the Barony of Castel Rouge

Below are the Laws of the Barony of Castel Rouge, as approved by Folkmoot on August 26^th, 2001, and read into Baronial Court on September 3^rd, 2001.

I. Introduction

1. The Barony of Castel Rouge is a chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. ("SCA"). As such, it is subject to the laws, policies, and regulations of the SCA, the Middle Kingdom, and the Principality of Northshield. In the event of a conflict, the laws of the SCA, the Kingdom, and the Principality shall take precedence over those of the Barony.
2. These laws shall be published in the Baronial newsletter and read aloud at Folkmoot at least once per year, and shall be kept posted on the Baronial web site.

II. Membership

1. To become a member of the Barony of Castel Rouge, one must attend 8 Baronial functions within a three month period, at least 6 of which must be Folkmoots. The other 2 may be Folkmoots, Baronial events, practices, guild meetings, collegiums, dessert revels, or other scheduled Baronial activities.
2. A former member who wishes to rejoin the Barony need only attend 6 Baronial functions within a two month period, at least 4 of which must be Folkmoots.
3. Upon fulfilling the membership requirements, a person shall become a member by declaring his/her eligibility and intent to join, either in person at a Folkmoot or in writing to the Seneschal. The granting of a membership is not subject to vote and cannot be refused if the requirements have been met.
4. Manitoba residents who wish to be members of the Barony, but are unable to attend Baronial functions on a regular basis due to distance, may petition the Barony to form a District.
   1. A District must consist of 4 or more Manitoba residents living within the same geographic area.
   2. The Baron, Baroness, and Seneschal of the Barony shall consult with the residents of the proposed District to decide its boundaries and membership requirements, and present it to the Folkmoot for approval.
   3. Any person who has met the membership requirements of a District shall be deemed a member of the Barony, and shall be granted all the rights and privileges of membership.
   4. A former member who wishes to rejoin the Barony within a District must fulfill the same requirements as new members of that District.
   5. A District is an extension of the Barony, and not an official branch of the SCA. As such, it cannot have its own officers; however, the Officers of the Barony may appoint deputies in a District to act as liaisons and to help serve the needs of its members.
5. In addition to the privilege of membership, members of the Barony have the following rights:
   1. To vote upon matters presented to the Folkmoot.
   2. To vote in polls on matters which concern the Barony as a whole, such as election of a Baron and Baroness, bidding for Crown Tourney, etc.
   3. To submit recommendations to the Baron and Baroness for any Baronial awards.
   4. To participate in Baronial activities.
6. Should a member attend no Baronial functions for a period of one year plus one day, their membership will lapse and their name will be removed from the membership list.
7. A membership list shall be created and maintained by the Baronial Seneschal or a designated deputy. This list shall be reviewed at the first Folkmoot in May of each year, to identify and remove any persons whose memberships have lapsed.

III. Baronial Council

1. The Baronial Council shall be made up of the following: the Baron and Baroness; all Officers of the Barony; and all Baronial members who are Peers, Court Barons or Baronesses, or the heads of Baronial Guilds.
2. The Great Officers of the Barony consist of those Baronial Officers whose positions correspond to those of the Kingdom's Great Officers of State.
3. Any additions or changes to the Baronial Council shall be discussed and approved by the Council before being submitted to a vote of the Populace.
4. The Seneschal shall maintain a list of Council Members and keep it available for consultation.
5. The term of office shall be 5 years for the Baron and Baroness, and 2 years for all other Baronial Officers. When an officer's term is about to expire, an election shall be held for that office. The officer currently serving may seek re-election if he/she wishes. There is no limit to the number of terms a person may serve in the same office.
6. Each member of the Council will receive only one vote in any Council decision, regardless of the number of offices, positions, or titles he/she may hold.
7. Great Officers are required to attend at least one Folkmoot every month.
8. The Seneschal shall attend and chair all Folkmoots, or appoint a deputy to do so in his/her absence.
9. The Chatelaine or a designated representative must attend all Folkmoots.
10. An annual Baronial Council meeting shall be held at the beginning of March. At this meeting the Officers shall present summaries of their annual Doomsday Reports and discuss activities in their areas of responsibility.
11. Additional Council meetings should be held at least once every three months.
12. Any Council member may request a meeting of the Baronial Council. A meeting will be scheduled and announced as soon as possible after the request is made.
13. A Council meeting may be held at any time or place without advance notice if at least 50% of the Council members are present.
14. Council meetings shall be open to all Baronial members and guests of the Barony.

IV. Autocrats and Events

1. Any Baronial member wishing to organize an official event may present a proposal to the Folkmoot. The proposal must include a description of the theme, activities, and location of the proposed event.
2. Event proposals must be submitted and voted upon at least 6 months prior to the proposed date of the event.
3. The autocrat in charge of an event must be a paid member of the SCA at the time of the event. The autocrat may have deputies to assist with the organization of the event, but these deputies are not required to be SCA members.
4. The autocrat must have previous experience as an autocrat or deputy autocrat, or have a deputy autocrat who has such experience.
5. The autocrat in charge of an event or a designated deputy must attend the 4 Folkmoots immediately preceding the reservation deadline for the event, to report on the status and to accept reservations.
6. If the autocrat and his/her deputy are deemed to be failing in their duties, the Seneshal shall take any action necessary to ensure that the event takes place as scheduled.
7. The autocrat shall turn over to the Exchequer all expense receipts and a detailed record of all income & expenses for the event no later than 2 weeks after the event. Any outstanding expense receipts must be turned in to the Exchequer no later than 6 weeks after the event.
8. Smoking shall not be allowed at Baronial events and functions, except in designated areas.

V. Voting Procedures

1. The following matters must be announced and open for discussion at a minimum of 3 Folkmoots before it is voted upon:
   • election of Baron and Baroness;
   • election of officers;
   • bids or proposals for an official event;
   • establishment of or changes to Districts;
   • changes to the laws of the Barony.
2. Other matters may be voted upon at Folkmoot without prior announcement.
3. For elections and event proposals, the candidates or prospective autocrats shall leave the room while the vote is taken.
4. Voting shall be conducted by either a show of hands or by written ballot, at the discretion of the seneschal.
5. The matter being voted upon shall be decided in favor of the choice which receives a majority of the votes cast. If none of the available choices is able to get a majority of the votes at that Folkmoot, the matter shall be voted upon again at the next Folkmoot.
6. When a vote is held to decide between two or more competing event proposals, each member may vote in favor of any one or more of the proposals of which he/she approves, or cast a single vote against all the proposals. The vote shall be decided in favor of the option which receives the highest number of votes, provided that number represents a majority of the people voting.

VI. Baronial Courts

1. The Baron and/or Baroness may hold a Baronial Court at any Baronial events and functions, at their own discretion.
2. All business for Baronial Court is subject to the approval of the Baron and/or Baroness.

VII. Order of the Snowflake

1. There shall be a Baronial Award called "L'Ordre du Flocon de Neige", commonly referred to as "The Order of the Snowflake."
2. This Award shall be given once each year to the individual deemed to have performed the greatest service to the Barony during the preceeding year.
3. The Baron and Baroness shall choose the recipient based on recommendations received from the populace.
4. The Award shall be presented in Baronial Court at the Barony's Fall event.
5. The most recent recipient of the Award shall be known as the Principal of the Order, and may wear the ceremonial medallion signifying the position for a period of one year.
6. Recipients of the Award may wear a medallion or badge emblazoned: "On a tower gules, a snowflake argent".
7. An honor roll listing the recipients of this Award shall be maintained by the Baronial Pursuivant or a deputy.

VIII. Finances

1. Event site rental fees greater than $500 must be approved by a meeting of the Baronial Council and ratified by a Folkmoot. Amounts below this limit are deemed to be automatically approved when the event proposal is accepted.
2. Any expenditure of more than $100, other than event site rental fees, must be approved by by a meeting of the Baronial Council and ratified by a Folkmoot.
3. All other significant expenditures should be approved by a Folkmoot.
4. The Exchequer may appoint special deputies for the purpose of collecting and handling monies for any Baronial activity or endeavor, such as event fees, Chronicle subscriptions, and fund-raising projects.
5. The Exchequer will work with the autocrats of Baronial events to ensure that proper financial planning is in place for those events.
6. The Exchequer shall present a financial report to the Folkmoot once every three months, and the year-end report shall also be published in the Chronicle.
7. The Exchequer shall be prepared to give a summary of the Barony's financial status whenever requested by the Council or Folkmoot.
8. The Exchequer shall inform the Baronial Council and the Folkmoot if the monies in the Baronial accounts drops below $1,000.

IX. Guilds

1. Members of the Barony may form Guilds to promote the study and practice of a specific Art, Science, or other interest.
2. To be recognized, guilds within the Barony must present a Charter for the approval of the Baron and Baroness.
3. The head of a guild shall be chosen by the members of the guild, subject to the approval of the Baron and Baroness.
4. Organization and ranking within a guild will be as specified by the guild's Charter.