SCA Organization and Administration

Articles in this section cover the administrative and organizational aspects of the SCA and its branches.

Event Safety and Security Manual, by Bryn of Celyddon

Mission Statement: It is our duty and responsibility to safeguard the persons and property of the Marche of Alderford and of the guests and participants at our event.

Conduct of Personnel

Security/ Safety (here after referred to as Security) personnel should:

Wear designated baldrics while on duty.
Be alert.
Be able to respond quickly and efficiently.
NOT carry any weapons or live steel.
Be friendly.
Be courteous.
Be helpful.
Carry a watch or timepiece.
Carry a flashlight at night.
Keep log book up to date.
Show up on time to do your shift.
Not be intoxicated or consume intoxicating beverages prior to or during your shift.
Be familiar with security equipment.

Security Equipment

Family Radio System. Persons designated to carry a radio shall understand the operation of radios and shall be responsible for them.
National Weather Service Radio. Should be kept at Security Pointe in the "Alert Mode" to scan for weather conditions. If no one can be at Security Pointe then the last person to leave the Pointe will be responsible for carrying and monitoring the radio.
Fire Extinguisher. To operate: 1. Pull pin, 2. Squeeze handle, 3. Aim at base of fire. Keep notation as to where extinguishers are placed around the camp.
Fire Blanket. Used to quench persons/property that are on fire. Pull out of bucket and wrap around burning person/property.
Log Book. All persons shall record time on/off duty and any pertinent events taking place. Remember this is a record of all of Security's activities and it is to be kept up to par. Entries should be made in normal time (AM/PM). Do not use military time.
Flashlights. All nighttime guards are to provide one for their shift.
Timepiece. Watch, pager, clock. All personnel should have one.
Whistles. To be used by Security personnel as secondary communication device to radios.
----------- -------------- ------------ 3 long blasts mean "come to me, need help".
----------- -------------- 2 long blasts mean "go to Security Point".
----------- 1 long burst means "give me your attention"
NOTE: During heavy combat melees marshals will be using whistles.
Notepads. For recording pertinent information during field work.

Fire Prevention

All flame source (fires, burners, tiki torches, lamps) should have a nearby fire fighting device, e.g. extinguisher, fire blanket, water/sand bucket.
Unattended camp fires should be brought to the attention (politely) of the owner. If the owner cannot be found, inform Security #1.
Bonfires should have multiple fire fighting devices nearby, the more the better.
Security personnel should be familiar with emergency PLAN 6.

Chain of Command

Seneschal
Autocrat(s)
Security #1
Security #2
All other Security Personnel

Emergency Plans

NOTE: It is the decision and responsibility of the Autocrat to contact the Fire Dept. and the Police Dept. No one within Security shall contact these agencies unless so directed by the Autocrat.

Medical Evacuation: In the event that a participant should require or request outside medical evacuation, Security shall inform Security #1. Security #1 shall then inform the Chirurgeon in Charge (hereafter referred to as CinC) and/or Autocrat and/or Seneschal. Security #1 and Security staff will then make arrangements to guide incoming medical personnel onto the site or to have the participant evacuated off site, whichever case may be most practical at the time.
Police Involvement: In the event that it becomes necessary to bring in outside Police authorities Security personnel are to immediately inform Security #1. Security #1 shall then contact the Autocrats and the Seneschal. Security staff will then make arrangements to guide outside authorities on to the site.
Hazardous Weather Condition (HWC): In the event that an HWC (i.e; thunderstorm, heavy rain, tornado watch or warning, lightning) is imminent Security shall inform Security #1. Security #1 shall then inform the Autocrat(s) and the Seneschal. The Herald is also to be contacted to "cry the camp" and alert the populace to the HWC. In the event of a tornado warning the populace (w/ the consent of the Autocrat(s)) shall be evacuated to a predetermined "safe area". The safe area will be predetermined by Autocrat. Evacuation notice shall be carried by the Herald.
Missing Children: In the event that a child becomes lost Security shall immediately inform Security #1. Security #1 shall then inform the Autocrats and the Seneschal. Security #1 shall then issue a "look for a missing child" report to the Herald to be carried throughout the Populace. Security should also send out patrols into the immediate vicinity. If the child is not found within 15 minutes then Security #1 shall inform the Autocrat(s)/Seneschal and then organize volunteer patrols to search the perimeter of the site. If the child is not found after another 15 minutes then Security #1 shall inform the Autocrat(s)/Seneschal and prepare to bring in outside authorities as outlined in PLAN 2.
Neglected Children: In the event that a child has lost their parent or guardian, Security #1 shall be informed. Security #1 shall then inform the Autocrat(s) and the Seneschal. Security #1 shall then issue a "found child" report to the Herald. Security shall stay with the child until relieved by the Autocrat(s), Kid-o-Crat, or Parent/ Guardian.
Fire Emergencies: In the event that the Fire Department must be brought on site to handle a fire, Security shall inform Security #1. Security #1 shall then inform the Autocrat(s) and the Seneschal. Security will then make arrangements to guide Fire Department vehicles onto the site.
Common Disputes: In the event that individuals within the populace should become belligerent, disruptive, violent, or abusive to other persons/property Security #1 shall be informed immediately. Security personnel should take verbal, nonphysical means to stop the individuals' actions. [Bryn's note "Use your head, not your hands".] Security #1 shall then contact the Autocrat(s) and the Seneschal. Security #1, the Autocrat(s), and the Seneschal shall then determine a remedy for the situation.
Unforeseen Events: In the event that something unforeseen and not covered within any of the Emergency Plans should arise. Security #1 shall be immediately informed. Security #1 shall then contact the Autocrat(s) and the Seneschal. Security #1 shall then delegate Security personnel as needed.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This Event Security Manual was prepared by Lord Bryn and his staff for use at our Battle for the Barony Event. It was so comprehensive and well-written that I requested and received Lord Bryn's permission to post it on this site so that other groups could use it as a starting point for their own such documents. Permission is granted to use this material for non-commercial purposes, provided credit is given to the author.

CAUTION: Your local laws, regulations, and ordinances, or policies of your Kingdom or other SCA group, may dictate changes to this document. It is your responsibility to learn the applicable laws in your area, and to tailor this document to your own needs. The author, the webmaster, the Marche of Alderford, and the SCA assume no responsibility whatsoever for your use of this document, since that is entirely beyond our control.

Kingdoms of the Known World, by Ailith Mackintosh

This article was written by Ailith Mackintosh in 1996, and there have been a couple of new kingdoms added since then which are not included here. Still an excellent article, though. Enjoy! -- Justin

Good day my friends. Have you ever wondered where the names for the kingdoms and some of the principalities in the Society came from? Here is a list compiled from various letters from the Rialto.*

West: Obvious-from the location in the Western United States.

East: Also obvious. However, to add a little spice, notice that the badge of the East, "A tyger passant azure," was chosen because the tyger is a symbol of good luck in Japan (the Far East) and blue is a color associated with good luck in the Middle East.

Middle: Obvious. China was also called "the Middle Kingdom." This was the motivation for the dragon in their arms.

Atenveldt: Aten is an Egyptian god of the Sun. "Veldt" is the Afrikaans word for an arid grassland. This name has the distinction of being the only one derived from a language that did not exist in our period!

Meridies: Latin for South. Apt for a kingdom in the deep South.

Caid: An anacronym for the names of the four founding baronies: Calafia, Angles, Isles, and Dreiburgen. Supposedly also an Arabic word meaning fortress. The crescents and the bordure embattled in their arms refer to this derivation.

Ansteorra: Old English meaning "One Star." Reference to the Lone Star State

Atlantia: A play on the Word "Atlantic." The kingdom is primarily the central Atlantic states.

An Tir: Irish for "the Land."

Calontir: Welsh for "Heartland." The kingdom is in the middle of the US.

Trimaris: Latin for "Three Seas." Florida is bounded by the Atlantic, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico.

Outlands: Originally "Utanwayard." When that was disallowed, they changed it to "Outlands."

Drachenwald: German for "dragon wood."

And the Principalities:

AEthelmearc: Old English, "noble border." This area was previously known as the Western Marches.

Artemisia: When searching for a name, they tried to find one indigenous lifeform existing in Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. The most obvious one: the sagebrush, whose Latin name includes "artemesia."

Avacal: unknown

Cynagua: A pun on Spanish for "without water." The principality is in California's central valley, which is a desert.

Ealdormere: Possibly Old English for "ancient sea/lake." This area is bordered by the Great Lakes.

Lochac: A late period map shows an island with this name in the general area of Australia.

Mists: Obvious to anyone who has seen the Bay Area fog.

Nordmark: Swedish (or any of several other related languages) for "northern marche."

Northshield: Refers to the geological land formation known as the Canadian Shield or the Cambrian Shield and also refers to the principality being the "shield" of the Midrealm against possible invaders from the north.

Oertha: A variant spelling (or possible misreading) of the Anglo-Saxon word "eorthe" (earth). It is joked that Oertha is pronounced "where the", as in "where the hell are we?"

Summits: Southern Oregon has lots of mountains.

Sun: The Climate.

My thanks to original writers of these letters: Arval d'Espas Nord, Lady Tireachan, Dorothea of Caer-Myddin, Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, Nicolaa de Bracton and comments from Master Talan Gwynek.

* the Rialto is the SCA Newsgroup on the Internet. (rec.org.sca)