Revisions to the Governing and Policy Decisions

Governing and Policy Decisions--New Section
October 20, 1995 Quarterly Meeting
Agenda Item --, Page 5

18. POLICY ON IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE (October 1995)

The Board of Directors recognizes the irreplaceable role that the Kingdom Officers and the Kingdom newsletters play in implementing any changes in Society policy and procedure, therefore:

The Board of Directors shall give a minimum of sixty (60) calendar days notice to Kingdom Administration (including the Seneschal and Crown) of the effective date of changes made to the governing documents and administrative polices of the Society. This notice shall be in written form and the sixty days shall count from the date of mailing.

In case of an emergency, less notice may be given, such notice to be no less than thirty (30) days before the implementation date for such changes. In all cases where less than sixty days notice was given, the notice shall be accompanied by a letter of explanation of the emergency prompting the change.

Governing and Policy Decisions--Revision
April 20, 1996 Quarterly Meeting
Agenda Item IV.C., page 3

12. SCA COMBAT-RELATED ACTIVITIES (July 1986, Revised January 1992, July 1994, April 1996 - changes effective July 1, 1996)

3. Waivers for SCA Combat-Related Activities: Waivers are required for participation in SCA combat and related activities. The SCA General Membership waiver adopted January 1993 July 1995 is the text required for use in the United States and Canada. Alternative texts may be approved by the Board for use in other countries. Proof of waiver will be established as follows:

a. To be authorized, or to engage as an authorized participant in SCA combat or related activities, a person must present a current valid membership card indicating that the appropriate waiver is on file with the SCA, Inc. or they must sign a waiver with the same text which shall be forwarded to the Corporate Office within ten days of each event pursuant to the General Waiver Policy (G&PD 19) and comply with all the provisions of that policy.

b. To train for authorization at SCA-sponsored practice sessions, a person must sign a waiver with the same text to be kept on file by the supervising marshal either present a current valid membership card indicating that the appropriate waiver is on file with the SCA, Inc. or they must sign a waiver with the same text pursuant to General Waiver Policy (G&PD 19) and comply with all the provisions of that policy.

5. ...Prior to the training of a minor in any SCA combat-related activity, the parent or guardian of the minor must witness the activity, discuss it with a witnessing marshal, and execute a Parent's Consent for SCA Combat-Related Activities Waiver for the minor pursuant to G&PD 19. The witnessing marshal must be explicitly authorized to perform this function by the Earl Marshal of the kingdom. The consent form must be retained by the marshal of the practice session training the minor, forwarded with other documentation (including proof of waiver) at the time an authorization card is to be issued, and kept on file with the kingdom authorization records. The marshal who authorizes a minor person for any form of SCA combat-related activity must be the Kingdom Earl Marshal or the Principality Marshal. This need not be the same person as the witnessing marshal. The authorizing marshal must note on the card that parental consent is on file.

6. Medical Authorization for Minors: Any minor involved in SCA combat-related activities at an event MUST have a parent or legal guardian present at the event, or be in possession of a properly-executed Medical Authorization Form for Minors designating some adult person present at the event as able to authorize medical treatment for that minor in the case of any emergency.

Governing and Policy Decisions--Revision
April 20, 1996 Quarterly Meeting
Agenda Item IV.C., page 4

13. GENERAL MEMBERSHIP WAIVERS (July 1986, revised April 1996 - changes effective July 1, 1996)

1. The General Membership waiver shall be incorporated into the Membership Application form, to be filled out by the prospective or renewing member at the time the membership application form is filled out. This Waiver covers attendance and participation at Society events at which combat-related activities occur.

2. A membership card (blue card) with a condensed form of the waiver text printed on the back shall be provided to members who have executed the general waiver as part of becoming members or renewing their memberships.

3. The new membership card is a proof of membership and proof that a waiver is on file, and members with such cards may obtain entrance to any SCA event a which combat occurs by presenting this card and signing a roster of attendees, as opposed to executing a specific waiver. Members who have not executed the general waiver as a part of becoming members or renewing their memberships shall be issued a different colored membership card and shall be subject to the provisions contained in the General Waiver Policy (G&PD 19) as if they were not members of the SCA, Inc.

4. Non-members, and members who have not brought their new blue membership cards, are still required to execute the existing Waiver and Informed Consent to Participate, or the site waiver provided at the event, to attend SCA events at which combat-related activities occur required to comply with the waiver signing provisions contained in the General Waiver Policy (G&PD 19) or they shall be denied admittance to SCA sponsored activities coming within the purview of said Waiver Policy.

5. Regardless of any other provision of this section, minors shall all be subject to the provisions of G&PD 19 irrespective of their membership status.

Governing and Policy Decisions--New Section
April 20, 1996 Quarterly Meeting
Agenda Item IV.C., page 4

19. SCA GENERAL WAIVER POLICY (adopted April 1996, effective July 1, 1996)

1. All non-members or persons without a blue membership card attending any event sponsored by a branch of the SCA, Inc. must execute a waiver with the text adopted by the Board of Directors at each such event, practice or function. Members that have a combat waiver on file at the Member Services Office and have a blue membership card are not required to sign additional waivers. Kingdoms may, at their discretion, require individual waivers even from members with combat waivers on file. An individual waiver must be executed for each minor. As much as possible Minor waivers shall be printed or copied on colored paper to help easily differentiate them from adult waivers.

2. The text of all waivers must be the language approved by the Board of Directors for waiver usage, subject to individual modern jurisdictional requirements. Such alternative texts must be approved by the Board of Directors prior to usage. Roster style waivers are acceptable providing that the full text of the waiver language is included.

3. An event, for the purposes of this section only, is defined as any recreation function announced in either the branch, Kingdom, or Principality newsletter. Business meetings, demos, guild meetings, dance practices, or planning sessions are specifically excluded from these provisions. Combat or Fighter practices are not excluded and waivers must be collected from those actively participating in the combat related activities at such practices.

Any function at which combat related activities will occur fall under the auspices of this waiver policy, regardless of what other activities may be occurring at the function. If there is a doubt about whether a specific function falls under this policy, the Kingdom Seneschal is directly empowered by the Board to make that determination and report same in their next regularly scheduled report. (Short form definition - if you are required to be wearing either armor or garb, or to have a bow in your hands to participate - you need to sign waivers.)

4. The local Seneschal, or other officer in charge of any function at which waivers will be required, is responsible for ensuring that a copy of that Kingdom's Law and the current Organizational Handbook are available at that function.

5. All original executed waivers shall be sent to the Member Services Office by each branch on a monthly basis. Waivers should be separated by function and each grouping clearly labeled with the following information: name of the branch, name of the function, date of the function. Copies of waivers need not be kept at the local or Kingdom level.

6. The Member Services Office shall maintain the waivers as follows:

Minor Waivers: 20 years
Adult Waivers: 7 years

7. The Member Services Office shall have pads of pre-printed adult and minor waivers for sale on a cost basis beginning June 1, 1996.

Governing and Policy Decisions--Amendment
April 20, 1996 Quarterly Meeting
Agenda Item IV.F.3., pages 5-6

3. COURTS OF INQUIRY AND CHIVALRY (August 1979, revised July 1988, and July 1989, and April 1996 - changes effective July 1, 1996)...

5. The Board of Directors remains the ultimate level of appeal for all issues and all members of the Society. (See By-Laws II.C. and Corpora III.B.2)

Governing & Policy Decisions--Revision
April 19, 1997 Quarterly Meeting
Agenda Item IV.I.1.

19. SCA GENERAL WAIVER POLICY (adopted April 1996, effective July 1, 1996, revised April 19, 1997)

Any function at which combat related activities will occur fall under the auspices of this waiver policy, regardless of what other activities may be occurring at the function. If there is a doubt about whether a specific function falls under this policy, the Kingdom Seneschal is directly empowered by the Board to make that determination and report same in their next regularly scheduled report. (Short form definition - if you are required to be wearing either armor or garb, or to have a bow in your hands to participate - you need to sign waivers.)

Governing & Policy Decisions--Revision
April 18, 1998 Quarterly Meeting
Item IV.C., page 4

4. ENFORCEMENT OF MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATING IN CROWN AND CORONET LISTS (August 1979, revised May 1982, July 1986, July 1989, October 1991, and July 1993, and April 1998)

2. b. All entrants and prospective consorts must be members on the day of the Crown or Coronet Lists. Positive confirmation that the Registry has received the membership application is required before anyone may be permitted to fight or be fought for in a Royal Lists. Positive confirmation consists of a valid membership card, appearance of a name with a valid membership on a printout from the Registry, a membership label issued by the SCA corporate office showing the name and expiration date, or a postcard or letter from the Registry confirming that the membership has been received.

2. d. Any officer of the SCA or representative of a Kingdom found responsible for allowing a non-member to participate, as an entrant or prospective consort, in a Royal List will be subject to sanctions.

3. ...For combat and related activities, the minimum acceptable proof of a pending membership is a photocopy of a membership form with the April 1993 waiver currently in use properly completed; this form must be kept with the records of the event where the activity took place. Other recommended procedures will be published as needed, and may be revised from time to time. (The reference to combat and related activities is effective January 1.)

G&PD #4 Correction
10-17-98 Quarterly Meeting
Agenda Item IV.D., page 5

G&PD #4 as distributed in the Governing Documents contains a typographical error. As distributed, G&PD #4 section 2.c. contains the following sentence:

"If the Sovereign and Consort are found to be in violation of membership requirements, the reign automatically fails for both." (Editorial emphasis added.)

According to the minutes of the July 17, 1993 quarterly meeting, that sentence should read:

"If the Sovereign or Consort are found to be in violation of membership requirements, the reign automatically fails for both." (Editorial emphasis added.)

G&PD--New section
4-17-99 Quarterly Meeting
Agenda Item VI.L.1., Page 12

G&PD 20:

Sanctions and administrative actions should be proportionate and appropriate. Major sanctions, such as a ban on attendance or participation, should not be a substitute for appropriate administrative or legal action.

Administrative sanctions include, but are not limited to, suspension or removal from office, revocation of authorization, or removal of a disruptive element from an event by the individual responsible for the event, as defined in Corpora section II.C.

Offenses against contemporary civil or criminal law should be dealt with through the appropriate legal system. This does not preclude the Society from taking other appropriate actions.