Greeting to Our Populace,
As promised, We are looking for any feedback you have about an alternate crown tournament format (i.e., formats beyond armored combat). We appreciate any and all feedback, as your thoughts are invaluable.
We will read each response, although for this poll, We are collecting data for our heirs, their heirs, royals in other kingdoms, and the SCA populace in general. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to make your opinions heard more widely.
You can share your thoughts with us on this poll/form: https://forms.gle/x7o8MLAvSu1Lh7GE8.
For those needing additional context, We detailed why We sought a crown variance and what our proposal was on Our reign’s blog. We also summarized and responded to the SCA Board of Director’s feedback on this blog post.
Thank you for your time, effort, and thoughts in the matter.
Matthias Rex and Feilinn Regina
I am fully in support of alternative methods to choose the sovereign and consort for the East Kingdom, beyond a traditional heavy tournament. Thank you – Mat Wyck, Seneschal, Malagentia, OGR, OSC, COC
Knowing you, I’m sure you have/will, but just in case… make sure to fill out the poll, too! 😀 <3
–Remy
Alternate forms will be a great new way going forward. It opens up possibilities for those that are not part of the heavy fighters to become leaders of the East.
Thank you for your continued efforts to move our society forward. I would happily welcome the opportunity moving forward for more of our members to have a way to serve the dream as Royalty.
A friend asked if the survey has a deadline (beyond, say, Spring Coronation)?
I support the change and filled out the survey.
If you are planning to do anything involving the arts and sciences, e.g., the Passing of the Ice Dragon, I strongly suggest you bring in judges from other kingdoms. I am quite sure there are people with Laurel medallions who have prejudices and axes to grind. But if the judges are not from the East, that problem should not rear its ugly head.
You also might consider using the Benedictine election method. Criteria: each peerage order (except the heavy weapons chivalry) gets a shot at the tin hats in rotation. No one may sit in conclave who has been a peer for less than five years. I would suggest having the heralds run the election, as they are supposed to be impartial when in service of the Crown. No peer is allowed to vote for themselves. All are required to swear they will vote for the person they consider most qualified to sit the Throne. Use as many rounds of ballots as required until one of the peers attains a two-thirds majority of votes.
Or, humorously, have anyone stupid enough to want the job who is not a stick-jock pay some entry fee (kingdom fund-raiser there) to put their name on a form in the barrel, and turn the barrel over and over before the start of the feast, and then have the King or Queen draw the name of the next Sovereign out of the barrel. You can’t get much fairer than that. You should probably establish some requirements, such as having been a member of the SCA at least five years and resident in the East at least one year, and having to show a current membership card, something along those lines. Random chance will operate in someone’s favor.
Or more humorously, a shooting competition. Do let me know if you go that route. I have an antique ex-Cossack Dragoon Mosin Nagant I have tuned up, and we get along very well together. I think I might be a contender if that was the Crown Tournament method!
I like the random barrel idea. It would be the closest approximation of the divine appointment so to speak 🙂
Voting would be my preference but presuming that is hopelessly improbable I would be all for opening it up to as many people as possible with alternative tournaments formats.