[Ponte Alto] Proper Procedures for Financial Commitments

Mon Dec 24 13:33:09 PST 2007

Master Tirloch:

There is no "emergency" per se? Just a need to make a decision quickly. Additionally, there appears to be enough funds from the commitments made by members of the Barony to finance this activity for at least one month if not more.

As Max points out, the need is that we have to fund the money?through the Barony's account and the Barony needs to approve the funding. (i.e. I can contribute the entire $920 into the barony's account for use of this facility for 2 months, but if the barony does not vote to go ahead with the endeavor it dies).

In addition, the people who are willing to commit?their personal?financial resources to help this proposal succeed are hoping this activity is self-sustaining?from the small individual ($5 was suggested)?contributions of the users.? They?are prepared to cover any?shortfall from the anticipated funds received from the donations so the barony's loss?would be either small or non-existent.?In addition, they are?willing to put their money up front if their word is insufficient.? The only problem is,?"is the Barony willing to?refund?any excess contribution"??and "is there a procedure to do this"?

I would finally like to thank the enormous outpouring of generosity that members of the Barony have committed them selves to.? 

Thomas of Calais

-----Original Message-----
From: Max Nelson <maxntropy at worldnet.att.net>
To: gmt53 at ravenstreet.org; The Barony of Ponte Alto <ponte-alto at atlantia.sca.org>
Sent: Mon, 24 Dec 2007 4:07 pm
Subject: Re: [Ponte Alto] Proper Procedures for Financial Commitments

Master Tirloch: 

"The Community of Fighters" is not a non-profit organization that is capable of officially doing anything with the school -- the funds, no matter their source, need to come from the Barony which is an official group of SCA, Inc.

The debate has *not* been about whether the allocation of Baronial funds and how much the Barony has to chip in per se (particularly given the unbelievable outpouring of financial willingness by so many individual Baronial members), but instead is solely focused on procedure and whether the Emergency Committee can decide to sign a one-month contract with the School -- regardless of the source of funds and if the Barony has to pay *anything*.

After the first month, continuation of the indoor site can be determined at a regular business meeting, but the whole discussion has centered around whether the Committee can decide that we can use the site in January, or if all our work is to grind to a halt for a month and our motivation and momentum with it.

Hope that helps clarify!

In Service,

Baron Max Von Halstern

On Dec 24, 2007, at 3:24 PM, Tirloch wrote:

This is an interesting proposal and I am still very curious why there is an emergency before us.

?

>From all the email traffic I have seen, it sounds like that the community of fighters have raised funds to cover at least the month of January 2008 for an indoor activities area.

?

What if the community of fighters puts forward the donations for the January term and then at the regular business meeting of the whole Barony, funds can be allocated for the remainder of the winter season.? Or am I missing something from this dialogue so far?

?

Tirloch of Tallaght, OP, OL

?

From:?ponte-alto-bounces at atlantia.sca.org?[mailto:ponte-alto-bounces at atlantia.sca.org]?On Behalf Of?thrid at aol.com
Sent:?Monday, December 24, 2007 10:28 AM
To:?ponte-alto at atlantia.sca.org
Subject:?Re: [Ponte Alto] Proper Procedures for Financial Commitments

?

Excuse me, I?incorrectly posted prior to e-mail before completing it.

Your Excellency,

As we have tried to?lay out the proposal before, we are looking at 3 separate monthly contracts with the School.? Each?contract, for one month's use of the site,?would be committing members of the Barony to $520.? If after one month, the plan is a total failure,?we can decide not to renew it.? I don't believe a commitment from the Barony of $520, especially when a large potion of it will be coming from the individual resources of its members is beyond the scope of the financial committee.??

>From what I can tell, based on the financial commitments of the three of the people (including my self) who have posted?there is already a minimum of?a $300 per month commitment to see the barony does not take a lost.? In addition, as I have previously state, If need be, I am willing to?deposit $920 into barony's funds to ensure the barony takes no financial loss.

I apologize for the frantic pace of this discussion.? The fighters at our practice have developed some momentum and do not look forward to the lack of activity during the winter months.? In addition, many of us at the practice?felt that obtaining the site might be a good opportunity for others in the Barony to make use of it.??

The issues which have been raised against obtaining the site have been:?

1) The amount of?financial to risk?the Barony, which?I have repeatedly tried to show, is not very much.

2) The fact this has not been raised at a Baronial meeting and run through the normal channels.? Clearly this would have been the preferred method of handling this proposal. I apologize this has not been placed in front of the barony through this method. The opportunity and the commitment from the fighting community came after the?last meeting and?with no meeting in?December?this was the only forum left to us.?I believe however, this forum does give members of the barony a chance?for thoughtful consideration and debate.??With a one month financial commitment from the barony being so little, I believe?the financial committee, with the general consent of the barony, has it within its power to decide to help fund the project. What we are looking for is the general consent of the barony.

3) That the fighters "pledge"?are not worth much to the barony and the Barony it's self is taking all the risk.? The first time this was raised, the Max explained this was a real financial commitment on our part and not some hollow words.? The second time this concern was brought up I found offensive to myself and to the fighting community in general.

When I first propose this idea a few days ago, I was expecting the negative comments to be:?This plan would not work; there is not enough interest in the Barony; and you will not get enough people willing to pay.?For these were my concerns.?

I am surprised and happy?have not seen any of these comments made by the members.? In fact,?my own concerns and doubts have been greatly alleviated by the strong statements of both a personal and financial commitment by members of this Barony.

The Barony has a solid financial policy for which we all should be proud of.? We have always made our decisions, as a group, based on a sound argument?with a good debate.??

It is the fighters desire to place this before the barony for debate, at to work within the framework of the barony's financial rules.? It is our belief that those financial rules do make room for?a decision to be made for a one month contract with Lemon Road Elementary school.? It is our belief that we have reduced the financial risk to the barony to an absolute minimum.

The fighters would have liked to have funded this directly with the school;?however, the SCA requires that funding for events and activities go through Baronial channels.?

What we ask, is that through this forum, the Barony give discussion to the merits of this proposal. And finally that the financial committee use the merits and support (or lack of) for this proposal to decide as to whether it will approve funding for this activity?(most of which will come directly from the fighters themselves).?

Thomas of Calais

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Capozello <afpopa at cox.net>
To: 'The Barony of Ponte Alto' <ponte-alto at atlantia.sca.org>
Sent: Mon, 24 Dec 2007 6:05 am
Subject: [Ponte Alto] Proper Procedures for Financial Commitments

While?We do think this is a very worthy idea,?the Barony?has policies and procedures in place to deal with this sort of situation (which our Baronial Exchequer has already explained).? Trying to force this through the Emergency Financial Committee is *not* the proper way to do this.?

?

What you are seeking to do is akin to running an event - i.e. expecting the Barony to be financially responsible for a obtaining a site, and expecting to be reimbursed by collection of a "site fee".? Your original proposal would have the Barony?aquiring a financial?liability?of?over $1,500.? This is more than the budget for?most events we have run.? Every event we run, from its initial conception onward,?has to be approved by the Barony, not just the Emergency Financial Committee.? Please do bring your proposal to the Baronial business meeting so that it can be discussed and dealt with in the proper forum.

?

Yours in Service,

?

Marcellus Capoziello da Napoli and Belphoebe de Givet

Baron and Baroness of Ponte Alto

?

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