The An Tir Autocrats Handbook
The autocrat's handbook is a work in progress. Please look here for more information on this project.
What every autocrat should know.
If you've never autocrated an event, there are some things you should know ahead of time. Events must be planned (a minimum of two) months ahead. The farther ahead you plan, the more people will be able to attend your event, and the easier your job will be. Large events take additional planning, so the greater the estimated attendance, the sooner you should go to work.
Events may only be sponsored by full status groups of the SCA. That sponsorship is verified by the signature of the group's Seneschal who must have a current warrant on file with their superior officer in order for the form to be accepted. As Autocrat, you must hold a current SCA membership as well and that membership MUST be current on the date(s) of the event.
All branches are required to hold at least one event per year, so the calendar can get crowded pretty quickly. Calendar dates (except Crown and Kingdom events) are on a first come, first served basis, but cannot be reserved more than one year in advance. The Kingdom Calendar Deputy is responsible for keeping the schedule of kingdom events and maintaining conflict zones within a given area. Your event would have less chance of success if a nearby branch was holding an event on the same date because you would be drawing from the same population base. Conflict zones are set up to prevent this from happening, unless you specify that it's okay for another branch to conflict.
The event bid process can vary from branch to branch so it is a good idea to check with your branch officials for instructions on submitting an event proposal for sponsorship.
If you want to host an event, the first thing to do is check the kingdom calendar in the Crier or on the An Tir web site (http://www.antir.sca.org/Upcoming/) for potential conflicts. It is recommended that you check not just this year but also last year's event calendar. Ask yourself what events are traditional for the weekend you want. Just because they're not on the calendar at the moment doesn’t mean they won't appear in the nick of time.
It is also a good idea to consult with your Baron and Baroness (if you have them). Their schedule is often far more complicated than the Kingdom Calendar would look like when you include baronial events, plus any canton or colleges, and assorted mandatory Kingdom events like Crown Councils (often not on the calendar until the last minute), meetings, etc.
Once you get that all sorted out, pick three or four dates that might work. Ask your Baron/Baroness, and/or Seneschal if they can think of any reason any of your choices should be cut right off. Then go to council and propose your dates.
Here's where each branch does things differently. Its usually pretty safe to assume that nothing will be decided that first meeting, and much discussion will ensue about the relative merits of each date choice. Don’t take it personally. Much discussion, even heated discussion, means people are excited about your idea! If they didn’t care about it, they wouldn’t care when it was.
Once a date is settled upon you may wish to have the branch Seneschal submit a Date Reservation Form. The Date Reservation Form is a courtesy form that can be submitted to reserve a date in advance of actually obtaining a site. If you pre-book your date, be aware that this will affect the planning efforts of your neighbors so be sure to update it as quickly as possible so everyone can plan accordingly.
The only form required in kingdom law is the Event Information Form which can only be filled out once you have confirmed your site. Your Seneschal probably has a copy of this form or you can find it on the An Tir web site.
(http://www.antir.sca.org/Offices/Seneschalate/event-information.pdf)
Once the Calendar Deputy clears your date, you are free to move on to the next step!
A variety of ways to say "Thank you".
As an autocrat, you want to be sure everyone knows how much their work is appreciated. But if you give out tokens to everyone, it can get expensive. It is also difficult to know where to draw the line. What do you do about the helpful individual who just misses the cut? There are multiple ways in which an autocrat can express their sincere gratitude to all the volunteers that make an event a success and not break the bank.
Some people are more thing oriented, while others are more word oriented. For some, public recognition is everything, for others sincere private accolade means the world. The trick is figuring out in what catagory your helper falls.
For the more word oriented person, try to thank them personally. Shake their hand, look them in the eye and tell the exactly what they did that you think was so helpful.
Public recognition is appropriate as well. It is the custom for the event autocrat to say a few words in court. This is a good time to publicly thank your helpers and to give them your tokens if you have chosen to do so.
You may also choose to include recognition of individual contribution in your final event report. Or as a email to your local or regional online community. This has the added benefit of letting other autocrats know who they may call upon in your area that have proven themselves reliable and helpful.
In some cases doing a good job is it's own reward. You may choose to recognize your helpers with the right to come back and do it all over again. After a fashion it becomes sort of a reward to be allowed to assist with an event.
If you're more the type of person who likes to give tokens, here are some inexpensive suggestions for gifts.
- - hand written thank you notes. Take photos during the event and slip a copy of one that has the person doing their thing in the envelope.
- home made treats are always good. You may need to do a bit of legwork on allergies first.
- beeswax candles are nice, period and consumable.
- Little packets of spices for mulled wine/cider.
- Inexpensive jewelry, a necklace or a bracelet. A small string of pearls or beads.
- Anything you may have that is SCA related, such as extra feast gear, linen napkins, decorative trim, leather or metal bits will work.
If it comes from the heart, whether it is a sincere handshake or a small amusing trinket, just let your volunteers know that you appreciate their efforts and they made a difference.