The Corpora: being a body of decisions and rulings made by the Board of Directors of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Incorporated, for use by said Board of Directors, the Officers of said corporation, those to whom they may delegate authority, and any and all who may have reason to have dealings with said Corporation, its Board of Directors, its Officers, and those to whom authority may be delegated within its framework.
No decision or ruling contained herein should be construed in any way to affect, effect, or alter in any way the Bylaws of the above mentioned Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., nor to abridge in any way the power and authority of said Bylaws; although some rulings and decisions may be regarded as interpretations of said Bylaws.
All rulings and decisions contained herein should be considered as directives by the above-mentioned Board of Directors of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Incorporated, and should be followed scrupulously until such time as said directive may be altered by the Board of Directors of the Society, or unless specific exception is granted by said Board of Directors in writing.
(Class E? Class E is the nobility. This is corrected in a later amendment.)
It is therefore the decision of the Board of Directors of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., that henceforth all officers within a Kingdom shall have and maintain Class E membership in the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., i.e., subscription to the Mailing List of the Society, and that non-subscription of (sic) lapsing of said subscription shall be considered sufficient grounds for dismissal from any post whatsoever.
It is the feeling of the Board of Directors that any person sufficiently interested in the Society to accept the responsibilities of an office and to carry out those responsibilities satisfactorily will be able in good conscience to part with the small sum required for said Class E membership. It is left to the discretion of the officers of the Kingdom (the great lords of State) whether a King shall pay his own subscription or whether the Royal treasury shall provide such monies. It is also left to the ingenuity of the local populace whether those who work hard but who have little money shall be removed from office or provided for through the myriad forms of fund raising available to the clever, and/or intelligent, those two qualities respectively assigned to the peasantry and the nobility.
(The origin of another major point of friction: the requirement that officers should be members. It should be noted that the original rule didn't have all that much to do with patriotism, as is sometimes asserted -- it was simply a way to save postage...)
It is therefore the decision of the Board of Directors of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., that all previously established criteria for the creation of a Kingdom within the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., shall be considered to be only minimums, and that the fulfillment of those criteria shall be considered only as minimums for the creation of a full Kingdom, and that the fulfillment of those criteria shall not be considered in any way as sufficient grounds for the establishment of a Kingdom within the Society, nor shall the fulfillment of those criteria be regarded as binding upon the Board of Directors of the Society, or its Officers, nor upon any other duly designated authority of the Society, in such a way as to require that Board of Directors, those officers, or those duly delegated authorities, that a Kingdom be created or established.
It is further the decision of the Board of Directors of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., that any and all applications for change of status of any branch of the Society shall be duly considered on the basis of the merits of the individual application for alteration of status, and upon the evidence and opinions submitted with said application, and upon such opinions and evidence as may be solicited by the above mentioned Board of Directors of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., its officers, and other duly delegated authorities.
(What caused this? I've heard rumors that it was in response to Atenveldt's creation, but nothing solid. Note that this leaves *no* solid guidelines of how to become a Kingdom. Also, *all* branches have to be approved by BoD, the source of a fair amount of bureaucracy all the way up the chain.)
(From here on, I'm going to abbreviate "Board of Directors" to "BoD", and "Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc." to "SCA".)
It is not the intention of the BoD of the Society to open the ranks of the Nobility to anyone and everyone who subscribes to the Mailing List. Nor is it their intention to require all members of the Nobility, as defined in the By-Laws, to become Subscribers (as some may be married to each other, for instance), though it would be nice.
Therefore, wherever in Volume One, Entry number Two, reference is made to "Class E Membership," please correct the mention to read "Class G Membership"; which is, in fact, Subscription to the Mailing List of the SCA.
A: The head of the College of Heralds of the SCA is the King of Arms of the Society. For further definitions of his duties, powers, and responsibilities, see the By-Laws of the Society.
B: By direction of the King of Arms, and with the approval of the BoD of the Society, the College of Heralds is henceforth divided into two parts; to wit, the College of Heralds and the College of Arms.
C: The College of Heralds shall consist of the King of Arms, the Chief Herald of each of the various Kingdoms, and all other Heralds who may function as Heralds throughout the Society: at the discretion of the King of Arms, of the Kings of the various Kingdoms, and of the Chief Heralds of the various Kingdoms, and of the BoD of the SCA.
D: The College of Arms shall consist of the King of Arms and the Chief Herald of each of the various Kingdoms.
E: The Chief Herald of each Kingdom may appoint assistants to help him with the work of the College of Arms; subject to the approval of the King of Arms, etc.
F: The King of Arms of the Society, with regard to his functioning as the head of the College of Arms, and with regard to his other functions, shall be known by the specific nominative "Laurel King of Arms."
G: The Chief Heralds of the various Kingdoms shall be known by the following specific nominatives, such names being chosen on the basis of tradition in the various Kingdoms.
I: Other nominatives and chairs of the College may be added at such time as new Kings may ascend new thrones.
J: The duties of the Laurel King of Arms with regard to the College of Arms are as follows:
(1) He shall preside over all meetings of the College of Arms, although he may delegate this responsibility at such times as he may see fit.
(2) He shall maintain records of arms and devices in such manner as is defined in the By-Laws of the Society.
(3) He shall peruse all arms and devices submitted to him through the College for registration, and he shall give final approval or disapproval as to their qualification. His word on the matter shall be considered final.
(4) He shall give notification of approval or disapproval of arms and devices submitted to him, and he shall see that the arms and devices which he approves are placed in his files, thereby going on record with the Society as unique and original.
K: The duties of the Chief Herald of each of the various Kingdoms, with regard to the College of Arms, are as follows:
(1) He shall peruse all arms and devices which are to be submitted to the College of Arms of the Society as may originate in the Kingdom of which he is the Chief Herald. He shall screen such prospective arms and devices as to their acceptability to the College, as well as to their suitability with regard to the Society's aims and concerns, and he shall accept for submission to the College those whic he feels will be approved: and he shall reject those which he feels will not be accepted, notifying the petitioner at the time of rejection of the reasons for rejection; and advising the petitioner of such steps as may be taken to make the arms or device in question acceptable, if that is possible.
(2) He shall submit such arms and devices as have survived his scrutiny to the College of Arms, such submission to take the following form: He shall submit to Lord Laurel King of Arms a fully emblazoned and blazoned copy of the arms or device, this to be done on the proper forms; which have already been defined and executed elsewhere. He shall then submit to the other members of the College (the Chief Heralds of the other Kingdoms) a copy of the blazon of said arms or device.
(3) He shall peruse and scrutinize such blazons as are submitted to him by the other members of the College, bringing to bear his full knowledge upon the matter. If the individual blazon thus submitted meets with his approval, he shall do nothing. But if the individual blazon does not meet with his approval he shall put down in writing his reasons for so disapproving, along with any evidence he may feel necessary for substantiation, and he shall send these to the Lord Laurel King no more than thirty days from the postmark date of the material submitted to him.
(This is very specific; doesn't it more properly belong in the CoA policies? Why was this written into Corpora? A question for some research -- how long did it take for people to start grasping the difference between Law and Policy?)
L: The Chief Herald of each Kingdom shall be so appointed by his King, but with the approval of the Laurel King of Arms. Such approval or disapproval shall be based solely on the competence of the above- mentioned Chief Herald to perform his duties as defined with regard to the College of Arms, but subject, as are all matter pertaining to the SCA, to the discretion of the BoD of the SCA.
The Board has deliberated upon this matter.
[Whereas; if a man knows that he is being attacked, it is possible that he may be struck from behind because he is unable to guard the attack sufficiently. In such a case it is judged that he will probably be, at the very least, prepared for the blow he receives.
[Whereas; if a man does not know that he is being attacked, it seems probably that he will not be prepared for any blow he receives.
[Whereas; if a man is not aware of impending attack, he may inadvertantly move in such a way as to expose to danger angles or portions of his body which are not normally exposed to such danger.
[Whereas; if the attacker aims a blow at a certain angle or portion of his opponent's body, and the opponent, unaware that he is being attacked, moves; the attacker may deliver a blow such as he would not normally attempt.
[Whereas; more injury is caused in the practice of this sport by mistake than by deliberation.
[Whereas; attacking from behind is conducive to making such mistakes as may be regarded inordinantly (sic) dangerous.
[And Whereas; attacking a man without giving him any warning, and without giving him the opportunity to defend himself, may be considered to be Ambush.
[And Whereas; Ambush is the act of a craven, not of an honest, noble, brave, or chivalrous man.
It is the decision of the BoD of the SCA, that:
[A] "Attacking from Behind" is constituted by attacking an opponent in such a way that he is not aware of the fact that he is being attacked.
[B] "Attacking from Behind" is unchivalrous and ungentlemanly behaviour, and as such is in violation of the Rules of the Lists of the SCA.
(Obviously, this rule didn't last forever. How long did it last? Many Kingdoms have attack-from-behind today; did any ever stop on account of this rule?)
Fighters may be elevated to the rank of knight or master at the pleasure of the King, subject to the following regulations. If these regulations are not complied with, the elevation shall be subject to suit in the Court of Chivalry, which may then submit to the Board of Directors its opinion as to whether the elevation should be allowed to stand.
1. When a candidate for the rank of knight or master has been approved by the King, the King shall call together all knights and masters present, if it be at a tournament or other event, or by telephone or letter attempt to discover the opinion of all those of this rank as to whether the candidate has fulfilled the requirements listed below. He may also seek other opinions if he considers it necessary.
2. Requirements:
a. Prowess -- the candidate must be considered the equal of his prospective peers with the basic weapons of tournament combat, namely the roundshield and heater and broadsword and mace, and competent in the use of the other weapons commonly used in the lists.
b. Loyalty -- the candidate shall have been obedient to the By-Laws, the Rules of the Lists, and the laws of his Kingdom, and shall have consistently shown respect to the crown and to its wearers. He shall have demonstrated his support to the ideals of the Society be being as authentic in dress, equipment, and behaviour as has been within his power. Before receiving the accolade, he shall give his word to continue to fulfill the requirements set forth in this article, to seek to increase his skills, and to train any squires or other dependents he may have to do likewise, as far as may be within his power.
c. Courtoisie -- the candidate shall have displayed the following virtues:
1) Truthfulness -- a gentleman does not lie or break his word.
2) Generosity -- a gentleman gives his opponent the benefit of the doubt when on the field, does not repeat gossip, is willing to share his knowledge and impart his skills, and practices hospitality according to his means.
3) Restraint -- a gentleman is always self-controlled; he can afford to speak softly and politely and keep calm because he is strong.
4) Gallantry -- a gentleman always remembers that his lady is the inspiration of all honor, and respects all ladies for her sake.
5) Courtliness -- a gentleman strives to learn and practice those manners and skills which will make him worthy of a civilized court. He displays a knowledge of courtly etiquette and proper forms of address, and is acquainted with all and able to practice at least one of the following:
b) Music -- identify common period instruments played at court.
c) Literature --tell a medieval tale.
d) Chess -- identify the pieces and recognize the basic moves.
e) Heraldry -- blazon own arms and identify common heraldic terms.
b) Music -- play an instrument or sing in the manner of the period.
c) Literature --compose and/or perform poetry and/or drama in the manner of the period.
d) Chess -- play the game.
e) Heraldry -- blazon the arms of all nobility at court.
(Yes, it's a laundry list! While I rather wish that all Peers had the above qualities, I'm still a bit appalled at the merit-badge approach to the Peerage.)
These requirements are not to be considered retroactive, however all present holders of this rank are expected to attempt to remedy any deficiencies they may have. It is the duty of the Kingdom to offer instruction in all the arts and skills required via tutoring, classes held by an appropriate officer of the Kingdom, etc.
Requirements for elevation to the Order of the Laurel:
Subjects may be elevated to the rank of Master or Mistress of the Laurel at the pleasure of the King, subject to the following regulations. If these regulations are not complied with the elevation shall be liable to suit in a special court to be convened by the Master or Mistress of Arts, and presided over by him or her, and to include the Seneschal or Legal Advisor, the Herald, the Guildmaster, if any, any others whose knowledge the president of the Court deems necessary, which may then submit to the Board of Directors its opinion as to whether the elevation should be allowed to stand.
1. (Same as for knights/masters, with Master or Mistress of the Laurel substituted in.)
2. (No "Requirements" heading given here.)
a. Achievement -- the candidate must have attained the standard of excellence equal to that of his prospective peers in some art, skill, or area of knowledge, and have made this art, skill, or knowledge available for the service and instruction of the Kingdom, above and beyond that expected of S.C.A. members.
(Note that this appears to imply that Laurels should be specialists in at least one category. This is at odds with practice in at least some areas, where the Laurel can be given more for overall artistic acumen.)
b. Loyalty -- the candidate shall have been obedient to to By-Laws and the Laws of his Kingdom, and shall have consistently shown respect to the Crown and its wearers. He shall have demonstrated his support of the ideals of the Society by being as authentic in dress and equipment as has been within his power. Before receiving the Order, he shall give his word to continue to fulfill the requirements set forth in this article, to seek to increase his skills and disseminate them within the Kingdom, and to train any dependents he may have to do likewise, as far as may be within his power.
(Note two subtle differences from knights/masters. 1) Laurels do not have to be authentic in "behaviour". 2) Laurels have to disseminate their skills, not just improve them.)
c. Courtoisie -- the candidate shall have displayed the following virtues:
1) Truthfulness -- a gentleman or lady does not lie or break his or her word.
2) Generosity -- a gentleman or lady does not repeat gossip, and practices hospitality according to his or her means.
(Note that it doesn't require teaching here, presumably because this is covered above.)
3) Restraint -- a gentleman or lady is always self-controlled; he or she can afford to speak softly and politely and keep calm because his or her character will always assure him of (sic) her a defender. (Contrast with "because he is strong" in knights/masters.)
4) Gallantry -- a gentleman always remembers that his lady is the inspiration of all achievement, and respects all aldies(sic) for her sake. A lady is always mindful of her responsibility to remain worthy of this respect.
5) Courtliness -- a gentleman or lady strives to learn and practice those skills and manner which will make him or her worthy of a civilized court. He or she displays a knowledge of courtly etiquette and proper forms of address, and is acquainted with all and able to practice at least one of the following in addition ot (sic) the art or skill for which he or she was granted the order:
(Same list as for knights/masters, with the additions:)
These requirements are not to be considered retroactive (etc. -- same as knights/masters).
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Point of Clarification.
Although it is a King who bears the responsibility in the creation of a knight, only a knight can create a knight. Therefore, if the King should, for some reason, not be a knight (as in the case that he should be a master) the sword with which the knew (sic) knight is given the accolade must be held in the hand of one who is a knight; the King's hand may then be clasped over the hand of the knight who is actually passing on this succession.
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Although reproduction of any part of the Corpora is forbidden by Law without the consent and permission in writing of the BoD of the SCA (yes, I know that this is illegal -- I'm assuming that no one much cares any more), it is considered by the above-mentioned Board that the Corpora will better fulfill its function if the information contained therein is disseminated in a fashion appropriate to the structures and goals of the Society.
Therefore does the BoD direct the Seneschal of each of the various Kingdoms to see that the Corpora is proclaimed in part by the Herald of each of the various Kingdoms, this proclamation to take the following form.
(The italics in the next paragraph are from the original.)
That the complete text of the Corpora up to this point, i.e., from the beginning of the Corpora through the text of Volume One, Entry Number Seven, be proclaimed by the Herald at the next immediate event officially scheduled by his Kingdom; and that all succeeding rulings and entries be proclaimed at such events as may follow the Seneschal's receipt of notice that such rulings and entries have been made.
To further clarify: this proclamation shall take the form of a public reading aloud of the Corpora, and shall not in any case take any other form; most specifically shall it not take any written or printed form.
The public reading of this material shall take place once, and once only. The assembled populace is expected to pay attention to what the King's Herald says. Those who miss the event at which the proclamation occurs may consult the Seneschal, those who do not pay courtesy and attention may purchase a copy of the Corpora at the end of the year.
(Boy, this one must have made for business almost as interesting as watching the Eastrealm Peers swear fealty...)
HENCEFORTH, All matters to be considered by the BoD of the SCA must be submitted in triplicate, at least Fifteen days before the next meeting of the Board; in order that the Members of the Board may have time to consider such matters fairly and consult any authorities said Members may feel in need of consulting.
Matters submitted for the consideration of the Board should be typed, double-spaced, on white paper eight and one half inches wide, by eleven inches long, with print on one side only.
Exceptions to this Rule may be made, but only in the most exceptional of circumstances.
HENCEFORTH, All Meetings of the BoD of the SCA, shall be recorded on magnetic tape in their entirety. Further, All decisions shall be recorded, along with the names of which members voted in which ways, in the minutes.
(Note that the init-capped "All"s are that way in the original. This ruling is rather amusing, considering that today the Board absolutely forbids taping Board meetings...)
A schedule of Meetings shall be established at the last Meeting of each year, such schedule to govern the Meetings of the Board in the coming year. Such schedule is not to be inviolable, but alterable only upon special notice.
All the Members of the Board shall be notified of such Meetings of the Board by Registered, Return Receipt Mail, such notification to be mailed two weeks before the Meeting is to take place. -- In the event of a change of schedule, the same notification shall be given.
The Position of Librarian and Archivist is hereby created.
The duties of the Librarian and Archivist shall be to Keep and Build a Library of Books, Pictures, Recordings, Motion Picture Films, and so forth, for the Purpose of Research into Pre- Seventeenth Century Western European Culture; and to Maintain the Archives of the SCA.
(Geez; I thought I liked to use init-cap too much...)
A flat fee of $5.00 is hereby authorized for 'additional copies' of the Mailing List.
This is not to be construed in any way as the sale of this Mailing List, or authorization of unauthorized personnel to view the Mailing List. It merely authorizes the Chronicler of the Society to levy a fee of $5.00 for any copy of the Mailing List which must be run in addition to those copies run for regularly scheduled publications: such as special mailings due to late submission of material, or special mailings which the Society may make in cooperation with other educational institutions.
Said fee is to be used exclusively for the expenses incurred by the Mailing Clerk in running said extra copies.
The BoD formally recognizes the Creation, by the Lord Laurel King of Arms, of the Office of the Marshall of the Society; and recognizes and approves the Office's jurisdiction over matters concerning the Marshalling of Society Events; and the manner and conduct of duties by Marshalls throughout the Society: Subject, as always, to the discretion of the Board.
The Board hereby grants the Office of the Chronicler of the Society permissions to reprint, in Tournaments Illuminated, the Criteria for Knighthood and Mastery, printed first in Volume One of the Corpora; this permission subject to the usual restraints with regard to copyright notice.
The Board further grants the Chronicler of the Society permission to run extra copies of these Criteria, so that they may be constantly available from Society Headquarters.
(A) The BoD of the SCA, also known as the Council of Imperial Electors, explicitly reserves unto itself the sole and exclusive right to determine:
1) What territorial or administrative subdivisions of the Society shall exist, and how they shall be named or designated.
2) Who shall exercise authority within the various subdivisions of the Society, what rights, power and authority they may have or exercise, and what titles, appelations or designations they may assume.
Matters of the determination of subdivisions and the authority of the officers of such subdivisions shall be handled by the Imperial Chancery, in the person of the Steward, with the advice and consent of the Council of Electors.
Matters of the determination of names, titles, designations and appelations shall be handled by the Imperial College of Arms, in the person of the Laurel King of Arms.
3) What publications, statements or documents may be issued by, in (sic) behalf of, or in the name of the Society or any of its subdivisions.
Maters (sic) of the determination of issuance of publications and documents shall be handled by the Imperial Chancery in the person of the Chronicler.
(B) All other persons or officers of the Society are specifically forbidden to exercise such right or authority without the written approval of the above mentioned officers.
(The Board started catching a substantial amount of flak around this time. Many people decided that "The Imperial Electors" had gotten a bit too full of themselves, and a lot of heat was exchanged. In the end, the Board stopped using that designation, and to this day you can get some dirty looks by calling the Board "The Imperium"...)