of the Shire, coordinating field and court heralds for Shire events, maintaining the Shire Order of Precedence, and for reporting awards given.  The herald is responsible for submitting reports, as directed, to the regional herald.
  • Group Marshal – The combat supervisor coordinates martial activities for the group. The Group Marshal must be a warranted marshal in any combat discipline. The Group Marshal usually serves as the officer for a specific martial discipline, such as Armored Combat Marshal, Archery Marshal, etc.  In the absence of marshals for other martial activities, the Group Marshal serves as the point of contact for them as well.
  • Minister/Mistress of Arts and Sciences – This office coordinates arts and sciences activities for the group, arranging classes and demonstrations, and leading participants to others who work in fields of their interest.  This office shall be responsible for submitting reports to their regional officer, as directed.
  • Chatelaine – This office is responsible for the introduction and education of new and prospective members in the culture, customs, and courtesies of the Society. This office is also charged with outreach activities, fostering community relations, and maintaining the Shire Golden Key loaner garb. The Chatelaine reports to the Seneschal and may serve as that office’s primary deputy. 
  • Chronicler – This office is responsible for taking and distributing minutes from business and Shire meetings.  The Chronicler is also responsible for maintaining the history of the Shire. The Chronicler is encouraged to publish a newsletter for the Shire. The Chronicler reports to the Seneschal and may serve as that office’s primary deputy. 
  • Social Media Officer – This office is responsible, in tandem with the Seneschal, for maintaining and creating all social media accounts associated with the Shire, according to Kingdom and Society policies. The Social Media Officer reports to the Chronicler and may serve as that office’s primary deputy.
  • Webminister – This office is responsible for maintaining the Shire website and for ensuring regular updates of the same.  The Webminister reports to the Chronicler and may serve as that office’s primary deputy.
  • Minister of Youth – As per Kingdom law, this office must pass a background check and produce this background check as requested.  This office is responsible for the promotion and encouragement of youth activities in the Shire.  The Minister of Youth reports to the Seneschal and may serve as that office’s primary deputy. 
  • Armored Combat Marshal – This office is responsible for assisting with marshaling armored combat activities at Shire events and acting as armored combat marshal-in-charge for the Shire Armored Combat Championship.  This office reports to the Group Marshal and may serve as that office’s primary deputy.
  • Rapier Marshal – This office is responsible for assisting with marshaling fencing activities at Shire events and acting as fencing marshal-in-charge for the Shire Fencing Championship.  This office reports to the Group Marshal and may serve as that office’s primary deputy.
  • Archery Marshal – This office is responsible for assisting with marshaling archery and thrown weapons activities at Shire events and acting as archery marshal-in-charge for the Shire Archery Championship. This office reports to the Group Marshal and may serve as that office’s primary deputy.

• Shire Meetings
  • There will be general Shire meetings, called moots, once per quarter.  In general, these meetings should Lady Day (March), Midsummer (June), Michaelmas (September), and Yule (December). Half the meetings should be in the Champaign area and half in the Charleston area.  A potluck format is desired but not mandated.  Public votes are taken on issues and finances, and champions are chosen at these meetings.  Any changes to the Charter will take place at the Quarterly meetings.
  • Outside of the quarterly meetings, there will be monthly business meetings to give progress reports, acquire signatures, plan events, etc.  Any member is welcome to attend the monthly meetings.  These meetings may be held electronically.

• Selection of Officers
  • The Shire year will start at the Lady Day Moot. 
  • The term of officers shall be 2 years.  Officers may stand for re-election after their 2 year term.
  • New officers will be voted on at the Yule Moot.
  • Any officer desiring to step down should announce before December 1 of the year they wish to end service.  The announcement should appear in both the minutes, on the website, and on social media.
  • If a step down must occur before a new officer is elected at the Yule Moot, the primary deputy for that office takes over until the vote.
  • Nominations for new officers will occur at the Michaelmas Moot meeting.  Any member of the populace may nominate anyone for any office.
  • The vote on officers will proceed by majority rule.
  • Resignation from Shire office is without prejudice. All change of officer forms must be turned in to all recipients as per kingdom law.
  • The Shire acknowledges that the Crown and Curia have the right to approve or disapprove any local officer. The procedure for selecting an officer is how we choose who we will recommend that Kingdom approve but Kingdom has the right to accept or reject our recommendation without comment.

 ARTICLE V – Voting Procedures

1. Members (as per II) in the Shire are permitted to participate in votes/consensus except as proscribed by Kingdom Law or other extenuating circumstances.

• The format (show of hand, ballot, etc.) for votes/consensus shall be determined by the Shire Seneschal except where otherwise indicated.  The Seneschal may call for a vote via Borda method if s/he feels the result will need a high degree of consensus or the issue is divisive.

• In order for any meeting to proceed, Quorum must be achieved.  Quorum is defined at more than 50% of the Great officers (i.e., 3 great officers).  In the event that Quorum is not achieved, the only motion and business that can be conducted is to adjourn. 

• Deputies may be counted for quorum if their officer cannot be present; with the stipulation that one office only gets one vote (officer or deputy) and likewise, one person can only vote as one office (cannot vote as officer for one office and deputy of another).

ARTICLE VI – Shire Expenditure Procedures

1. Shire expenditure processes will adhere to the requirements and laws outlined by Corpora and Middle Kingdom Law.

• As stated in Article V.1, the Great Officers comprise the financial committee.  The Exchequer acts as the chair of the financial committee. Financial committee meetings can and usually do run concurrent with regular business meetings.

• All financial decisions will be made at official monthly business meetings (see Article V.6.b).  Results of these decisions will be reported in the official minutes of that meeting.

• As per Kingdom law, the exchequer has a veto for any un-allowable activities the Shire might engage in.  The Exchequer does not have a veto for any allowable activities, even if they are undesirable activities.  See the Branch Exchequer Handbook p 22 for examples.

• The financial committee is responsible for vetting all submitted bids for events at least 1 month before those bids are submitted at a quarterly Shire meeting for approval.

• The financial committee is responsible for vetting any purchases in excess of $100 at least 1 month before they are considered at a monthly business meeting for approval. The vetting can be waived in emergencies by a 2/3 vote of those present at the monthly business meeting.

• Monies collected at any Shire activity will be collected by the Autocrat or person in charge of the activity and then given to the Shire Exchequer at the earliest available opportunity. The person in charge of the activity will independently report to the Seneschal the amount of funds and date the funds were given to the Exchequer.

• Anyone wanting to review the Shire’s financial documents may contact the Exchequer for a one on one review.  The Exchequer will have a copy of the check register at every meeting.

• This policy will be reviewed every five years.

ARTICLE VII – Shire Champions

1. The current Champion in each area is in charge of competitions for Shire Championships in their respective areas. They may participate in the activity they are supervising, and may elicit any assistance they need to execute the competition, but are not eligible for the Championship title. Exceptions may be made in extreme situations, at the discretion of the Shire Council.

• The principle duties of Shire Champions are to foster the practice of their activity in the Shire and to represent the Shire in their area of expertise.

• The format of competitions for Shire Championships and the selection of the Champions shall be at the discretion of the appropriate officer and the Shire Council.