What do you think your duties of a Baron/Baroness are to the boroughs and how would you fulfill them?

We've gotten so used to having so many great people, that we sometimes neglect the process of recruiting new members. Aquel and Johanna have done a marvelous job of encouraging the boroughs, and it's hard to imagine a baron and baroness who could be more approachable then they are. However, the growth of our populace is an ongoing process, and one which needs to be supported.

In the SCA, Carolingia is a big city -- the equivalent of London or Paris to our medieval predecessors. It's difficult to be a new person here. It's hard to meet people, to learn the 'language', to find the right clothes,and sometimes even to find out what all there is to do and where to do it. If we neglect newcomers to our barony, we'll lose them. We feel it's veryimportant to encourage all Carolingians, but especially those who run activities,guilds, and practices, to encourage, assist, and welcome those newcomerswho are interested in the SCA.

To specifically answer your question, the Baron and Baroness have a responsibility to make themselves accessible to the boroughs, to go out and visit each borough at least once per academic year, and -- when necessary -- to advocate for those borough members who may not yet be well-established in the barony. Many borough members are within Carolingia's borders for only a limited time (four years or sometimes less). It's important for the Baron and Baroness to assist those that are moving out of the area in continuing in the SCA. Aquel and Johanna have a lovely custom of Letters of Introduction, and we would certainly continue this practice.

Okay, I'm going to step back for a second here, and give the honest, dispassionate answer. The duty of the B/B to the boroughs is basically the same as to any other group within the Barony. *Personally*, I tend to spend a fair amount of time and energy on the Boroughs, but that's really a personal thing; the B/B really shouldn't be too unbalanced towards or away from any one group. Frankly, it's one reason why I insisted on running with Caitlin -- together, I think we represent the Barony more thoroughly than either of us would separately.

Of course, this begs the question: what duty does the B/B owe to the groups within it? I don't think there's a single pat answer, but some aspects seem to include:

-- Being aware. One of the most basic-sounding duties, but one of the most important: the B/B need to *know* the people and groups in the Barony. That isn't easy; it's a huge Barony, bigger than most folks realize.

-- Being involved. If the B/B are, as some have been saying, the "heart and soul of the Barony", that has to mean that they have to strive to be a *part* of the Barony, as broadly as they reasonably can. It's frankly impossible for anyone to do everything in Carolingia. But I think it's good for them to make an effort to do as much as they reasonably can.

-- Being fair. The Barony has a number of different interests, and sometimes they conflict. One of the quieter jobs of the B/B is quiet mediation and diplomacy when necessary. Carolingia is less prone to internal politics than many SCA branches, so this duty blessedly isn't needed too often. But when it's important, it's important. The B/B need to be about to step back, understand everyone's positions, and do what they can to help bring things to a peaceful resolution.

-- Leading, gently. Carolingia has a distinctively decentralized spirit. We don't tend to deal well with being led too forcefully -- there are too many people with too many different ideas for one vision to compel people too strongly. That said, the B/B can't just be a follower, either. I'd say that their job is to listen to the people around them, pick out the ideas that make sense, and then encourage those ideas in the people around them.

- Most borough members joined the SCA here, and of those who already joined, most are new to Carolingia; to that extent, the Coronet's general duty of welcoming newcomers is all the more important among the borough populace.

- Being attached to mundane institutions, the boroughs are geographically and demographically bounded groups; the Coronet's obligation to keep all groups in Carolingia in touch with each other and involved with the barony as a whole applies especially to them.

- The boroughs represent transient populations: most students are in and out of college in four years; if they didn't join the SCA first thing (I know I didn't) then they're only part of Carolingia for two or three years. The Coronet's duty to notice individuals, to help them connect and to recognize their achievements, is the more urgent for borough members.

The single most important thing we could do to address these duties would be to make regular visits to meetings of the boroughs - which we would be making to all the guilds, practices, cantons, and other such groups anyway - bearing these special circumstances in mind as we do. Then from these regular contacts could grow other things to meet these needs, things to encourage and facilitate involvement with more of the barony: co-hosting other group meetings at the borough at a higher level than just providing room space, for example - I'm thinking especially of the way Felding has hosted Calligraphers' Guild and Low Company meetings in the past - and connecting borough members with particular interests with guilds and individuals outside the borough interested in the same things.

Furthermore, the boroughs take on the majority of the barony's recruitment work. During demo season, the Coronet's duty to represent the barony to itself means they would have to working closely with the boroughs to present a good-looking and well-defined image of the barony, so that new members' first impressions are both favorable and accurate.

Boroughs tend to have people that show up, learn, participate and then leave within 3-4 years. In the Boston area, many stay longer, but many are only here for that long. If the borough people are active and helpful and worthy of an AoA or other award the Baron and Baroness need to write the Crown with reccomendations early enough and make the crowns aware that the awards are time critical, so that they are still given while the borough member is still living in Barony.

The Baron/Baroness are are there to make the event feel more medieval and to add a little more to the magical feel of an event. In Court, or just around the event you should encourage that feeling for all participants, without making yourself distant. You have to appear regal and commanding without scaring away people who are new and uncertain. Johanna and Aquel did a good job of this and as did Patri before them. This is pretty much a case of knowing when to look aloof and commanding and when to crack a smile or to utter words of encouragement.

For all of the above, I would follow the examples of those who have gone before me, and try to live up to the examples set by Patri, Johanna and Aquel.