Policies of the Barony of Delftwood
Last Updated 9/2019
Governing Principles:
“That which can be worked out with diplomacy need not be legislated.”
“This is a game. Play nice.”
“Delftwood Rocks”
I. Voting:
A. In the event that a decision is being made by vote, all paid members of SCA, Inc. residing in the Barony of Delftwood are eligible to vote.
B. For decisions being made by vote, every reasonable effort will be made to notify the populace of the circumstances surrounding the vote.
C. Anyone eligible to vote may choose to submit their vote in writing to the Seneschal or appointed representative.
D. Each person may only vote once.
II. Changes to Baronial Policy:
A. Proposals to make changes to Baronial policy will be announced at a business meeting. Every reasonable effort will be made to notify the populace of the proposed changes. At the next business meeting, a vote will be taken per the voting process. A majority vote will determine the status of the change.
III. Baronial Election Procedures:
A. Establishment of Candidates
1) The timeline below assumes that the Baronage will step down on schedule, at the Baronial event falling closest to February 15th. If that is not the case, a timeline will be proposed and decided by vote at the first business meeting following the announcement.
2) The availability of the position(s) will be communicated to the Barony at the Baronial event falling closest to February 15th, one year before the next investiture.
) Interested parties must submit a letter of intent to run for Baron/Baroness to be received by the Seneschal or appointed representative, with copies to the current Baronage, by March 1st.
B. Eligibility of Candidates
1) Candidates must be current paid resident members of the SCA, Inc. and the Barony of Delftwood.
2) Candidates must be at least 18 years of age as of the date the ballots are due.
3) The current Baronage may run for re-election, but must follow all election procedures.
C. Polling
1) The Seneschal or appointed representative will prepare a polling of all current paid resident members of the SCA, Inc. and the Barony of Delftwood.
2) The ballot must be approved by the Kingdom Seneschal and Royalty seated at the time the polling takes place.
3) Age requirements for voting are per kingdom law.
4) Residency and current membership will be determined by a membership list to be obtained from the Member Services office of the SCA, Inc. by the Kingdom Seneschal prior to the polling.
5) The polling will be mailed on or before April 7 and will clearly specify when the polls must be returned to the Seneschal or appointed representative.
6) Ballots must be postmarked by 45 days after the mailing.
7) Polling will request that members vote on: Baronial status (remain a Barony, become a Province, revert to Shire, disband entirely) and choice of eligible candidates for Baron and/or Baroness.
8) In the event of a single candidate/team, the election will still be held.
D. Results of the Polling
1) Polls received by the Seneschal or appointed representative shall remain sealed until the close of the polling.
2) At the close of the polling, the Seneschal or appointed representative and no less than 2 other Baronial officers (which may include the current Baronage) will tabulate the results of the poll. No person who is a candidate or a family member of a candidate shall participate in the tabulation of the results.
3) The candidate(s) with the most affirmative votes will be declared the winner of the election; provided that their affirmative votes outnumber any negative votes, they may have received. In the event of more than two choices, an instant run-off ballot will be used.
4) All candidates will be privately notified as soon as possible after the count is final, by a method decided on before the count.
5) Once the candidates have been notified, the winner(s) shall be made known to the populace at the next business meeting or official event following the close of the polling. An unofficial announcement may be made via email.
6) The Seneschal will make the tabulation results available upon request to any and all interested parties.
7) The Seneschal or appointed representative will ensure that the results of the polling are made known to those Kingdom officers as required. In the event of a tie, Kingdom law dictates that the Crown will make the final determination.
E. Non-Completion of Term
1) The term of Baron/Baroness is traditionally 3 years, beginning at Investiture.
2) In the event that the election is off schedule, the term will be 2.5-3.5 years, ending at the Baronial event falling closest to February 15th.
3) In the event that the Baronage is unable to complete their term, leaving the position completely vacant, a vicar will be requested, per Kingdom law. Another election will be held according to Baronial policy at the earliest opportunity.
4) If one member of an elected team is able and willing to finish the term alone, they may do so.
Officer Selection and Rotation:
| February Business Meeting | June Business Meeting | October Business Meeting |
| * Pursuivant * Minister of Lists * Chronicler Captain of Archers Thrown Weapons Marshal Chancellor Minor |
* Minister of A & S |
* Seneschal |
* = Required office for Barony/Province status
IV. Eligibility of Office
A. To hold an office, a candidate must be a current paid resident member of the SCA, Inc. and the Barony of Delftwood, and at least 18 years of age as of the day they take office.
B. This is a volunteer organization – all officer positions must be filled on a volunteer basis.
C. One single person should not hold two offices in the same chain of command. ex. Baronial Seneschal should not also be Regional Seneschal.
D. Those residing at the same residence may hold beholden offices, with the approval of the Baronial Seneschal, the Baronage, and the appropriate Kingdom Officer.
V. Terms
A. All offices have one-year renewable terms, which rotate according to the schedule above. If conditions warrant a change sooner, the office may change hands sooner.
B. Each required officer (as indicated above) must have a deputy who is eligible and willing to step up into the office, if needed.
C. All offices come up for review on a yearly basis. Three months prior to renewal, the current officer may request to renew or resign their office. If an officer wishes to resign, the availability of the office will be communicated to the Barony.
D. A candidate’s renewal of or appointment to an office is contingent on the approval of their Kingdom Superior, the Seneschal and the Baronage.
E. In the event that there are multiple candidates for an office, the decision will be made by the outgoing officer, the Seneschal, and the Baronage with approval of the Kingdom Superior. If the populace feels there is substantive opposition to the decision, a vote may be called at a Barony Meeting.
F. If a required officer’s membership lapses, they will be considered unfit for the position, and the deputy will be appointed to the office until an eligible and willing candidate is found.
G. If a required officer is unable to complete their term, the deputy will be appointed to the office until an eligible and willing candidate is found.
H. If a non-required officer’s membership lapses, or they are unable to complete their term, their deputy may assume the office for the remainder of the term. If there is no deputy, the office may remain vacant until an eligible and willing officer is found.
VII. Reporting
A. All Officers are required to report on the status of their Office at least every three (3) months. Reports can be made to the Seneschal and Baronage via email, phone call, proxy, or in person at a business meeting.
B. Reports should consist of recent activity and any requests for materials needed. Greater Officers are also required to report to Kingdom as required per Kingdom Law.
VIII. Removal of Officers
A. In the event that a Baronial Officer, up to and including the Baronage and the Seneschal, is not meeting the requirements of their Office for a minimum period of three months, the Baronage and the Seneschal may choose to relieve that Officer of their responsibilities and seek a successor.
B. Grounds for removal include, but are not limited to: lack of reporting to Barony or Kingdom, non-activity, inability to contact, or general misconduct of position. This action should be taken only after discussing the problem(s) with the Officer in question and allowing time for correction of behavior.
IX. Meeting Policies
A. Baronial meetings are cancelled at the discretion of the Seneschal and relevant Officers no later than 1.5 hours before the start of the meeting.
B. Notice of cancellation will be posted on the email list, as well as any appropriate social media platforms.
X. Event Policies
A. Oral and written bids are acceptable and should be presented at a business meeting. An event bid must include the name of the autocrat, the intended site and the fee to use it, and the name of the feastocrat, if the event will have a feast.
B. Autocrats must be at least 18 years of age as of the placement of the event bid, and current paid members of the SCA, Inc.
C. Feastocrats must be at least 18 years of age as of the date of the event.
D. Unless otherwise specified by the site, children 14 and under will be charged a reduced rate. Children 5 and under are free. Family rates may be available, at the discretion of the autocrat.
E. Event announcements must be reviewed by the Seneschal, the Exchequer, the Chronicler, Social Media Officer and the Web Minister before being released to the public.
XI. Financial Policies
A. All financial matters over $100.00 will be decided at a business meeting. An emergency business meeting may be called by the Seneschal, if needed. Financial matters of less than $100.00 may be approved by the Seneschal and Exchequer together.
B. Complementary admission (including site and feast) will be offered to:
1) Sitting Royalty (including their children)
2) Delftwood’s Baron and Baroness
3) The event’s autocrat
4) The event’s feastocrat
C. Refunds will be provided for those unable to attend an event upon request.
D. A receipt must accompany all requests for reimbursement. If no receipt is available from the vendor, neatly print one on a blank sheet of paper.
E. Check reimbursement is available for vendor and non-vendor receipts.
F. All receipts need the following information: Vendor, Date, Total Due, Your Name, Purpose. Print any information on the receipt that is not already there. Also, please circle the Date and Total Due. The purpose does not need to be elaborate; the following examples are fine:
“Print May 2002 Full Tilt”
“Food for Feast at 7 Deadlies 2002”
G. The Seneschal and Exchequer may distribute letters giving the SCA Tax Exempt Number. Show this letter to merchants to avoid paying sales tax on purchases for the Barony. Use this only for Baronial purchases. (If a merchant wonders about a tax-exempt number beginning with 94-, the number is based on the zip code of the corporate headquarters. Most local numbers begin with 13-, but the SCA is incorporated in Milpitas, CA.)
XII. Baronial Travel Fund:
A. A separate travel fund from the Baronial General Fund will be dedicated to the purpose of assisting the Baronage in travelling to the four recommended Kingdom events each year: Spring Coronation, Pennsic, Fall Coronation, and the Seven Pearls Championship Event.
B. This fund will be replenished to a maximum $400 from the Barony per annum, with the option of additional funds being added through specified fundraising or donations.
C. Receipts for reimbursement should be submitted within 90 days from the date the expense was incurred.
D. Acceptable reimbursable expenses are gasoline and tolls for travel more than 25 miles one way from the Baronage’s home, and lodging for any event further than 100 miles one way.
E. The administration of this fund shall be handled through the Exchequer. If unused, these funds may be reallocated to the general fund.
F. Use of these funds for Kingdom events other than those specified (Twelfth Night, Curia, Crown Tournament, etc.) should be brought to the Baronial Business Meeting for a vote.