By-laws for the Shire of Sylvan Glen
as Revised January 19, 2003

A. Major Shire Offices

• 1. Seneschal

• 2. Exchequer

• 3. Chatelaine

• 4. Marshals of the Shire

• 5. A&S Minister

• 6. Chronicler

• 7. Minister of Lists

• 8. Chancellor Minor

• 9. Reservationist

• 10. Herald

• 11. Autocrat

B. Minor Offices

• 1. Minister of the Web

• 2. Bailiff

• 3. Scribe

• 4. Sheriff

These officers shall abide by the following general rules...

• A. All Shire offices will be elected by a majority vote.

• B All officers may serve two-year terms. At the conclusion of a term of service, an election shall be held among eligible volunteers. An officer may succeed him/herself. Officers who do not wish to continue in their office are encouraged to raise Shire interest to find an eligible successor.

• C. All officers are responsible for passing office materials on to their successor within 30 days of stepping down.

• D. Whenever possible, an officer should fully train their successor.

• E. No major officer may miss more than three (3) consecutive meetings without contacting their deputy, the Seneschal or the email list to give their report.

• F. No individual may hold two major offices at the same time.

• G. Officers must turn in reports required by the Kingdom, with courtesy copies going to the Seneschal upon request.

• H. Officers should reside in the Shire for six (6) months prior to holding office.

• I. Officers may have deputies of their choosing. These deputies should be taken from the active members of the Shire and serve as deputies at the whim of the Officer. Active members of the Shire who wish to serve as deputies to an Officer must make their desire known to that Officer.

• J. Deputies may be assigned duties. Duties assigned to the deputy are still the responsibility of the Officer.

• K. Any of the preceding rules may be made exception to with the consensus of the Shire membership.

• L. Officers may be removed from office, with just cause, by a secret ballot vote by the active membership of the Shire. This vote would be taken at an official business meeting of the Shire with the vote being announced at the next business meeting.

• M. All Officers shall read, understand and abide by all Kingdom Laws, Corpora and Shire bylaws.

Officers shall abide by the following rules specific to their Office...

• Seneschal
  Because of the critical nature of this position, individuals must be active residents of the Shire for one full year before being eligible candidates for this office.

• Exchequer
  Again, because of the critical nature of this position, individuals must be active residents of the Shire for one full year before being eligible candidates for this office.

• Chatelaine
  The Chatelaine must have a copy of "The Known World Handbook," and should be in contact with other Chatelaines in the Kingdom.
  
  The Chatelaine should keep Shire loaner materials if possible because they normally have first contact with new members in need of such gear.

• Marshals of the Shire
  The Marshals shall arrange classes in their disciplines for the Shire. The Marshals shall, if possible, keep and maintain loaner gear pursuant to their disciplines.
  
  The Marshals shall set the time and location for their practices and attend said practices. Any practice without a warranted marshal shall be "unofficial."

• Arts & Sciences Minister
  The A&S Minister shall coordinate classes and activities for the Shire. And, it is suggested, submit articles to the Shire Newsletter about A&S related subjects and activities.

• Chronicler
  The Chronicler shall attend business meetings and take notes. These minutes will be posted on the e-list online prior to the next business meeting. These minutes will also be published in the next monthly Newsletter.
  
  The Chronicler will put together a list of active Shire members with their contact information. This list will be published periodically.

• Herald
  The Herald shall submit names and devices for the Shire and it's members.
  The Herald shall coordinate heraldry at events; including, but not limited to field heraldry and heralding court.

• Chancellor Minor
  The Chancellor Minor shall arrange children's activities for the Shire and at Shire events.
  
  The Chancellor Minor shall, if possible, keep supplies pursuant to children's activities.

• Reservationist
  The Reservationist shall, at the discretion of both the Exchequer and the Autocrat, receive all reservations for a Shire event.
  
  The Reservationist shall be responsible for keeping track of all incoming reservations and for having checks to the Exchequer for deposit in a timely manner.

• Bailiff
  The Bailiff shall keep order at Business Meetings, wielding the †Hammer of Wo' or it's progeny as appropriate. The Bailiff shall be in charge of security at Shire events. The Bailiff shall be the keeper of shire stuff, not already kept under another office. The Bailiff shall handle lost & found during and after Shire events.

• Scribe
  The Scribe will coordinate the production of scrolls as commissioned by Shire request.

• Sheriff
  The Sheriff may present Shire awards to Shire members. The Sheriff may make presentations to outside courts in the name of the Shire. The primary duty of the Sheriff shall be to increase the general level of Spiffness.

• Autocrats
  Events hosted by Sylvan Glen shall have an autocrat chosen by the Shire from the active members of the Shire. Once chosen, the Autocrat will serve as a major officer of the Shire until the conclusion of the Business Meeting occurring one calendar month after the event ends. Each event shall have a deputy autocrat, chosen by the Autocrat from interested parties.
  
  Autocrats may be removed in the regular method or by a petition signed by 2/3 of the officers of the Shire. When an Autocrat is removed before the event has occurred, a new Autocrat must be chosen with all due haste or the event may be called off.
  
  There will be no co-autocrats for Shire events as this leads to confusion regarding the "final say" on event activities. The deputy autocrat is there to assist the Autocrat in implementing decisions. The Autocrat is ultimately responsible for the event. S/he may solicit advice from others (and is encouraged to do so), but except in extreme circumstances, decisions of the Autocrat concerning the event are final.
  
  Reguarding Events - While some officer positions have responsibilities regarding Shire events, (MoL, Marshals, Chatelaine, etc.) it s the responsibility of the Autocrat to ensure that these officers are asked to participate. It is the primary responsibility of the Autocrat to host an event that fosters an environment in which guests AND Shire members have fun.
  
  There shall be an event checklist made available to the Autocrat to help ensure that few details are overlooked or left to the last minute. This list shall be kept by the Seneschal.

Definitions:

• Major Office
  Offices determined by the SCA and the Shire as critically important to the running of the Shire.

• Minor Office
  These offices were created by the Shire of Sylvan Glen to facilitate a smoothly run group. Their services may not be constantly required.

• Marshal(s) of the Shire
  Major offices filled by marshals that represent the reporting warranted marshals. These are the Knight Marshal, Archery Marshal, Fencing Marshal, and Thrown Weapons Marshal.

• Active Shire Members
  Those who have attended at least two prior shire meetings in the past twelve months.

• Spiff
  Spiff is a quality related to courtly ambiance and behavior.

• A. Officers or a proxy should be present to give a report at each Business meeting.

• B. Old business shall be discussed at each Business meeting.

• C. New business shall be brought forward at each Business meeting.

• D. Voting issues shall be presented, discussed and then passed by majority in favor. Votes may be tabled for further research or discussion.

• A. Expenditures.
  1. All expenditures, excluding those ordinary and usual related to event production, must be approved by vote.

• B. Reimbursements.
  1. Reimbursements require a receipt or copy of the original invoice.
  
  2. All reimbursements, excluding those ordinary and usual expenses relating to event production, must be approved by a vote, except those which have previously been approved by vote as an expenditure (see V.A.1. above).
  
  3. All reimbursements must be reported at the following meeting.

• C. Signatures.
  1. All checks will require two signatures
  
  2. Signatories shall include the exchequer, kingdom exchequer, seneschal, and others as deemed appropriate. No two signatories may reside at the same address.
  
  3. All signatories shall be paid members.

• D. Event Finances.
  1. Deposits - If it should be that the reservationist is not the exchequer, monies received shall be given to the exchequer as quickly as possible for deposit. Monies shall then be deposited in a timely manner.
  
  2. Reservations - Unless another practice is specifically stated by the autocrat, the policy of the shire shall be that a paid reservation shall have priority over a verbal reservation.
  
  3. Refunds - Unless another practice is specifically stated by the autocrat, the policy of the shire shall be that refunds for a specific event will be granted only if requested up to 48 hours prior to the beginning of that event. Refunds shall be made by one of two methods. (A) In the unlikely event that the original check is not yet deposited, it shall be returned to the writer. (B) In the more probable event that the original check has already been deposited, sufficient time shall be given for it to clear, after which a refund check shall be written and sent to the requestor.
  
  4. Expense Reimbursement - Prior to an event, the autocrat shall make known their budget for such things as feast, prizes, etc. Requests for reimbursement for ordinary and usual expenses incurred in the production of an event do not need to be brought forth for approval by a vote. However, these expenses should be made known to the autocrat prior to reimbursement. Reimbursements shall be made known at the following business meeting. Receipts must be turned in to the exchequer within 14 days after the event. Receipts submitted after 14 days will not be reimbursed.
  
  5. General Event Financial Policies - Well before the event, the autocrat shall determine their policies for deadlines for reservations, refunds for no-shows, discounts for early payment, staff budgets, etc.

• A. When a vote is needed to decide an issue, or elect an officer, there must be at least four major officers present to conduct the vote. All active shire members present are eligible to vote.