|
|
Adamastor Shire Officer Process |
Back to Seneschal's Page.
PREAMBLE
These structures were developed in order to address concerns about the length of
officer terms. They attempt to prevent situations where:
- any one individual is unfairly burdened over a long period
- stagnation occurs as a result of too long a time under the same administration
- possible perceptions arise of the officers as a monolithic clique.
In this document, "Officers" is taken to mean warranted Shire officers; "officers"
is a general term which includes both Shire officers and deputies.
"Event" is taken to mean an official gathering of the Shire, either
in costume or in mundane dress, including feasts, guild meetings, practices and
other activities. It corresponds exactly to the definition of "Event" in the
Corpora of the Society.
ADAMASTOR OFFICER STRUCTURES
| 1. | Length of Office |
| 1.1 | The term of office for a Shire officer or deputy officer should be two years. This is renewable, but the officer's position should come up for change or renewal at a set date every two years. |
| 1.2 | This in no way prevents an officer changeover under particular circumstances if an officer suddenly has to abandon ship owing to mundane pressures, but an officer should normally only take up a position on the understanding that they will be available for the two-year period. |
| 2. | Requirements of Office |
| 2.1 | Officers should be, or should be prepared to become members of SCA, Inc. |
| 2.2 | They should be willing to subscribe to the Adamastor list and Storm Tidings as these are important means of distributing information. |
| 2.3 | They should be available to attend, at the very least, one event and one business meeting per month. Where possible, officers should be available to attend the occasional demonstration. |
| 3. | Location and duties of Officers and Deputies |
| 3.1 | Shire Officers are responsible for the quarterly reports to Kingdom. |
| 3.2 | An Officer may choose to appoint a deputy or deputies, for purposes of particular duties, and/or assistance with officer duties, and/or training as a replacement. Such deputies are selected by the officer concerned, but should be generally acceptable to the Seneschal and the group. |
| 3.3 | Shire Officers are responsible for promotion and oversight of their particular area of Shire activities, particularly in ensuring adherence to SCA policies and the laws of South Africa, and in the activities of their deputies. |
| 3.4 | Shire Officers are expected to assist generally in the running of Shire activities such as events and demos, and in the welcome and assistance of newcomers. |
| 4. | Date of Changeover |
| 4.1 | Following Kingdom practice, officer changeovers should not all take place at once, as this would cause unnecessary upheaval. Shire officers will change annually, at Twelfth Night, staggered over two years. |
| 4.2 | Seneschal, Marshal, Exchequer and Chatelaine terms end in odd numbered
years Gregorian. Chronicler, Minister of Arts, Herald and Marshal of Fence terms in even-numbered years Gregorian. |
| 4.3 | Nominations or volunteers for new positions should be solicited at least three months in advance of the changeover date, i.e. on or before the October Storm Tidings preceding the changeover Twelfth Night. |
| 4.4 | Should an officer's term have started at some time other than the designated Twelfth Night changeover date, the term will still come up for renewal at the designated time, i.e. after only part of a normal two-year term has been completed. |
| 5. | Nomination and Selection Process |
| Kingdom Law 6.07.1: Local officers are appointed by their kingdom superior officers. The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Crown. Local officers must not be substantively opposed by the people of the local branch, but the final decision regarding their tenure remains with the Crown and Kingdom officer. | |
| 5.1 | Nominations or volunteers should be requested from the populace three months before the changeover date. |
| 5.2 | Candidates should be able to demonstrate some expertise or interest in the area of responsibility concerned, and should be able to undertake a two-year term. |
| 5.3 | In the case of multiple candidates for one Officer position, or any uncertainty as to a candidate's qualifications for a position, the Officers should attempt to obtain some kind of mandate from the populace, by discussion or a vote. If no clear decision can be made, the matter should be referred to the relevant Kingdom officer for finalisation. |
| 5.4 | While Shire officers may normally appoint deputies, they should do so in discussion with the populace and their fellow officers, and should not make appointments contrary to the feeling in the Shire. However, appointment of deputies ultimately rests in the hands of the officer. |