[MR] and now the business stuff starts

[Debbie Halstead]

Estienne asked:
>This is the second time I've seen the $1500.00 figure quoted, but I
>can not seem to locate where in Law or Policy that the Kingdom's share
>of the profits must equal any specific number. Where can I find this
>codified somewhere? Did I overlook something?

Neither Law nor Policy do state that, but the Kingdom's budget is built around the expectation of that level of profit. Someone with more exchequer-fu than I can no doubt find a copy of the budget itself, but, in a pinch, take a peek at this (slightly old - 2006) comparative balance sheet. It bears out the basic idea. http://www.sca.org/officers/exchequer/reports/2006Atlantia.pdf Some folks said it is a requirement; that's not precisely true. We do aim for that, though.

>I know none of the groups here in Hidden Mountain can put that kind of
>outlay for an event, especially for some such as Unevent and University that
>have minimal, if any, recompense.

I'm sorry, I can't seem to find who asked this, but I pasted it into my list of things to which I wanted to respond. My apologies to Hidden Mountain. 

University is easier to address than Unevent -- it has it's own bank account. If there is a charge for the site, The University of Atlantia foots the
bill, and any donations go toward the fund that defrays such costs. I do realize that Unevent, not having its own moneys, is a bit tougher to sell.  We try to use free sites for both University and Unevent whenever possible.  June University, for instance, will be held at Winston Salem State University, which due to the efforts of Lord Dubhghall mac Donnchaidh, Mistress Rosalind and the Canton of Crois Brigte was able to secure for free. (Thank you!) I'll also note that groups often host lunches as fundraisers at both events, and depending on their planning and the location, can do pretty well. 


Cap'n Black Jack Flint said:
>If the Kingdom Bid Deputy is having problems getting bids,
>then we have to look at why.  Why are
>folks not turning in bids?  Have they been
>rejected in the past, and why?  Have they
>just determined that they want to enjoy the events, without the work inherent
>in such?

Now you've done it -- asked the very question that made me apply for this job. 

I think that the biggest reason is that the bid process is a mystery, and yes, it can be a bit of a pain. I say a mystery for a few reasons. First, look above. Someone thought that their local group has to front the money to host University. Clearly how the financials of University work is a mystery to them. That shouldn't be the case, and if it is, we're not doing a good enough job of disseminating that information. Secondly, there's what I call the Black Box Problem. Let's say you put together a bid and you turn it into the Event Bid Deputy (dropping it in the box.) You wait. Sometime later, an answer pops out the bottom. I know I, as a potential autocrat, didn't always get an explanation *why* my bid was turned down, and I had no idea how quickly the bid might be accepted (or not.)

We've tried to make some amends to that -- we've instituted a timeline of 30 days from the bid deadline to have an answer one way or the other to the respective bidders. I do try to give progress reports on the bids to those interested, especially the autocrat. In particular, I've tried to give real explanations to the bids I've had to turn down. "No" doesn't mean "we hate you," even though that's sometimes the way it feels; it means something much more logical and pedestrian. In summary, I've tried to adopt a policy of transparency whenever feasible.

As for the pain part, I'm hoping to further refine the bid forms, but I haven't gotten there yet. Working on it! In the meanwhile, if you are interested but the forms scare you, I'm happy to help you fill them out, either in person or via remote. Alternatively, talk to your local exchequer. Exchequers typically understand them -- they're all about the math. ;-)

All of these are things, though, are things that would take time to have any effect in the number of bids, and it would likely be a small effect. Additionally, there's no telling whether my successor, or someone even further down the road, will share my opinions on transparency or like any edits I might make to the policies surrounding the bid process.  



As for Their Majesties' suggestion, we're in a position where it's being shown progressively more clearly that we need to do _something_. It's not a perfect option, but it is _an_ option, and there are some clear benefits. (Clear problems, too.) I'm pretty sure that Their Majesties would be all ears if someone's got a better idea. (I know I would be.)


Debora





 THL Debora Aurifex
Isenfir MOL & Deputy MOAS
Royal Baker
Kingdom Event Bid Coordinator