This list concentrates on the likely positives (a solutions-focused appraisal); negatives that have been raised are discussed in greater detail in other FAQ items.
A Principality could help us strategically by:
- giving us some clear local leadership and strategic direction
- allowing a better cultural fit and a stronger sense of regional identity
- providing a mandate for national development for better support and growth, with the support of local high-level Officers; currently there is no mandate or staffing to do this at a national level, which is actively hampering growth
- enabling a closer focus on the needs and opportunities of the individual groups, while recognising their specific and unique situations
- updating our governance structures to reflect the growth we have had in trebling our membership since 2004
- giving smaller groups (e.g. Hamlets) a chance to develop and shine by having the ability to host Coronet events as well as Crown events
- better insulating us from non-relevant laws and strictures which come out of a different national and legal framework
- reducing carbon offsets by reducing travel distances for available Royalty
- providing added local support in a post-COVID world where there is have been some flow-on effects from habituation to physical distancing, social media fracturing communications and souring relationships, some economic hardship, reduced participation etc.
- and if we continue to grow well as a Principality, Kingdom status may well eventually beckon, as it did over 20 years ago for the Principality of Lochac
At present, there isn't anyone who can speak, act, support and plan for us collectively, the way a Principality Seneschal and their fellow officers would. There isn't anyone who can inspire, motivate, reward and defend our NZ-wide populace, the way a Coronet could. - Master Bartholomew Baskin OP (former Kingdom Seneschal, SCANZ Treasurer & Landed Baron)
A Principality could improve our in-game experience by:
- giving us local representation and inspiration with local, known Royalty (so far, no Kiwi Crowns in 18 years of belonging to the Kingdom) - this changed in 2023
- allowing greater opportunity for Royal pageantry and interaction, specially for those NZ groups which very rarely get a Crown visit
- creating greater equity among NZ groups by spreading Royal activity and enabling better access to Royalty (Southron Gaard is highly over-represented in current Crown visits; this inequity creates a number of problems in principle and practice)
- grow greater confidence and experience in newer local groups through handling Coronet events to be able to consider bidding for Crown events (works to help both smaller groups and also newer stewarding teams in the well-established groups)
- making a Royal role more attractive and attainable locally, through having significantly-reduced financial, energy and logistical demands compared to Crown
- creating interest among participants who would not normally consider (or even be able to consider) a tilt for Crown itself
- giving artisans a high-level arena to showcase their skills and see their work actively used and appreciated at Royal level (most currently goes overseas)
- reducing long delays in recognition, and making recognition more personal through stronger social contacts via Principality awards (current Kingdom awards tend to be made once a year in NZ, often mostly at Canterbury Faire in Southron Gaard)
- providing the chance for more coherent interaction (fun!) with other parts of the Kingdom via a regional figurehead and in-game play
- enabling us to emphasise those elements of SCA culture and practice that appeal most to our members, creating and reinforcing traditions that might differ from the dominant culture and default practices across the Tasman
- boosting and supporting the designated selection combat form/s (if it's still combat) by example of participation and the appeal of the Coronet
- providing a stepping stone for combatants who feel they need that to improve their skills and work their way up towards entering a full Crown Tournament
- potentially supporting an Alternative Selection Process for greater franchise and engagement (more on this below); successful implementation could provide an acceptable model for a more inclusive, stronger future for Lochac and the entire Known World
A Principality could encourage improved administration by:
- enabling administrative independence to better meet local laws, conditions and/or culture
- lessening the administrative burden and costs on Kingdom by spreading the load and reducing managerial complexities (Kingdom Officers typically have around 30 subordinates to deal with, across 4 or 5 hours in time-zones, three national legal jurisdictions and eight state- or territory-based ones.)
- reducing the chances of administrative friction and unwanted side-effects from Crown/Kingdom-level decisions which adversely or inappropriately affect local groups. That is, more chance to successfully head poor decisions off at the pass; this is becoming more of a concern as the Kingdom grows and gets harder to manage
- addressing increasing complexity and demands as a result of mundane law changes
- enabling better Officer awareness of local conditions, personalities and operations
- countering the relative drop in weight or numbers and influence for New Zealanders resulting from growth in Australian groups (a form of “tyranny of distance”)
- allowing the NZ populace more mid-level service opportunities, without having to deal with a different set of national laws, requirements, cultural habits and assumptions that a Kingdom-wide role generally requires
- providing new challenges and opportunities, which may re-excite some long-established/experienced members who don't want to take on the major challenge of Kingdom-wide roles
- allowing us to establish Principality laws paralleled by amendments to Kingdom Law to give us more in-game autonomy and much more administrative clarity
- more appropriate alignment with the real-world differences between NZ and Australian jurisdictions, offering automatic recognition of those differences
- better insulating us from carelessness, poor administration or issues that are peculiar to the Australian context, letting us concentrate on our own local issues and mundane/legal context
- allowing greater opportunities for locally-active and knowledgeable people to provide pastoral care to group officers: specifically helping resolve small issues before they become big ones, aiding cross-pollination, coming up with ideas for sharing our resources for better results, providing encouragement and planning