Chronicler in Society Policy
See the Society Chronicler’s Policy document from the SCA Inc website.
Chronicler in the Kingdom Book of Laws
Kingdom Law states the following, concerning the duties and responsibilities of the Kingdom Chronicler:
5.06.6. Kingdom Chronicler
5.06.6.1 Shall supervise all official publishing activities of the Kingdom and shall be the editor of (or supervise the editor of) the Kingdom publication, which shall be called the Dragon’s Tale. The Dragon’s Tale will carry all required announcements and notices of official events, Kingdom Laws, and the like.
5.06.6.2 Shall maintain a bank account solely for Chronicler funds.
5.06.6.3 The Kingdom Chronicler is responsible for the content of the Kingdom of Drachenwald website on the World Wide Web. Website hosting is an expense of the Kingdom.
Drachenwald Chronicler Policies
Duties of the Chronicler
- Dragon’s Tale: the Kingdom Chronicler shall supervise all official publishing activities of the Kingdom and shall be the editor of (or supervise the editor of) the Kingdom publication, which shall be called the Dragon’s Tale. The Dragon’s Tale will carry all required announcements and notices of official events, Kingdom Laws, and the like. 1.1. The Kingdom Chronicler is responsible for publishing and mailing all other Kingdom publications as directed by Their Majesties. This includes but is not limited to: The Book of Laws, the Order of Precedence, Officer policies, Kingdom Census. 1.2. The Kingdom Chronicler is responsible for the content of the Dragon’s Tale Homepage on the World Wide Web. The maintenance of this site is delegated to the kingdom Web Minister (or special deputy appointed by the Kingdom Chronicler for this purpose.)
- Advice to Crown: it is the duty of the Kingdom Chronicler to give advice to Their Majesties and the Kingdom Seneschal on matters pertaining to the Chronicler’s Office.
- Deputies and subordinates: the Kingdom Chronicler is responsible for supervising the activities of his/her deputies and subordinate officers which include the Drachenwald Historian, the Kingdom Web Minister, and any other deputies the Kingdom Chronicler appoints. 3.1. The Kingdom Chronicler is responsible for warranting the Kingdom Web Minister and all local group chroniclers; and monitoring their publications for compliance with these policies and other applicable SCA governing documents. 3.2. Group Chroniclers are issued individual warrants for each term by the Kingdom Chronicler. In turn, the group Chroniclers are responsible for warranting their group Web Minister. A term of office is two calendar years and may be renewed at the end of each term. There is no limit to the number of consecutive terms the office may be held provided the Chronicler wishes to remain in office and continues to have the support of the Kingdom Chronicler, local seneschal and local group. Warrants for group Chroniclers will be mailed or e-mailed by the Kingdom Chronicler to the group Chronicler and group Seneschal. A list of warranted officers will be submitted to the Crown for approval at least once during each reign. 3.3. The following items must be received by the Kingdom Chronicler before a warrant will be issued (this should be done within 60 days of a new Chronicler taking the Kingdom Office or a change in the Group Chronicler): a. A letter from the group’s seneschal confirming that the applicant is acceptable to the group. b. A letter from the applicant expressing their desire to be warranted. This letter must include: i. Group Name (i.e. Shire of…) ii. Name of Publication iii. Frequency of Publication (monthly for Baronies and either bimonthly or quarterly for smaller groups.) iv. Applicant’s SCA Name v. Applicant’s Mundane Name vi. Applicant’s SCA membership number and expiration date vii. Applicant’s address, telephone number and e-mail address.
- Archival copies: no less than once per year, the Kingdom Chronicler will provide the Kingdom Archivist with the complimentary copies of newsletters from other kingdoms and from the groups within the Kingdom of Drachenwald.
- Financial matters: the Kingdom Chronicler shall maintain a bank account solely for Chronicler fund 5.1. It is the duty of the Kingdom Chronicler to maintain accurate financial records of all expenditures and income. This includes dealings with the postal system and maintaining a checking account for newsletter expenditures. Quarterly reports will be submitted to the Society Exchequer with copies provided to the Society Chronicler, Kingdom Seneschal and Kingdom Exchequer. The format of these reports is determined by the Society Exchequer. A deputy may be appointed to handle these matters, however the Kingdom Chronicler is still ultimately responsible for the timeliness and accuracy of the reports.
- Submissions may be sent in hard copy form through the mail or, by preference, e-mailed to the Chronicler at the e-mail address noted in the front of the Dragon’s Tale.
6.1. All dates must be confirmed with the Deputy Kingdom Seneschal for the Calendar before sending an event announcement to the Kingdom Chronicler for inclusion in the Dragon’s Tale.
6.2. All submissions for the Dragon’s Tale must be in the Chronicler’s hands by the 25th of the month two months before the issue cover date. (Example. Deadline for the March issue is January 25. The March issue is mailed in February to be received by the beginning of March.) 6.3. Printing of event announcements is an important function of the Dragon’s Tale. The event announcements for official events which occur during the publication month and the month following will be included in an issue. Other event announcements (which include announcements for unofficial events) are included on a space available basis. (For example: For the January issue of the Dragon’s Tale, all January and February events will be included. Any event scheduled after the end of February may not be included if there are space restrictions.) While this is not a normal occurrence, it may happen on occasion with special issues of the Dragon’s Tale. Advertisements for events is also available on a space available basis. 6.4. All events must have the following information to be considered an official event: a. Event name b. Event date(s) c. Sponsoring group d. Address of the event (if there is no address you must write “no site address”) e. The name (both Society and modern), phone and email address of the autocrat. f. If there is a fee, payment information. It is strongly encouraged that you include reservation deadlines and restrictions (such as pets, is the site wet, etc.) 6.5. The Chronicler’s Office is not responsible for lost or misdirected submissions or those submissions which do not follow the submission guidelines. - Advertising in the Dragon’s Tale is accepted on a pre-paid space-available basis, at a set rate per quarter, half or full page, such rate to be set in the local currency of the Kingdom Chronicler, updated as necessary, and advertised in the front page of Dragon’s Tale. For advertisements which run 3 or more consecutive issues, a reduced rate per month will apply. Classified advertisements are charged per 100 characters. Payment for advertisements may be made in the advertiser’s local currency (usually Euro, pounds or kroner) equivalent to the stated advertising rate.
7.1. Commercial advertisements must be for products and services vital to the educational purposes of the Society. - Adherence to policies: all Chroniclers of the Kingdom of Drachenwald are required to be conversant with the SCA Chronicler Policies (especially section I.C. Local Newsletter Policies) and the Chronicler Policies for the Kingdom of Drachenwald. Copies of both of these documents are available from the Kingdom Chronicler, or respectively from https://www.sca.org/resources/document-library/#chronicler and Drachenwald Kingdom Law, Appendix D: Kingdom Chronicler Policies
8.1. All Chroniclers of the Kingdom of Drachenwald are required to be warranted. (A copy of the Society Chronicler Policies and the Chronicler Policies for Drachenwald will be sent with the Chronicler’s Warrant.)
8.2. All Chroniclers shall endeavor to produce a newsletter that reflects the dignity of the group they represent. A group or organizational newsletter is one that cites the name of the group as its publishing authority; keep its funds in the bank account of an officially recognized SCA, Inc., group; and has as its editor a Chronicler who is warranted by the Kingdom Chronicler. No other publications are considered for the purposes of these policies. a. Principality Chroniclers: All Principalities in the Kingdom of Drachenwald are required to have a warranted Chronicler who is required to publish a monthly newsletter. Any Principality Chronicler who fails to publish three consecutive scheduled newsletters will have their warrant revoked. The Principality Officers and Crown may not hold the office of Principality Chronicler. b. Baronial Chroniclers: all Baronies in the Kingdom of Drachenwald are required to have a warranted Chronicler who is strongly encouraged to publish a monthly newsletter, but must at the least publish a bi-monthly newsletter. Any Baronial Chronicler who fails to publish three consecutive scheduled newsletters will have their warrant revoked. The Baronial Seneschal, Baron and Baroness are discouraged from being Baronial Chronicler and may only fulfill the duties of Chronicler as an interim measure until a new Chronicler can be found.
c. Chroniclers for Smaller Groups: Groups below Baronial status are strongly encouraged to fill the office of Chronicler and publish a newsletter. The frequency of the newsletter is up to the group (monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly) but this schedule must be maintained, especially if a subscription rate is charged for the newsletter. If the group does publish a newsletter, they are required to have a warranted Chronicler. - Complimentary Copies: Complimentary copies of each newsletter must be sent to Their Majesties, Their Highnesses (Heirs to the Throne of Drachenwald), Kingdom Seneschal and Kingdom Chronicler, and the Society Archivist. Groups such as Cantons or Colleges must also send a copy to their Baronial Chronicler. Other complimentary copies may be sent at the local Chronicler’s discretion within their budget constraints.
The copy of the newsletter sent to the Kingdom Chronicler serves two purposes.
1.) It is an essential part of the Chronicler report, and
2.) The copy of the newsletter is given to the Kingdom Archivist to keep on file.
9.1. You need to send the Kingdom Chronicler a copy within 14 days of publishing.
9.2. Failure to send copies of the group newsletter to the Kingdom Chronicler can result in revocation of the local Chronicler’s warrant.)
9.3. William Blackfox awards: the submission of entries into the annual society newsletter awards is compulsory for all kingdoms. Branch chroniclers are thus strongly encouraged to suggest to the Kingdom Chronicler particular issues of their newsletters for submission to the awards, and to provide extra copies of such editions. In addition, the multi-national make-up of the Kingdom means that many articles and issues will be problematical to submit as they are not in English, the language of SCA admin and the award judging. Branch chroniclers are expect to provide English translations of particularly good articles or editions which they wish to submit. - Group Chronicler Reports: in addition to complimentary copies of the group newsletter, the group chronicler must supply quarterly reports to the Kingdom Chronicler. 10.1. These are due at the standard Kingdom deadlines,namely 25 April (for the first quarter), 25 July (for the second quarter), 25 October (for the third quarter) and 25 January (for the last quarter/Domesday reports). 10.2. Quarterly reports are to include the details of the Chronicler and publication, a list of editions produced and a brief account of the newsletter’s finances (income and costs). 10.3. Failure to report can result in revocation of the local Chronicler’s warrant.
- Mailing requirements: each group shall establish a mailing deadline for the mailing of the group’s newsletter. The exact date for this should be determined by the date of the regularly scheduled business meeting for the group. Consistency is important in the mailing schedule for the newsletter.
11.1. Subscription Liability: the funds which a group accepts from a subscriber for a newsletter create an obligation on the part of the group which must then publish the promised number of newsletters and make a reasonable effort to deliver them to the subscriber. If unable to fulfill the obligation, the group must promptly refund to every subscriber an amount equal to the remaining subscription liability. - Financial requirements: Group Chroniclers shall work with their local exchequer to ensure that all financial transactions of the office are handled in accordance with the governing financial policies of the SCA and the Kingdom of Drachenwald. Group Chroniclers are not responsible for payment for the publication of the group newsletter and shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses.
12.1. Disposition and Administration of Funds: Funds collected for a newsletter (through fund raising, subscription, donation, etc.) must be held in the local branch bank account, to be disbursed by the Exchequer at the Chronicler’s request.
12.2. The Chronicler must provide receipts for funds spent, and account to the local branch Exchequer at least once per quarter.
12.3. The Chronicler may be a signatory on the group account if so directed by the group’s Seneschal and Exchequer. - Online publication: online branch newsletters, either web-based or e-mailed, are perfectly acceptable, as is the publication of hard-copy newsletter info online. However certain provisos apply 13.1 Branch chroniclers need to be aware that not everyone is online or wants to receive a newsletter electronically, for reasons including aesthetics, convenience, non-use of the internet, or problems with large file downloads. Therefore, a hard copy version must be available on request to group members, obviously subject to a reasonable subscription charge to cover printing and postage. 13.2. Even if a newsletter is entirely online, the branch chronicler MUST provide hard copies of the newsletter to the required kingdom- and society-level officers - the Crown, the Heirs, the Kingdom Chronicler, the Kingdom Seneschal and the Society Archivist. It is not fair to expect officers to either download or keep track of vast numbers of online-only newsletters. 13.3. It should be noted that the publication of contact details on the web requires signed letters of permission (in HARD COPY) from each individual whose details are so published.
- Required Content of Local Newsletters: each issue must contain the following:
14.1. Statement of Ownership: This statement must appear in each issue of a publication which is produced by an organization of the SCA, Inc. but which is not published as a function of the Registry mailing list: “This is the (Name of Publication), a publication of the (Group Name) of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. (Name of Publication) is available from (Mundane name and address of Chronicler. Subscriptions are (currency) amount per year. Payment for subscriptions should be sent to the Chronicler; checks should be made payable to (Group Name, SCA, Inc.) This newsletter is not a corporate publication of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. and does not delineate SCA policies. © Copyright (year), Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. For more information on reprinting letters, artwork and articles from this publication, please contact the Chronicler who will assist you in contacting the original creator of the piece. Please respect the rights of our contributors.” The underlined section can be eliminated if the group’s publication is wholly funded by the group or by fund raising activities. 14.2. Cover: The cover of the newsletter will include the name of the newsletter, the group it is being published for, volume and issue numbers and the date of the issue (in Gregorian reckoning - not A.S. 14.3 Regnum: A listing of the local officers will be included in each issue of the group’s newsletter. This shall include their name (both SCA and mundane), full address and phone number. For those groups that are a part of a barony, such as cantons and colleges, the Baronial Regnum must be published every other issue.
14.4. Meeting Minutes: Group Chroniclers are responsible for taking minutes at group meetings (or ensuring that someone else takes minutes) and publishing them in the next issue of the group newsletter. These minutes do not have to be excessively detailed, but should include officer reports, and should give enough information so that an individual who misses a given meeting has a reasonable indication of what business was conducted. 14.5. Meeting Place: The information on the time, date and place of the next group business meeting shall be included. - Problems: if you have a problem with your newsletter, a submission, a submittor, or a member of the local populace in connection with your duties as a Chronicler, you should report this to the Kingdom Chronicler immediately. When in doubt about what to include in your newsletter, what to do about a Chronicler issue or any other problem which may surface in performing your Chronicler duties, contact the Kingdom Chronicler. The Kingdom Chronicler is a resource for help and guidance.