Officer Responsibility FAQ – Ansteorra Arts and Sciences

As a ministry, our mission is to serve as a resource for artists, know what resources are available, and promote open participation in all arts and sciences programs. This FAQ serves as the handbook and policies for all A&S Ministry officers. These items below, along with the overall program policies and codes of contact, are important to holding any office in the ministry. Officers are expected to know not only the policies and their responsibilities but the responsibilities of the other offices around them. This will help artists find the assistance they need.

Local Arts and Sciences Ministers

What are the responsibilities of a local Minister?

The Local Minister of Arts and Sciences is the primary resource for arts activities in your group. The most important job you have is reporting the arts activities of your group to your regional officer. As the SCA is an educational organization, the arts and sciences are essential to us keeping that status. In addition to your reporting duties, you should…

Be your group’s arts and sciences cheerleader. Encourage members to get involved in more arts, be it new or pushing their existing ones to the next level.
Report on projects your members are working on especially any group wide projects
Promote and encourage A&S nights, A&S at fighter practice, or Special A&S days for your group. Artists are free to start these at any time. If there is a potential issue with a gathering, you are not responsible for approving these activities. Please report these to your Seneschal.
Check with any guild facilitators to find out what activities they are working on, what their attendance is, and if they have any needs. Do not ask them to send you a report. You should reach out to them as their resource.
Report on any championships or arts awards for your group members
Send in award recommendations for your populace and let your upline know that you did on your report. We love to put in additional recs to back you up.
Find resources for your members when they want to learn new arts, organize arts nights, or start new guilds.
Know the resources available on the Kingdom Arts & Sciences website and work with your regional deputy to identify any resources the ministry might need.
Know our kingdom’s rules for conduct at SCA functions. Report any problems or possible violations that arise from art and science events and report them to the regional deputy. If it is a serious incident copy the Regional Seneschal as well. We will take it from there.

If you are not reporting timely, your reports are missing large amounts of information, or you are otherwise struggling, your regional will coach you on how to improve your local program, teach you additional skills, or deal with burnout. If you have any issues, your regional is here to help.

What are the Qualifications to be a Local Minister?

A love for arts and sciences and the ability to motivate your group to do more.
The ability to report to your regional on the first of every month consistently.
Membership in the SCA, and a known association with the populace in the group you are playing with.
Able to fill out an office application that is sent to the deputy seneschal for offices.
The ability to attend events, possibly in the evenings, as needed with reasonable notice.
Appointment to the position by the Regional Arts and Sciences Minister or the Kingdom Arts and Sciences Minister if they are not available.

When are local reports due?

Our reports more than anything else in the SCA keep our non-profit educational status with the government. They are vital for the health and kingdom. Please follow the following guidelines when sending reports. You will need to keep to the deadlines. There is a very short window for your regionals and deputies to get reports in so I can get them to society. A best practice is to keep a note on your phone or in a small notebook to record items throughout the month.

Local Minister Deadline – Reports are due on the 1st for the previous month. If you are going to be later than the 1st, please let your region know right away for a short extension. If you have not reported by the 5th, then we will reach out. If deadlines are consistently missed you may be asked to step down. If your group does not have a local A&S minister, it is expected that the local seneschal submits the A&S report. Please review the Events section of the OP for any awards that may have been given to your populace.

Kingdom Principality, Regional and At-Large Ministers of Arts and Sciences

What are the Responsibilities of a Principality, Regional, or At-Large Minister?

Be your region’s arts and sciences ministry cheerleader. Encourage your ministers to get their groups involved in more arts, be it new or pushing their existing ones to the next level.
Report on significant projects in your area of expertise or region.
Report on any championships or arts awards for your region or area of expertise and anyone you feel may need recognition. (please also fill out the awards recommendation form for Ansteorra).
Find resources for your ministers or populace interested in your subject, when they want to learn new arts, organize arts nights, symposiums, colleges or start new guilds.
Know the resources available on the Kingdom Arts & Sciences website and work with the Kingdom MOAS and Subject Matter Areas to identify any resources the ministry might need.
Know our kingdom’s rules for conduct at SCA functions and the Arts and Sciences program policies and procedures.
Report any problems or violations of policy or procedures that arise from Arts and Sciences events and report them to the Kingdom MOAS. If it is a serious incident or a violation of Kingdom law notify the Regional or Kingdom Seneschal as well. We will take it from there.

When are regional and special reports due?

Cultural, Regional, and Special Interest Deputies – Your reports are due no later than the 5th of the following month. This gives the kingdom a very short time to get all this summarized and brought up to the kingdom and society.

Are there additional duties for Regional Deputies that Local and At-Large Ministers do not have?

Yes, there are a few differences.

Regional and Principality Deputies are responsible for summarizing the reports for their region and submitting them to the Kingdom Minister of Arts and Sciences by the 5th of the month.
Regional and Principality Deputies are responsible for making sure the groups keep a 4 or 5 health score, depending on the type of group. If the group has a low activity score, they need to work with the local minister to increase A&S activities actively.
They should make sure all reports are submitted on time and fill as many local positions as possible. If there is no Arts and Sciences Ministe,r they follow up with the local seneschal for a report on arts activities (unless they report back to a larger group such as a Canton or Stronghold)
They should send any ideas to the Kingdom A&S Webminister to add to the resources list for ministers.
They should note any missing A&S awards or championships that were given to any populace members that were missed at the local level and that they are already aware of.
They are responsible for appointing local ministers of arts and sciences.

Does the principality minister have any added duties?

In addition to their regional duties, a principality minister functions similar to the Kingdom office.

The principality minister should facilitate and coordinate, any Principality level arts and sciences events, such as a Principality Arts and Sciences, a Coronet Artisan, a Coronet Performance, or any other similar event. They can establish deputies to assist with the administration of the event.
Be the face of the principality in all Arts and Sciences activities by any local or sub-regional groups.

What are the duties of a Special Study or Cultural Study Deputy?

In addition to the reporting the Special Study deputy…

Keeps a collection of resources for the subject area. These can be bibliographies, online resources, or people who are subject matter experts in and out of the SCA.
Post at least monthly to the area’s social media account new content for the subject area.
Host an event a quarter either at an event or online and promote that event throughout the kingdom.
To host any A&S championship or symposium that is in their field of expertise as delegated by the Kingdom MOAS.

Does the Cultural Deputy have any other responsibilities?

Yes, the cultural studies deputy should be available to consult with local groups on events that may be covering their area of expertise when asked by the group.
If the group does not come to the deputy and the deputy has concerns on the cultural sensitivity of the event, they should report that to the Kingdom MOAS and the Kingdom DEIB officer for further review and consultation with the group directly. The Kingdom level will also consult the Kingdom Seneschal as needed.

When are Regional, Special Subject and Cultural Deputy Reports Due?

Reports for special and cultural groups are due on the 1st of each month. Reporting is one of the most important parts of the job. Please be on time so your uplines
Regional reports are due on the 5th of each month which are summaries of the local reports.

Kingdom Level Ministers of Arts and Sciences

What kinds of officers are considered Kingdom Ministers of Arts and Sciences?

There are special program deputies, the Emergency replacement deputy, and the Kingdom Minister of Arts and Sciences.

What are the duties of a special program deputy?

Special program deputies are established to coordinate a need in the ministry that is occasional but needs special skills. They are also deputies serving the Arts and Sciences Community but are part of other offices’ warrant structure such as our Webminister and Social Media Deputy. For a sample of a special program, we currently have an accommodations deputy to work with artists to make sure they have equal access to the arts programs without having to disclose their condition. The Gulf Wars Championship Deputy will work on all the coordination for Gulf War A&S. There is also a group of former Ministers of Arts and Sciences that are consulted on program history and the impact of changes to the program going forward. Not all of these officers are warranted unless they are dealing with items that may be covered under Kingdom law.

What is the responsibility of the Emergency Replacement Deputy?

The ER Deputy is just that, to replace the Kingdom MOAS if they are not able to serve temporarily or permanently. In some cases, they may be learning the job in the interest of serving in the future. They are consulted by the Kingdom MOAS on any changes or additions to the A&S program as a sounding board for additional information and complications.

What are the responsibilities of the Kingdom Minister of Arts and Sciences?

The Kingdom Minister of Arts and Sciences is responsible for administering the Ansteorra Arts and Sciences program. They are responsible for:

Appointing ministers at the kingdom, special office and regional level if an appointment is required.
Coordinate or delegate the running of the Kingdom-level A&S events and Championships. This includes administering the Gulf Wars Champions and hosting the hospitality on altering years with Trimaris. This also includes assistance with the Gulf Wars Open A&S competition as requested.
Setting policies and procedures for the overall arts and sciences program.
Consult the community and laurels circle on the needs of the program and create action plans for reaching goals by consensus. This can be done through surveys, polls, town hall meetings, etc. The KMOAS should always be listening to the ideas and needs of the populace.
Handle appeals to Kingdom Arts and Sciences scores, local commentary that may be out of policy, and talk with artisans directly who have had a particularly bad experience with the program to find new ways to improve and prevent issues in the future.
Consult with the crown on their ideas and goals around their vision for the arts program during their reign. The KMOAS assists the crown in finding ways to promote the arts and sciences that best represent them, including providing consultation in champion choices on request.
Act as a bridge between the Crown and Laurel’s circle when the Crown has not delegated an ambassador to coordinate circles, proxy voting, etc.
Work with the other Great Officers of State to assist with projects that cross officer areas.
Work with the Kingdom A&S Officers of other kingdoms on policy and procedures including consistency of programs and preventing relocated members from having to begin working on their arts goals at the beginning.

What is SCA Life?

SCA Life is any art that is not researchable as a period item but adds to the overall SCA experience. This art is still an important art to the kingdom. Photography, Ice Chest Covers, etc. add ambiance and style to our events.

Guilds

What is a Guild?

Guilds are formed when a group of populace members gather to enjoy an art or science, or a group of related ones. Some guilds are local and some are recognized by the Kingdom at large. You can have an in-person guild, a virtual guild, and a hybrid guild.

What is a Virtual or Hybrid Guild?

A guild does not need to meet in person to be a guild. A guild can create a virtual presence and meet regularly the same as a physical guild. A hybrid guild can have online meetings and the occasional in-person meeting. Other than being virtual or hybrid you will do the same functions as any other guild.

What is the Difference Between a Local Guild and A Kingdom Guild?

Local guilds are formed when a group of populace members groups together to practice an art.

Kingdom guilds are formed similarly when a group of Kingdom populace members groups together to practice art but need to charter with the kingdom. You can build an interest group through social media and not be an official Guild.

How Do I Start a Local Guild?

If you want to start a guild you only need to appoint a guild facilitator, and set some meeting times, in person or virtual. Then you tell the group leadership and MOAS that they are now a guild unless your group has established their own procedure for starting a guild. Your Local MOAS will reach out to the guild facilitator monthly to get attendance numbers and projects you are working on, either group projects or individual projects in that discipline. You can stop a guild at any time and reform when there is more interest.

How do I start a Kingdom Guild?

Kingdom Guilds form like local guilds but have some additional steps they need to take to become a Kingdom Guild.

Show significant membership to sustain a guild for many years. It is recommended to form an interest group through social media or meetings at events to build membership.
Establish a leadership hierarchy. It is recommended that you have a facilitator and some additional assisting facilitators to spread the guild’s administrative responsibilities. This prevents burnout and gives a better way to administer your guild
Create a charter to present to the Kingdom Minister of Arts and Sciences for review and to provide recommendations to the Crown
A charter that is signed by the crown and posted to the Kingdom Arts and Sciences Page.

What is the difference between a Guild, a Special Program, and a Cultural Program?

A guild is a group of people who decide to form a study area. Guilds usually form around an area that is well-understood and resource-rich but wants to have a unified community to share resources and projects.
A Special Program is formed around an area that can be a challenge to find other members studying that area of Arts and Sciences. It can be a subject matter that is broad but needs access to specialized resources and research. It can also require specific skills to participate in. The special program goal is to be a knowledge base for local ministers and the general populace to find resources in their area, as well as coordinate activities and symposiums to increase the visibility of the art.
A Cultural group is formed for a culture that is not well represented in Ansteorra and presents a challenge to finding research resources and other members studying that culture. These can be cultures outside of the general Euro-centric research areas or these can also be marginalized communities that need more visibility for their arts and history.

What is our policy for records handling?

You need to keep records in your Google Mail or Drive for your office. There are times when you may need to use additional applications for your needs, but you need to make sure the files are available to the next minister.
There is an exception. If you have files that use personal identifying information, for example: non-SCA name and contact information, you need to keep these files off of a local PC and take greater care to store them in the kingdom’s resources
You do not need to keep any records that should be kept by another office. An example would be courtesy copies of event bids.
We do not have an official discard schedule at this time. Please keep all reports and emails unless told otherwise. However, you are free to donate other items to the local or Kingdom Historian as you see fit. When in doubt talk to your upline resources.

How do I establish a new subject matter or cultural area?

The goal of these is to build communities for areas of study that are not well served by a Kingdom Guild. Contact the Kingdom Minister of Arts and Sciences. We are looking for several criteria for these groups and the group’s officers.

An area of study that needs a point of contact to facilitate resources and encourage more study in that area.
Three interested parties with one willing to be a deputy to start a group.
A social media presence with a Facebook presence to coordinate events, and direct new interested parties to the preferred discussion platform.

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