Unofficial Report on East Kingdom Curia
East Kingdom Curia was held on Sunday morning after the Market Day at Birka event in the Barony of Stonemarche. Their Majesties Ivan Ivanov syn Dimitriov vynuk Tzardikov and Matilde de Cadenet presided, accompanied by Their Highnesses Brennan mac Fearghus and Caoilfhionn inghean Fhaolain and Mistress Katherine Barr, the Kingdom Seneschal.
The full agenda for the Curia can be read on the Kingdom Seneschal’s website: http://seneschal.eastkingdom.org/docs/EKCuria20180128agenda.pdf
Results will be official when published in Pikestaff, the East Kingdom newsletter, and will then be available at http://seneschal.eastkingdom.org/index.php as well.
The meeting opened with brief reports from the various kingdom officers.
A proposed change to the term of office of the Earl Marshall was noted, and approved as presented in the agenda without comment. Most kingdom offices are held for two-year terms, but going forward the Earl Marshall will serve for a 3 year term, to commence immediately after the Pennsic War in years when the War has just been run by the East Kingdom. Because responsibility for Pennsic rotates between the East, the Middle and Aethelmearc, this change allows the Earl Marshall to be involved in all the planning leading up to the year where he or she will be Marshall in Charge at War.
Proposed changes in the structure of the offices of Pennsic Steward and Pennsic Major-Domo were discussed. These officers, between them, are responsible for the East Kingdom Royal encampment at Pennsic. The changes proposed were well received by all, and are expected to be signed as presented in the agenda document.
The item of business generating most debate was the proposed change to Kingdom Law allowing individuals and non-territorial groups to bid for and run Kingdom Events (Coronation, Crown Tourney, 12th Night and Champions events).
Mistress Mercedes de Calafia, former East Kingdom Seneschal, addressed the assembled Curia, noting that there is precedent for this, including the upcoming East Kingdom 50 Year Celebration, which is being run as a Kingdom-sponsored event, not by the group within whose boundaries the event site lies. This law change was presented as formally codifying procedures for this situation.
A representative of House Runnymede proposed an alternate wording which would grant local groups the ability to veto such events. Prince Brennan responded that that there is a significant and ongoing shortage of bids for these required events coming from the local groups. After passionate but civil discourse an alternative wording was proposed which would call for the local seneschal to either accept or reasonably deny the bid within their lands. If the bid was denied by the local seneschal, that decision could be overturned by the Kingdom Seneschal. This was acclaimed as an acceptable compromise by all involved.
Other concerns which were expressed included whether the people organizing the bids would have sufficient knowledge of local laws to avoid actions which would result in repercussions to the local group as well as the Kingdom event. The proposed law change provides for the local group to have a liaison to work with the event staff before and during the event, which would bring local knowledge to the event staff. Also discussed was whether running an event in particular state but having all financial transactions handled at the Kingdom level would re-introduce the tax and financial issues which the state-by-state incorporations were put in place to avoid. These concerns were resolved by a tax professional in attendance.
The modification to change the Award of Gilder to the Order of Gilder was accepted without significant comment. Several heralds present did request some typographical corrections to the blazon as published in the agenda, which were duly noted for the final text.
The proposed Statement of Inclusion being added to the Rights of Subjects section was received positively, and accepted with some minor alternations to the wording.
One additional item, not present in the agenda, was added, exempting the polling order discussion lists from the email records the web ministry archives. An archive of those deliberations has never been maintained, but Kingdom Law as previously written appeared to require it. This will be corrected.