So you want to be the Kingdom Seneschal? Thoughts from a prior East Kingdom Seneschal.

Recently, the call went out that the position of East Kingdom Seneschal will be open at the end of 2013. http://seneschal.eastkingdom.org/positions.html. The deadline to respond is July 18, 2013.

This got me thinking about conversations I have had in the past with potential applicants who were interested in the position.

The first thing to consider is why you would want to do this. The position of Kingdom Seneschal is not for glory. Your voice, your opinion, is the law within the Kingdom. When the crisis hits, when you think all is calm, and something comes up, it is up to you to deal with it. You are the leader of the team. At all times, you must rely on others, and remember that they are volunteers also.

You are responsible for advising the royalty on laws and policies. This means that you need to have an extensive knowledge of Kingdom and Society governing documents. You will need to remember that the royalty have stress of their own, and their jobs are as hard, if not harder than yours. Advising them means that you will need to properly instruct them on whether or not they can take desired actions, and, you will need to be able to tell them when they can’t, and why. Your job is to make sure that they are protected, and that their reign goes as smoothly as possible.
There are other things to consider as well. At times, the position can take a lot of your time. So, do you have the time available to do the job properly. Be it responding to emails, dealing with situations, or traveling to events, you need to make sure that you are available. Are you able to travel; do you have the transportation available to go to events? Do you have the financial means to travel to events, inter-kingdom events, society meetings, and to take time off from work? These are only some of the areas you must consider.

An important consideration is what the position can do to your relationships. How does your spouse, significant other, and/or children feel about you taking on this type of responsibility? Will they be able to handle the change in your time and attention being shifted to the demands of the Kingdom? This is a very important thought to consider very carefully.

Why did I do it? I did it to challenge myself, no other reason. I had seen the inner workings of what the job entailed; it had been in my house for two prior terms. I had no excuse of ignorance. For me, I wanted to help, and take on one of the hardest jobs in the Kingdom. And, let me tell you, it did challenge me!

Be warned, this position will change you. You will see things that you didn’t think possible. There will be surprises along the way. Be it an unexpected blow-up in a group that you didn’t see coming, to something that you wish with all your might never happened, you will need to deal with it. You will be placed in positions where you have to make a decision that leaves no one happy in the end. There are times that you will wonder if you have any idea what you are doing, and other times when you wonder why in the world you ever took it on.

However, with all the pressure, and difficult situations, there was a bright side that I would never trade in. I got to meet wonderful people. The position can take away the wonder of this hobby at times, but I got to see a different bright spot: the hard work that really great people do within this Kingdom and Society to make it work.

To borrow lyrics, because of having been Kingdom Seneschal, I don’t know if I’ve been changed for the better, but I have been changed for good.

Mistress Hedewigis Ockenfüssin, the current East Kingdom Seneschal, has encouraged anyone considering this position to contact her with any questions. If you are interested in the position, I would encourage you to speak with her. I am also available, and would encourage you to also speak to other past Kingdom Seneschals as well.

Mistress Katherine Barr

Click here to email questions/comments to Katherine Barr.

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