Working groups
There are currently four groups of volunteers doing further work as need and interest arises - follow the links below to see relevant information, including how to join their mailing lists:
Things to think about, arguments in favour of or against forming a Principality
NZ Principality - where are we now
The late-2023 informal survey showed continued support for the idea of forming an NZ Principality. It also captured the level of enthusiasm for the idea, with just under 14% being notably opposed, more than a third only mildly pro or con, with the remaining 51% being enthusiastic.
The net result was an "enthusiasm score" of 68%, with over 80% of respondents at least mildly in favour.
Lottery-Champion format - a more inclusive way forward?
One of the outcomes of the Champion format discussion in late 2023 was this variation proposed by William and Katherina:
Short version:
People who want to reign and people who want to fight are paired up randomly, up to the number of fighters participating (we’re likely to have more people wanting to reign than able to fight)
That makes it more inclusive, but it could result in some awkward situations, so:
2023 Informal Survey Results
See also: 2020 Survey Results
An informal survey ran for two weeks up to Christmas 2023. At the time, SCANZ had just under 250 subscribing members; the survey had 137 NZ responses, coming from every NZ group and hamlet. Group proportions roughly corresponded to their current SCANZ membership count, with moderate over-representation from Ildhafn City and slightly under from Cluain and Southron Gaard.
Heraldic Gallery - 2023
Below are three potential names and five potential devices which the Heraldry Working Group have selected and refined from a much larger pool of ideas. Each comes with some explanation of why it was chosen.
The main thing to consider for a group name is how it sounds, as you would be hearing any Principality name a lot - "Long Live <name>!" and so on.
"Champion" selection format - a way forward? - Nov '23
Discussions at Cluain's Labour Weekend event in 2023 and subsequently examined the merits of the "Champion" format for selecting the P&P (local rulers) of a future Principality. This is a format initially proposed by Count Henri in 2020, where an armoured combatant ("heavy") fights in a Coronet tournament for two patrons who would become P&P if the fighter wins.
Officer Roles and Staffing Them
One of the most common questions raised about forming an NZ Principality is how we staff it. That's because we'd have to fill six Greater Offices and somewhere between zero to four Lesser Offices.
The offices are:
Greater (all required): Seneschal, Herald, Marshal, A&S, Exchequer, Chronicler
Lesser: Hospitaller, Keeper of Regalia, Historian, Web Minister
A Principality could also have a Constable, Chirurgeon and its own Provost of Scribes; in each case there are fairly good reasons why we probably wouldn't.
Alternate Selection - Why Us, Why Now?
Bartholomew, April 2021
When the NZ Principality idea surfaced in 2019, I didn't expect that an Alternate Selection Process (ASP) for the Coronet would become the major theme of the push.
But it certainly has. There are plenty of other reasons to favour a Principality, but a great many people also saw it as an opportunity to try shift the dial on how the SCA chooses its figureheads - even if only in our part of the Known World.
Laws
Like all other NZ groups, an NZ Principality would be subject to local NZ laws - including all SCANZ financial policies and management - and to Kingdom Law. However, it would require its own set of Principality Laws to describe, for example, how it runs Coronet selection events, how it funds its own fairly limited operational costs, what awards it might have, and so on.
Coronet Selection
For nearly 60 years, the SCA has always chosen its Coronets and Crowns via an armoured combat tournament. The possibility of a different coronet selection process - quite possibly a range of them - is deeply interesting to many NZ SCAdians and has already generated many ideas and discussions.