[Ponte Alto] Please Read! Another Possible Indoor Site For BaronialActivities

[Barbara]

Hi, I'm not an officer, but I have a few thoughts and questions from over
here in the back seats.

First thought is: the barony has money, and we don't build it up just to sit
on; we want to use it for something that helps the group and furthers our
educational mission. But my second thought is:  $130 a week would deplete
that money at a rapid pace. 

Lets see...the financial liability would be anywhere from:  $520 (Half of
$130 * 8 weeks) TO $1560 (worst case, with no donations, of $130 * 12
weeks). Is that accurate?

That's a lot of silent auction receipts.  I'm sure that we who helped raise
the money for the barony really WANT to support the fighters and have a
well-recognized army; on the other hand, that fighting community was
represented by only a small handful last weekend when we were raising money,
and support should be two-way, in my opinion.

Still, promises of donations were mentioned.  Which leads to my questions
about the mechanisms of this:

- What kind of contract needs to be signed?  (Remember that only seneschals
can sign contracts)  For how long a commitment is required?
- Regardless of promises of donations, the barony would still be responsible
for financial obligations listed in the contract, yes?  
- How "immediate" is the immediate answer needed?  And what is driving the
need for an immediate answer?  It is always a concern when the Emergency
Financial Committee needs to make a decision, rather than allowing the
regular process to be worked through and voted on at the barony meeting.
- Is there possibilities for a provisional approval for a limited time by
the emergency financial committee, pending a longer-term decision based on a
full vote at a barony meeting.
- Do you have a plan for collecting donations at the practices?  Note that
per society/kingdom laws and policies that: 
a) anyone collecting SCA money must be at least 18 and be an SCA member
b) money needs to be deposited within 14 days
c) money can not be deposited into a personal account and then forwarded -
it must go into the group account.

I doubt that the exchequer is going to want to commit to being at every
practice, so someone is going to have to be responsible for getting the
funds to the exchequer on a regular basis, and a form of check/balance needs
to be set up, not unlike we do for managing the an event's cash box.

I want to be clear that I'm NOT against doing this.  I just want to make
sure that decision makers have a clear understanding of all the facts and
implications, and that YOU have a clear understanding of what you're getting
yourself into too!  

(Gee...I don't suppose they have enough room for siege?   Combat archery?
No, I didn't think so. <pout>)

Mistress Anne of Carthew
OL, OP

-----Original Message-----
From: ponte-alto-bounces at atlantia.sca.org
[mailto:ponte-alto-bounces at atlantia.sca.org] On Behalf Of
ladykatharina at verizon.net
Sent: Friday, December 21, 2007 3:53 PM
To: ponte-alto at atlantia.sca.org
Subject: [Ponte Alto] Please Read! Another Possible Indoor Site For
BaronialActivities

Greetings unto the Populace!

The Barony has been offered an excellent opportunity by the generous folks
at the Lemon Road Elementary School to make that site available to the
Barony for any Sunday afternoon activities we might be interested in having
weekly during the Winter.

As we hope many of you know, our weekly fighting practices have become
increasingly attended and the Barony has been taking an increasingly
important role in the Northern Region Army – in fact, at Kingdom Crusades,
the Baronial fighting unit formed the bulwark of the Northern Army
contingent.

We would like to take the opportunity afforded by the Lemon Road school’s
offer to continue our ability to train the Baronial fighters and melee unit
throughout the Winter and to even potentially offer our indoor site to the
greater Northern Army for some practices during the Winter.  Naturally, we
would also like to have the broader Baronial community take advantage of the
School’s offer, as well, and would like to have the dancing, fencing,
chorale and other active communities take part in the facilities offered.

Thus, the fighters of the heavy weapons practice would like to propose to
the barony that the school facilities at Lemon Road Elementary School be
rented on Sundays for an 8 to 12 week period (depending on interest and
weather) in order to begin melee training.  The cost would be approximately
$130 a week for a 4 hour period (the shortest available). The fighters have
agreed to pay a significant portion of the expenses by themselves providing
a $5.00 "donation" each per week for the use. We are figuring we will have
about 10-14 fighters per week in the beginning but believe interest might
grow outside the barony after word gets out.  

What we are asking the Barony to consider is, to pay up to half the expense
of the facility.  If we get enough fighters and or others showing up, the
cost to the barony would be less. If too few fighters show up, a group of
the senior fighters and knights will cover the short fall.

As mentioned, we sincerely wish to open the site to other activities, i.e.
dance, fencing, etc.  The gym has a stage area just off the main floor which
would be suitable to a variety of activities.  This site could also be used
for a newcomers’ event.  Various interest groups witin the barony can meet
and greet newcomers and display their activity. 

We need to make a decision immediately, so we are calling for a discussion
on this list leading to immediate action by the Barony so we may let the
School know of our decision and, hopefully, begin taking advantage of their
generous offer for the significant benefit of our Barony.

In service and gratitude,

Sir Strykar
Mistress Cunen 
Sir Thomas
Sir Guy, OP
Sir Strykar
Sir Brian 
Sir Michael
Sir Grethferth
Baron Max von Halstren
Lord Gunnar
Lady Katharina
Lady Marie Therese
Lord Jurgen
Lord Connor

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