What governs who can be Crown in the SCA Outlands?

I’ve talked a lot about the Rapier Crown variance request in the East Kingdom but I also want to know what the status is in my current home. What would prevent a rapier crown from happening here?

We have about 200 currently authorized rapier fighters in the Outlands, I scrolled all of StagsApp and counted to find this number a few months ago, and just under 1200 paid members in the entire Outlands as of Sept 2023 per https://www.sca.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-Membership-Summary-to-9-30.pdf. The East Kingdom has 332 authorized rapier fighters and 2900 paid members (per initial BoD request from Matthias and Feilinn, then-King and Queen of the East, in January 2024, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-lLrSEJz1tSfervRLQuGrDvUz3TUzvcJ_IPkUWdELlI/edit#heading=h.sf0mlqrcbyks, as well as sca.org source of membership above)

Some reasons to be in favor of an Outlands Rapier Crown trial (I won’t be covering the reasons to be in favor of or against a rapier crown generally in this post, though I feel there are many) are:

  • A higher ratio of authorized rapier fighters to active members than the East (and, speaking anecdotally as a member of both kingdoms in my time in the SCA, a similarly engaged membership)
  • No concerns about international border crossings in order to compete, unlike the East
  • No concerns about how to track people who aren’t members of our parent organization but are active - we are a “pay to play” kingdom so if you have any awards you’re generally a paid member, or at least you had to be one at the time you got the award, unlike the East
  • The Outlands is small and friendly - we pride ourselves on our hospitality not only to newcomers but also to each other - whereas in the East I have experienced many strong opinions which were not tempered in any way by having to actually look the person in the eye or work with them in any way at events.

What does the actual law say?

I looked at:

I believe these links to be the latest editions of all relevant documents. I was unable to find an Outlands-specific Seneschal’s Handbook, or any Crown Handbook.

Section IV.B of the Society Seneschal’s handbook provides this guidance on the relative precedence of these documents in decision making (beginning partway down page 10 of the PDF above):

  1. Modern Law (note: n/a for this purpose)
  2. The By-Laws of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA, Inc.)
  3. The Corporate Policies of the SCA, Inc. (Different policies may apply to affiliates.) (note that the Outlands is not in an affiliate location, since we’re in the USA, so the parenthetical aside is irrelevant)
  4. The Corpora of the SCA, Inc.
  5. Affiliate governing documents, if applicable (note: n/a for this purpose)
  6. Interpretations of Corpora by the Society Seneschal, approved by the Board of Directors
  7. Corporate Officer Policies and Handbooks
  8. Individual Kingdom Financial Policies (Different policies may apply to affiliates.) (note: n/a for this purpose)
  9. Kingdom Law
  10. Decisions of the Crown
  11. Kingdom Officer Policies and Handbooks (note: n/a for this purpose)
  12. Principality Law (note: n/a for this purpose)
  13. Decisions of the Coronet (note: n/a for this purpose)
  14. Principality Officer Policies and Handbooks (note: n/a for this purpose)

As an aside, the Glossary of the Organizational Handbook defines the “Coronet” as “The Sovereign and Consort of a principality, acting together.” (page 7). The Outlands does not have any principalities.

The relevant remaining documents to review are:

  1. The By-Laws of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA, Inc.)
  2. The Corporate Policies of the SCA, Inc.
  3. The Corpora of the SCA, Inc.
  4. Interpretations of Corpora by the Society Seneschal, approved by the Board of Directors
  5. Corporate Officer Policies and Handbooks
  6. Kingdom Law
  7. Decisions of the Crown

The By-Laws

Entirely out-of-game, covers how the BoD is composed. Not relevant here.

The Corporate Policies

Only remotely relevant bit is that you need to sign the waiver to fight (V.A.1), and the only time Crown is mentioned is that you can’t be a current Crown and on the BoD at the same time (II.C.1)

The Corpora

I.C.4.a The Board will maintain a policy of non-interference with branch activities. The Board reserves the right to intervene in branch affairs if: (i) the events leading to such intervention appear to cause a threat to the integrity of the Society or the SCA, Inc.; (ii) the governing documents of the Society appear to have been violated; (iii) there is a threat to the SCA’s legal standing; or (iv) the Board is asked to become involved.

my note - I would argue that item ii and possibly iv are relevant here.

III.C.4 Kingdom: A kingdom is a sovereign entity within the Society which has the right to select a ruling King and Queen by armored combat.

subsection g also specifies a new kingdom must have: Sufficient fighters of such caliber as to invest the competition for the Crown with the dignity and value it merits. my note - Subsection III.C.4.g does not specify armored combat. III.C.4 says the predefined right is to select by armored combat but does not say “only” and I feel this right would still be retained if alternate fighting methods were used - aka, it doesn’t disqualify other methods it only says that armored combat is an explicit right

III.E.5 The Board specifically reserves to itself the following functions with respect to branches: To authorize a branch or group of branches to experiment with a non-standard class of organization. Any such authorization is specific to the branch obtaining it.

my note - not sure this is relevant as a Kingdom is already a standard class but including it just in case

IV.A.1 Royal Lists must be conducted at a tournament announced in the kingdom newsletter as being for that purpose. Crowns or Coronets who wish to conduct a royal list in a manner other than individual combat must obtain the prior approval of the Board of Directors.

my note - does not specify armored combat only

IV.C.8 The Sovereign supervises combat on the field of honor.

my note - we do have means in Outlands law for if the sovereign at the time is not authorized in the means of combat used at the crown tourney, this also does not require that it be armored combat

IX.C Royal Lists Only Chivalric (rattan) combat shall be used for formal tournament lists for royal ranks.

my note - this is the only piece so far that would need an explicit variance

Interpretations of Corpora

https://www.sca.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Interpretation-Crown-Lists.pdf January 22, 2023

Currently, Corpora does not specifically address the right of the Crown to control entrance into their Royal Lists. However, it is clearly not in the interest of the SCA, or any kingdom, for the Crown to manipulate or appear to manipulate the outcome of the Royal Lists. Therefore, while the Crown may bar an individual from competing for the Crown, they may not bar entire groups or classes of people such as an entire household, geographical region, or rank. The power to deny entry into the Royal Lists must be used prudently.

my note - while clearly not the intent of the author, I personally consider “non-armored-combat participants” to be a group or class of people

Seneschal’s Handbook

I.10 There is often much confusion about the separate lines of authority between the Kingdom Seneschal and the Crown. Those lines can be delineated as follows:

a. The Crown has all ceremonial responsibility and authority in making decisions regarding Kingdom courts, awards, etc. They are in charge of administering the “game side” of the SCA in their Kingdom, within the confines of the Governing Documents and current Kingdom Law, and are responsible for fostering an appropriate atmosphere of participation within their Kingdom.

b. The Crown may create or change laws within the Kingdom, while following all internal requirements, though these laws may not conflict with modern law or any higher-level SCA policy or document.

c. The Crown is responsible for monitoring and confirming the performance and conduct of Kingdom officers, and appointing, removing, and replacing such officers when necessary in conjunction with Society officers and the laws of their Kingdom and the SCA.

d. The Kingdom Seneschal is the legal representative for the Kingdom and retains control over interface with the modern world. This includes primary responsibility for investigating issues related to possible sanctions by the Crown.

e. The Kingdom Seneschal is responsible for making sure that the Kingdom’s laws and actions are in accordance with the governing documents of the SCA, and that modern legal requirements in the appropriate jurisdictions are followed.

f. A Kingdom Seneschal should keep the Crown informed of their actions and decisions. The Kingdom Seneschal and Crown must work cooperatively because their areas of authority frequently overlap.

my note - the boundary is very fuzzy between Seneschal and Crown responsibilities in this case - Crown owns law changes and ensuring they don’t conflict with higher level documents, but Seneschal owns ensuring we follow corpora, which in this case is the same thing?

XV.C

my note - covers in a wordy manner that you must be proven to be a member for the duration of your reign to be a Royal List entrant, does not specify armored combat

XXIII.B.2 Law changes must comply with Society rules. Kingdoms can be more restrictive, but not less restrictive than Corporate policies.

Kingdom Law

III.A The rules of the Crown Lists shall include the Rules of the Lists and the Kingdom fighting conventions, as approved by the Crown of the Kingdom in consultation with the Kingdom Earl Marshal.

V.C If the new Sovereign is not an authorized armored combat fighter the Kingdom Earl Marshal or their Armored Combat Deputy, shall supervise the fighting on the field.

VI.D At each Crown Tournament, there shall be a Princess’ (or an alternate title as chosen by the Successor Consort if “Crown Princess” is not appropriate) Protector Rapier tournament, the titles carrying such duties and honors as are the pleasure of the Crown Princess to give.

my note - I would be in favor of this being an armored combat tournament if we had a rapier crown tournament, but Kingdom Law as written today specifies this is rapier only

Decisions of the Crown

No online record of this exists, and I’m not aware of any decision in the Outlands to preempt a Rapier Crown. I think this item just says that the Crown cannot make this decision without first receiving variances for above conflicts.