Art of War Links to other information

Hello Art of War Alumni (that's 'Graduates' to those still with their helmets on;-)
This posting is for the link to pictures, Websites, email lists, etc.
So, it is my hope in the coming weeks, we will be adding to this list a lot.

#1) Captains of An Tir Yahoo Group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Captains_of_An_Tir/

This is a Gathering of Students of the Military Arts residing within the borders of the Kingdom of An Tir.
Here you will find Warlords and Foot Soldiers, Captains and Sergeants, Masters of the Art of War and Newcomers seeking to expand their knowledge.
Sign up!

#2 VIDEO of AoW on YouTube. Master Niall (OL) took the Video that Cymbric and I were taking (those at the event enjoyed watching the day's video at night during dinner) and put them on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/nealdolphin)
We are working on combining the best together into an instructional and entertaining movie of sorts. More on that later as it develops.
http://www.youtube.com/nealdolphin

#3) War Songs Class and Music Site (another contribution from Master Niall Dolphin)
www.bardic-circle.net


#4) If I have done this correctly, this is a photo page on Flickr for AoW Pix.
This link should be for my quick picks for the best pix.
Other pages have ALL the pix. Tell me how it is working.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/90193542@N00/sets/72157623891622120/

Publishing this now. Will add in more anon, Best, Brand

Fundraising Ideas for non-profits... even the SCA. By G.Robin Smith (aka Sir Brand)

[this is a text only version of the handout I had at Art of War II]

Simply Put:
Go to these Websites/ Get These Books

The Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration
www.sofii.org It’s Free. Sign up. Use it.

For examples of how a little money can go a long way:
KIVA – micro-financing www.kiva.org

How fun, education and a need can combine into a wonderful and
effective effort: www.FreeRice.org
Can your group do something similar?

Ken Burnett – White Lion Press (www.KenBurnett.com)
He is one of the world’s best and brightest. His writing is personable,
accessible, understandable and, most importantly, correct. Read it,
follow it and succeed.

If you only get two books, get these:
Relationship Fundraising – a Donor Based Approach to the Business
of Raising Money. By Ken Burnett (2nd Edition)

The ZEN of Fundraising – 89 Timeless Ideas To Strengthen and
Develop Your Donor Relationships – Ken Burnett.

If you get a few more, consider:
The Tiny Essential Series (Writing for Fundraising, Raising Money
from Foundations and Trusts, Effective Volunteer Board, Monthly
Committed Giving, Major Gift Fundraising) also through White Lion
Press

More: The Original American Fundraiser: Benjamin Franklin
His “The Means and Manner of Obtaining Virtue” and
“The Way to Wealth” are classic, and still timely. He started
libraries, The Univ. of Penn. & Phily. Free Hospital and helped
finance the American Revolution. Not bad for a simple fundraiser.
OUTLINE – Non-Profit Seminar – July 2009, UW Campus
The Center for Non-Profit Success

G.Robin Smith - Speaker
COO - Five Rivers Fundraising –
www.FiveRiversFundraising.org

www.Ben-Franklin.org

Email ben@ben-franklin.org
206-291-6205
Office Toll Free
866-320-1776




It is ALL Person-to-Person

Basic Points:
This will be a very direct and, I hope, useful reference guide.

Consider:
There are ONLY Individual Donors.
Fundraising is ALL about individuals rather than groups.

Another thought to challenge your thinking:
"Fundraising isn’t about asking for money. It's about inspiring people to
believe that they can make a difference, then helping them make..."
that difference. Ken Burnett - The ZEN of Fundraising.

What is ‘Donor Viewpoint’?
Can you answer: “Why do Hardware Stores carry 1⁄4 Drill Bits?”

Two Pages of Ideas to Guide Your Mission
From Relationship Fundraising by Ken Burnett (The White Lion Press)
and www.Sofii.org (The Showcase of Fundraising Innovation & Inspiration)
(Used with permission of the Author)

“There are no absolute rules in fundraising and slavish adherence to
formulae will win no donors, but there are some basic principles that you will
find to be consistent and helpful in virtually every fundraising endeavour.
Here, in summary, are the basics of fundraising, key principles that no
advances in technology or development will change:

1. People give to people. Not to organisations, mission statements, or
strategies.
2. Fundraising is not about money. It’s about necessary work that urgently
needs doing. Money is the means to an end.
3. Fundraisers need to be able to see things through their donors’ eyes. Or,
to put themselves in their donors’ shoes.
4. Fundraisers need to really understand their donors. If they are to
understand you, you must first understand them.
5. It helps if you are a donor yourself. No one should be a fundraiser
without first being a donor.
6. Friend-making comes before fundraising. Fundraising is not selling.
Fundraisers and donors are on the same side.
7. Fundraising is about needs as well as achievements. People applaud
achievement, but will give to meet a need.
8. Fundraisers need to learn how to harness the simple power of emotion.
Fundraising has to appeal first to the emotions. Logic can then reinforce the
appeal.
9. Offer a clear, direct proposition people can relate to. For example, ‘make
a blind man see. £10.00’.
10. First open their hearts and minds. Then you can open their wallets.
11. Don’t just ask people to give. Inspire them to give. Fundraising is the
inspiration business.
12. Share your problems as well as your successes with your donors.
Honesty and openness are usually prized more highly than expert opinion
and apparent infallibility.
13. Bring the need close to the donor. To help this idea stick I was taught
the adage ‘One needy old person next door equals ten needy old people in
Manchester equals 100 needy old people in Maharashtra.’ (Of course I was
living in London at the time. If you live in India, then it would be the other
way round).
14. You don’t get if you don’t ask. Know whom to ask, how much to ask for,
and when.
15. Present your organisation’s ‘brand’ image clearly and consistently. It’ll
pay you if your donors can readily distinguish your cause from all the others.
16. Successful fundraising involves storytelling. Fundraisers have great
stories to tell and need to tell them with pace and passion so as to inspire
action.
17. Great fundraising is sharing. Share your goals and encourage full
involvement. When donors become truly involved in your campaign, great
things happen. Share your problems too, as well as your successes.
18. Always try to turn complaints into support. The most loyal donor is the
donor who has complained and has then been satisfactorily responded to.
19. The trustworthiness of a fundraiser and his/her organisation is a reason
both to start and to continue support. Trust appears to increase in
importance, as people get older.
20. Great fundraising requires imagination. Too much fundraising looks like
everything else.
21. Great fundraising is getting great results. If your results are mediocre,
your fundraising probably is too.
22. Always be honest, open and truthful with your donors. Donors will not
forgive you if you are less than straight with them.
23. Avoid waste. Donors hate waste.
24. Technique must never be allowed to obscure sincerity. As all actors
know, you can’t fake sincerity.
25. Fundraisers have to learn to talk to their donors where they are, not
where the fundraiser might want them to be.
26. Fundraisers and donors have a relationship of shared conviction. This is
much more important than their shared commercial interest.
27. Great fundraising means being ‘15 minutes ahead’. To keep just a little
bit ahead you have to learn to spot opportunities and take (careful) risks.
28. Fundraisers should learn the lessons of history and experience. Anyone
who would be an effective fundraiser needs first to do some homework.
29. Always say ‘thank you’, properly and often. It’s also a good idea to be
brilliant at saying ‘welcome!’
----
There are THREE clients in Fundraising: The Non-Profit, the Investor
(Donor) and the Community in which they exist. Serve all three equally and
you should be fine.
---
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

Combat Archery Art of War II - Sionaid

Combat Archery Art of War II
The Basics
Archery in History in brief
The Army
Command Structure

Commanding
Teams
Receiving Orders
Issuing Orders

Unit Types
The Warband
Brigades
Special Forces

Types of Battles
Field Battles
Castle Battles
Woods Battles

The Whole
Objectives
Winning vs. Losing
Having a Good Time
Q’s & A‘s









Military Tactics & Strategies
by Ronald E. Goodman [bibliography follows]
Military strategy and tactics are essential to the conduct of warfare. Broadly stated, strategy is the planning, coordination, and general direction of military operations to meet overall political and military objectives. Tactics implement strategy by short-term decisions on the movement of troops and employment of weapons on the field of battle. The great military theorist Carl von Clausewitz put it another way: "Tactics is the art of using troops in battle; strategy is the art of using battles to win the war." Strategy and tactics, however, have been viewed differently in almost every era of history.
The change in the meaning of these terms over time has been basically one of scope as the nature of war and the shape of society have changed and as technology has developed. Strategy, for example, literally means "the art of the general" (from the Greek strategos) and originally signified the purely military planning of a campaign. Thus until the 17th and 18th centuries strategy included to varying degrees such problems as fortification, maneuver, and supply. In the 19th and 20th centuries, however, with the rise of mass ideologies, vast conscript armies, global alliances, and rapid technological change, military strategy became difficult to distinguish from "grand strategy," that is, the proper planning and utilization of the entire resources of a society —military, technological, economic, and political. The change in the scope and meaning of tactics over time has been largely due to enormous changes in technology. Tactics have always been difficult — and have become increasingly difficult — to distinguish in reality from strategy because the two are so interdependent. (Indeed, in the 20th century, tactics have been termed operational strategy.) Strategy is limited by what tactics are possible; given the size, training, and morale of forces, type and number of weapons available, terrain, weather, and quality and location of enemy forces, the tactics to be used are dependent on strategic considerations.
Strategic and Tactical Principles of Warfare
Military commanders and theorists throughout history have formulated what they considered to be the most important strategic and tactical principles of war. Napoleon I, for example, had 115 such principles. The Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest had but one: "Get there first with the most men." Some of the most commonly cited principles are the objective, the offensive, surprise, security, unity of command, economy of force, mass, and maneuver. Most are interdependent.
Military forces, whether large-scale or small-scale, must have a clear objective that is followed despite possible distractions. Only offensive operations — seizing and exploiting the initiative — however, will allow the choice of objectives; the offense also greatly increases the possibility of surprise (stealth and deception) and security (protection against being surprised or losing the possibility of surprising the enemy). Unity of command, or cooperation, is essential to the pursuit of objectives, the ability to use all forces effectively (economy of force), and the concentration of superior force at a critical point (mass). Maneuver consists of the various ways in which troops can be deployed and moved to obtain offensive, mass, and surprise. A famous example that illustrates most of these principles occurred during World War II when the Allied forces eventually agreed on the objective of defeating Germany first with a direct offensive against the European continent. Under a combined command headed by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, they effectively massed their forces in England, deceived Germany regarding the point of invasion, collected intelligence on the disposition of German forces, and set the vast maneuver called Operation Overlord into motion.
Unthinking rigid attention to a principle of war, however, can be unfortunate. In the face of two Japanese naval forces, Adm. William Halsey's decision at the Battle of Leyte Gulf not to divide the fleet (the principle of mass) led to the pitting of the entire enormous American naval force against a decoy Japanese fleet. Division of the fleet (maneuver) would still have left Halsey superior to both Japanese forces.
Strategic and Tactical Maneuvers
Classification of actual military types of maneuvers and their variations have long been a part of military science. New technology and weapons have not drastically altered some of the classical types of offensive maneuver: penetration, envelopment, defensive-offensive maneuvers, and turning movements.
The penetration — one of the oldest maneuvers — is a main attack that attempts to pierce the enemy line while secondary attacks up and down the enemy line prevent the freeing of the enemy reserves. A favorite maneuver of the Duke of Marlborough (early 18th century), it was also used by Gen. Bernard Montgomery at El Alamein (1942).
The envelopment is a maneuver in which a secondary attack attempts to hold the enemy's center while one (single envelopment) or both flanks (double envelopment) of the enemy are attacked or overlapped in a push to the enemy's rear in order to threaten the enemy's communications and line of retreat. This forces the enemy to fight in several directions and possibly be destroyed in position. New variations include vertical envelopments (airborne troops or airmobile troops) and amphibious envelopments. Noted single envelopments were accomplished by Alexander the Great at Arbela (or Gaugamela, 331 BC), Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville (1863), and Erwin Rommel at Gazala (1942; leading to the capture of Tobruk); famous double envelopments include those of Hannibal at the Battle of Cannae (216 BC), the American Revolution War Battle of Cowpens (1781), and the destruction of the 7th German Army at the Falaise Gap (1944).
Defensive-offensive maneuvers include attack from a strong defensive position after the attacking enemy has been sapped in strength, as in two battles of the Hundred Years' War, the Battle of Crécy (1346) and the Battle of Agincourt (1415), or feigned withdrawals that attempt to lure the enemy out of position as performed by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings (1066) and by Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz (1805).
Turning maneuvers are indirect approaches that attempt to swing wide around an enemy's flank to so threaten an enemy's supply and communication lines that the enemy is forced to abandon a strong position or be cut off and encircled. Napoleon was a master of the turning movement, using it many times between 1796 and 1812. Robert E. Lee used the maneuver at the Second Battle of Bull Run (1862); the German drive to the French coast in 1940 was another example.
The Historical and Theoretical Development of Strategy and Tactics
The historical roots of strategy and tactics date back to the origins of human warfare and the development of large-scale government and empire. The dense tactical infantry formation of overlapping shields called the phalanx, for example, existed in an early form in ancient Sumer (c.3000 BC). The development of strategy and tactics parallels to some extent the growth, spread, and clash of civilizations; technological discoveries and refinements; and the evolution of modern state power, ideology, and nationalism.
Early Strategy and Tactics. The Mediterranean basin saw the dawn of modern military strategy and tactics. It was under such leaders as Philip II (382–336 BC) and Alexander the Great (356–323 BC) of Macedonia and Hannibal (247–183 BC) of Carthage that the first great strides were made in military science. Philip combined infantry, cavalry, and primitive artillery into a trained, organized, and maneuverable fighting force backed up by engineers and a rudimentary signaling system. His son Alexander became an accomplished strategist and tactician with his concern for planning, keeping open lines of communication and supply, security, relentless pursuit of foes, and the use of surprise. Hannibal was a supreme tactician whose crushing victories taught the Romans that the flexible attack tactics of their legions needed to be supplemented by unity of command and an improved cavalry. The Romans eventually replaced their citizen-soldiers with a paid professional army whose training, equipment, skill at fortification, road building, and siege warfare became legendary. The Byzantine emperors studied Roman strategy and tactics and wrote some of the first essays on the subject.
The Middle Ages saw a decline in the study and application of strategy — with the exception of the great Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan. Medieval tactics began with an emphasis on defensive fortifications, siege craft, and armored cavalry. The introduction, however, of such new developments as the crossbow, longbow, halberd, pike, and, above all, gunpowder began to revolutionize the conduct of war.
The Emergence of Modern Warfare. Gustav II Adolf, king of Sweden (r. 1611-32), has been called the father of modern tactics because he reintroduced maneuver into military science. His disciplined national standing army — differing from the common use of mercenaries — was organized into small, mobile units armed with highly superior, maneuverable firepower and supplemented by mounted dragoons (his creation) armed with carbine and saber. Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia (r. 1740-86), the master of initiative and mass, conducted war in an age of limited warfare — armies were small and expensive; road and supply systems were inadequate. In the Seven Years' War (1756-63), Frederick faced a coalition whose various forces almost surrounded Prussia. Using a strategy of interior lines, Frederick — supported by a highly disciplined army and horse artillery (his creation) — would quickly maneuver, assemble a superior force at some decisive point along the line of encirclement, and, with massed howitzer fire, strike hard against an enemy flank before moving to another point.
With Napoleon I, however, the age of modern warfare was born. The French Revolution had produced a mass patriot army organized into loose divisional formations. Napoleon carefully planned his campaigns and quickly maneuvered his troops by forced marches to a selected field of battle. His battles began with skirmishing and cannonading, followed by an overwhelming concentration of forces in shock bayonet attacks against enemy flanks in turning and enveloping movements designed to utterly destroy opposing forces. Because of the greater complexities of warfare, a rudimentary general staff began to emerge under Napoleon.
The 19th Century: Theory and Technological Change. Napoleonic strategy and tactics were closely studied by the first great theorists of war, the Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz (1780–1831) and the French general Antoine Jomini (1779–1869). Clausewitz's On War (1832–34; Eng. trans., 1908) emphasized the close relationship between war and national policy and the importance of the principles of mass, economy of force, and the destruction of enemy forces. Jomini, on the other hand, emphasized occupying enemy territory through carefully planned, rapid, and precise geometric maneuvers. Whereas Jomini's theories had influence in France and North America, Clausewitz's teachings in particular were influential on the great Prussian military strategists of the 19th century, Helmuth von Moltke — architect of victory in the Franco-Prussian War (1870) — and Alfred von Schlieffen — creator of the Schlieffen plan (defense against Russia and envelopment of France), which Germany applied in a modified form at the beginning of World War I.
The 19th century was an era of far-reaching technological change that vastly altered the scope of tactics and strategy, an alteration seen in what has been called the first total war, the U.S. Civil War. Railroads and steamships increased the volume, reach, and speed of mobilization and of conscription. The consistent support of war industry became critical. The growth in range and accuracy of rifle firepower created new tactical problems: artillery had to be placed farther behind the lines, massed charges became ineffective if not disastrous, cavalry became limited to reconnaissance and skirmish, and troops began to fight from trenches and use grenades and land mines. Telegraph communications linked widening theaters of war and made large-scale strategy and tactics possible. During the U.S. Civil War the large-scale strategy of the North (blockade, division of the Confederacy, destruction of the Confederate armies and supplies) backed by superior industry and manpower were the key factors in its victory. The development of the machine gun late in the 19th century would have its most telling effect in World War I.
World Wars: Trench Tactics to Nuclear Strategy. World War I began with immense, rapid, national mobilizations and classical offensive maneuvers, but after mutual attempts at envelopment at and after the Battle of the Marne, stationary trench warfare ensued across a wide battlefront. A war of attrition set in that called for total national involvement in the war effort. Two key technological developments in the war were to fashion the strategic and tactical debates of the 1920s and 1930s. The use of airpower was advocated by such theorists as Giulio Douhet (1869–1930), Billy Mitchell, Henry ("Hap") Arnold, and Hugh Trenchard (1873–1956). They insisted that airpower alone could win wars, not only by striking at enemy forces but by strategic bombing —the massive attack on cities, industries, and lines of communication and supply that characterized part of Allied strategy during World War II. The other World War I development was that of motorized armored vehicles such as the tank. The use of the tank as the new cavalry of the modern age was advocated by B. H. Liddell Hart, Charles de Gaulle, and J. F. C. Fuller (1878–1966) in the interwar period. The Germans were the first to effectively use the tactical offensive combination of air and tank power in the field of battle in the blitzkriegs, under such commanders as Heinz Guderian and Erwin Rommel, which conquered much of Europe in World War II.
The primary tactical advance in World War II may have been that of amphibious warfare. The principal significance of that war, however, was in the first application of truly global strategies wielded by massive coalitions dedicated once again to the offensive. The development of nuclear weapons, which continued after the war, introduced the new science of nuclear strategy and tactics. The immense destructive nature of these weapons, however, meant that warfare of limited strategic goals, using conventional tactics and conventional but technologically advanced weapons, would predominate in the "limited" wars that followed World War II. The very need to keep wars limited has produced a new strategic form: the small, mobile special forces, armed with light but sophisticated weapons and trained in guerrilla tactics, that can be rapidly deployed and as rapidly withdrawn from hostile territory.
Ronald E. Goodman
Bibliography: Baylis, John, et al., Contemporary Strategy, 2d ed., 2 vols. (1987); Dupuy, R. E. and T. N., The Encyclopedia of Military History, 4th ed. (1993); Ellis, John, Brute Force: Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War (1990); Gray, C. S., Explorations in Strategy (1996); Handel, Michael, War, Strategy, and Intelligence (1989); Jones, A., Elements of Military Strategy: An Historical Approach (1996); Kahn, Herman, On Thermonuclear War (1969: repr. 1978); Kennedy, P. M., ed., Grand Strategies in War and Peace (1992); Kugler, R. L., U.S. Military Strategy and Force Posture for the 21st Century: Capabilities and Requirements (1994); Liddell Hart, B. H., Strategy, rev. 2d ed. (1991); Murray, W., et al., eds., The Making of Strategy: Rules, States and War (1996); Newell, C., The Framework of Operational Warfare (1991); Samuels, M., Doctrine and Dogma: German and British Infantry Tactics in the First World War (1992); Stolfi, R. H., Hitler's Panzers East: World War Two Reinterpreted (1993); Summers, H. G., On Strategy: Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War (1995).
Strategy & Tactics for Archers in SCA Combat
We can see many examples in history where massed archers meant the difference between victory & defeat. At the Battle of Hastings, we see the Archers taking out the opposition. Leonidas in Greece had experience with Archers and their success. What we don’t see is instances of lone archers [in history] making a difference. Why? Perhaps any instances where lone archers made a difference, wasn’t recorded. We just don’t know. If there are records, then they have yet to come to light.
As far as SCA combat archery goes, we have few instances of massed archers shooting in unison until the last few years. Most combat archers have been hot-doggin’-cowboys that choose their own targets for sniping purposes throughout SCA war history. Snipers ARE effective. However, if they aren’t working with the rest of their unit/army, then it’s very difficult to maintain a superior edge. Know the objective for the entire army. Know the objective for your unit. Know the objective for your archery troops.
The objective of combat archers is to work with the Army as a whole. Each unit has an objective particular to their specialties. For instance, shield walls have their objective & it’s pretty simple: hold the line. As archers, we are at the disposal of the Warlord. As an Archery Captain, you will take orders from your direct/immediate Commander. That Commander will take their orders from the next Commander up the line, and so forth to the top [Warlord/General]. The Warlord will sometimes appoint an Archery Captain of the Field, but usually he will leave the archers to be commanded by unit Commanders because there have been so few archers on the field. With more than a handful or 2 of archers, the Warlord will revise his strategy to utilize the archers to the best effect. If he needs snipers, the Warlord will give orders to that effect. If he has enough archers to order volley shooting, he will issue those orders to the Captains to be ready on his command. As an Archery Captain, it is your responsibility to make sure all the archers within your command are within range to hear your commands and to direct them on command. Practice issuing commands with your troops.
Field Battles
More and more, there are SCA combat archers learning to shoot in volleys. It’s very cool to see the arrows all launch together, arch up & fall to earth together in a devastating hail. Shooting in volleys while alternating with sniper-tactics can be devastating to enemy forces. Some of the best sniper-tactics are for archers to work in pairs or triplets. One or 2 archers picking away at a shield wall to draw the individual fighters slightly out of line gives easy targets for other archers to pick off the pikemen &/or commanders. Use of a shieldman helps greatly in protecting the archers from other archers. Use your shieldmen!
Specialized units for sniping purposes are very effective. Specialized units are generally 3-5 men, consisting of a shieldman [or 2 for 5], 1 or 2 archers, and a swordsman &/or pikeman. These specialized units can move quickly around the army giving aid where needed. When used in conjunction with a larger unit of archers [between 6-20+], these small-specialized units are deadly and effective. When a volley is ordered, the specialized units can take advantage of the broken concentration of the enemy line & wreak havoc on the enemy forces by targeting commanders. Take out the commander, the structure falls apart.
Woods Battles
Volleys are not recommended for woods battling – the trees will get in the way & make volleys a waste of time, energy & ammunition. Sniping is THE single best tactic in a woods battle. Sniper teams of 2-3 archers with a single shield are the most effective, in general. However, don’t lose sight of the single archer sniper and his effectiveness. Know your troops and what their strengths and weaknesses are.
Synopsis
KNOW YOUR OBJECTIVE. Know your immediate commander. Know your troops! Learn tactics and strategies. Field Battles = volleys & sniper-teams. Woods Battles = snipers. SCA combat archery & historical archery are NOT the same, but we can learn from history.
-30-= ###

Words/Topics to Avoid – Expanded List

Words/Topics to Avoid – Expanded List

As published in the Media Relations and External Publicity Policy, there are certain words and topics that should be avoided when talking to the media. While I understand that every group has its own lingo, there is a difference between what we say to one another in a private setting and what we say to the world at large. This will help avoid misunderstandings and unintentional misrepresentation of the organization:

Term to Avoid
Use Instead
Reason :

Term to Avoid: Boffer, Boffing
Use Instead: Youth Combat, youth weapons, youth martial training program
Reason: ‘boffing’ is common English slang for something we don’t do with children.

Term to Avoid: Mundane
Use Instead: Modern Era, Modern, 21st Century
Reason: Mundane is patronizing and insulting. Some people interpret as the pejorative connotation of ‘common’. Also implies that things outside of the SCA are less worthy.

Medieval
Middle Ages
While technically correct, this is often misinterpreted or misheard as Evil

Term to Avoid: Youth Minister
Use Instead: Youth Activities Officer, youth activities coordinator
Reason: Minister = religion. In fact, we should probably avoid using ‘minister’ to describe any officer, unless the word ‘prime’ immediately precedes it.*

Term to Avoid: Funny clothes**
Use Instead: Period clothing , historical clothing
Reason: If we do not appear to respect what we do, we cannot expect the media or non-participants to do so. Also, be careful about using the word garb; while it is a valid word, it is not commonly used in current speech.

Term to Avoid: Brass Hats, Funny Hats**
Use Instead: Crowns or coronets
Reason: Same as above

Term to Avoid: Stick Jocks**
Use Instead: Fighters, combatants
Reason: Same as above; try to stress that this is a Western Martial Art form, focusing on training and safety.

Term to Avoid: Hitting people with sticks**
Use Instead: Armored Combat
Reason: Same as above. Martial art form.

Term to Avoid: Autocrat; Feastocrat***
Use Instead: Event Steward; Feast Steward
Reason: Group jargon, not generally accessible

Term to Avoid: Troll booth***
Use Instead: Gate or Registration Table
Reason: Same as above

Term to Avoid: Drop Dead Deputy
Use Instead: Emergency Replacement Deputy
Reason: Just sounds better

Term to Avoid: SCAdian***
Use Instead: SCA Members, Society Members
Reason: Jargon term which can be easily mocked, misinterpreted and misunderstood by reporters.

*Whenever possible when dealing with the media or non-participants at demos, I prefer to use the modern equivalent for officer positions (i.e., Seneschal = Branch President, Chatelaine = Newcomer officer, etc.). The modern equivalent for Kingdom Media Rep is Regional AVP for Media for whatever states/countries your region entails.

** For press purposes, it sounds a lot better to say that we wear historical clothing and recreate Western Martial Arts, than to say that we wear funny clothes and hit people with sticks.

*** These fall under a general heading of SCA jargon. Use modern terms whenever talking to the press.

Never discuss the following topics with the media

1. Religion – Of any variety. We are a social organization, period. Don’t even bring it up. Too many fringe religious groups wear ‘funny clothes’. If they ask, repeat that we are a social organization and leave it at that.

2. Lewd behavior that can be perceived as a form of sexual harassment – We are a family welcoming organization and we don’t want to be perceived as a bunch of wife-swapping, free love weirdos. Do not discuss wenching, flirting, hand-kissing, codpiece making, cloved fruits, etc.

3. Alcohol making, preparation, studies, distribution, sale, etc. –Again, we are an organization which has many families as participants, and we do not want to be perceived as a bunch of beer-swilling weirdoes.

4. Households. You say social unit, they hear communes.

5. Personas: While we understand this to be the center of our personal studies, and a name by which we choose to be called, to the outside world it looks as though we are either a) creating aliases to conceal our activities/identities, or b) do not have a firm grip on reality. Neither will put forth the positive image of our society we are attempting to get across. Try instead, “In the society, I portray….”

On a General Note - Profanity: Just say no. It doesn’t fit with the image delineated in the Media Policy of someone who is clean-cut, professional and articulate.

Art of War - Master Alanus Handouts - FINANCIAL POLICY Amended January 22, 2005

SOCIETY FOR CREATIVE ANACHRONISM, INC
FINANCIAL POLICY
Amended January 22, 2005

INTRODUCTION
Our educational purpose is the study of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. This has led the Society to create a social structure adapted from those found in Europe during the Middle Ages. This has created a diversity of groups and interests, which enhance the experience we seek to create. We currently enjoy a tax-exempt status in the United States (U.S.), and maintaining that status requires that we adopt certain uniform practices and standards regarding our financial activity. We must make sure that:
• Every part of the organization engages primarily in activities that advance our U.S. tax - exempt purposes except where prohibited by law;
• A substantial part of activities conducted in our name and with our funds are in support of an exempt purpose; our earnings are not used in whole or in part to the benefit of private individuals or organizations; and
• We serve a public, not a private, purpose. In order to accomplish this, a system of consistent financial procedures will be followed by every branch or other entity maintaining Society assets. The term ‘branch’ refers to any geographic or institutional division of the Society, as defined in Corpora. The term ‘other entity’ includes but is not limited to: Chartered guilds, special newsletters, and special deputies to the Society or Kingdom Chancellors of the Exchequer. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the designated person responsible for managing Society assets, and this position is considered an office. This financial policy establishes basic accounting and financial management minimum requirements for every part of the organization, except where prohibited by law. Each Kingdom may establish additional requirements as they see fit, so long as they are not prohibited by law or the Governing Documents of the Society. Branches and other entities may also establish additionally requirements, so long as they are not prohibited by law, the governing Documents of the Society, this Financial Policy, or their Kingdom Law or Financial Policy.

I. BANK ACCOUNT IDENTIFICATION AND STRUCTURE
A. All funds will be maintained in a bank account in the name of ‘Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. - ’ and, in banks governed by U.S. banking regulations, under the Society’s federal employer ID numbers, which is 94-1698556.
B. Entities maintaining funds insufficient to open a bank account shall either have them kept in another Society bank account or contact the Kingdom Exchequer to make other arrangements. Incipient groups may not have independent monetary accounts (i.e., checking accounts) in their own name. Any monies are to be held as designated funds by their sponsoring group.
C. Approved controls on accounts are: requiring two signatures for withdrawal and providing copies of the reconciled statements for review by either the branch Seneschal monthly (for branches), or the Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer quarterly where appropriate, or the superior Chancellor of the Exchequer quarterly; AND/OR having the unopened bank statements sent to someone other than the Chancellor of the Exchequer who lives at a different address for initial review.

II. SIGNATORIES
A. All signatories on Society accounts must be paid members of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. while they are listed as signatories.
B. At least two officers of the same branch must be listed as signatories, as well as the Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer or a designated representative. For non-branch accounts, the officer and another local person must be listed as signatories, as well as the Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer or a designated representative. For a Kingdom account, the Society Chancellor of the Exchequer must be a signatory.
C. All account signatories will submit evidence of personal/legal identification when being added as a signatory to the account, including their full name and address. Copies of this ID will be forwarded to the Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer along with the signature card.
D. No two signatories on the same account may share the same address.
E. All signatories must be acceptable to the Kingdom Exchequer.
F. Sovereigns, Consorts, and the heirs of Kingdoms and Principalities as defined in the Governing Documents are not allowed to be signatories on any Society account while they hold that status.

III. SEGREGATION OF DUTIES
A. No one person may be responsible for all aspects of the financial management of any assets (cash and non-cash assets) held in the name of the SCA, Inc. These responsibilities may include writing checks, balancing bank statements, and deciding on disbursements of funds.
B. No one should hold more than one office at a time. In small branches where this is not feasible, any paid member other than the Seneschal may serve as Chancellor of the Exchequer. The offices of Chancellor of the Exchequer and Seneschal cannot operate out of the same residence.
C. There can be no co-mingling of Society Funds with the funds of any individual or business. Disbursement controls will be implemented by the branch or other entity that are sufficient to discourage misappropriation of funds and to reveal any attempted misappropriation promptly.

IV. FINANCIAL RECORDS
A. The Chancellor of the Exchequer will maintain permanent books and records of all financial activity. Detailed records must be maintained and receipts, disbursements, and contributions specifically itemized. Where a system is automated, printouts (‘hard copy’) of computerized records will be made as well as backup files/disks.
B. Internal records must be reconciled to the bank statements received. In no case shall reconciliation occur less than monthly.
C. All records must be retained for at least seven years. These books and records, as well as all assets, bank statements, other correspondence and files of an official nature are the property of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. They must be turned over to the successor officer within thirty days after a person leaves office. If the materials are not turned over in a timely manner, appropriate action will be taken.

V. FINANCIAL REPORTING AND DISCLOSURE
A. Reports must be presented to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s superior office, and, if appropriate, the branch or other entity to demonstrate that the records agree with the bank statements.
1. Chancellors of the Exchequer must report quarterly to the Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer or a designated representative. Branch Chancellors of the Exchequer must also provide copies of the report to their branch Seneschal.
2. Kingdom Chancellors of the Exchequer must report quarterly to the Kingdom Seneschal, the Crown, and the Society Chancellor of the Exchequer. These reports are for financial activity on the kingdom level and include a current list of variances in effect and a status report for accounts held within the kingdom.
B. Financial statements (consisting of a Comparative Balance Sheet and Income and Expense Statements) must be made available to the public at least annually, whether published in a newsletter or distributed to the membership in some other form. A copy of this printed statement must also be sent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s superior.
C. Failure to file required reports within 30 days after the end of the reporting deadline may be grounds for suspension of the branch or other entity and/or replacement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

VI. FINANCIAL COMMITTEES
A. All assets (funds and non-cash assets) held in the name of the SCA, Inc. must be managed by:
a Financial Committee.
B. All voting members of a Financial Committee must be paid members of the SCA, Inc.
C. Financial Committees must have an odd number of three or more voting members, and must include as members, but are not limited to:
1. A warranted Chancellor of the Exchequer;
2. A warranted Seneschal.
D. Non-branch Financial Committees must also include:
1. for officer accounts, the respective warranted officer;
2. for guild accounts, the guild principal.
E. Sovereigns, Consorts, and heirs as defined in the Governing Documents are limited to one composite vote. For Financial Committees with five or more voting members, heirs may have a composite vote separate from the Sovereign.

VII. EXPENSE AUTHORIZATION
A. Financial Committees will approve in advance annual and event budgets.
B. The Financial Committee must approve unbudgeted expenditures. Emergency situations are handled on a case-by-case basis according to the entity's Financial Policy.
C. No officer of any level has the power to authorize payments that do not support the Society's tax exempt purpose. [Overall guidelines for classes of expenses are delineated in the Society Chancellor of the Exchequer Officer's Handbook.] If the reasonableness of any expense is uncertain, the superior Chancellor of the Exchequer must be consulted prior to any commitment.
D. Fully documented receipts must be provided to support all expenses. This rule applies to anyone expecting reimbursement.
E. SCA funds may not be used to reimburse expenses for events or meetings closed to the general populace unless the events or meetings have a business agenda which requires limited attendance, such as officer staff meetings, kingdom councils, and event planning meetings. Kingdom Financial Policies may have additional requirements for reimbursement of these expenses. Expenses solely incurred for Royalty- only and order- only meetings are specifically ineligible for reimbursement. The Society Chancellor of the Exchequer may grant variances to this policy on a case- by- case basis, based on written requests received no later than 7 days prior to the event or meeting date.

VIII. SPECIAL PURPOSE AND DEDICATED FUNDS
A. Accounting records must support segregation of funds by purpose. When setting up special purpose/dedicated funds, a primary and secondary purpose will be established by the Financial Committee. Funds raised will be used for the primary purpose first. If it is not possible to fulfill the primary purpose or if there are residual funds, the funds will be directed to the secondary purpose. The final destination for all special purpose funds will be the General Fund.
B. Sufficient reserves must exist to fund any outstanding subscription liability for all publications. It is recommended that each branch or other entity should maintain sufficient cash reserves to continue normal operations after a total loss of advance expenses for one major event of the type it typically runs.
C. Donations earmarked for a purpose contrary to our tax-exempt status, or found untenable or undesirable by the potential recipient shall be declined.

IX. CONTROLLING DISBURSEMENTS
All disbursements will be made to an entity (individual or business) by signed checks or traceable money orders. Disbursements in advance of a purchase must be documented beforehand and will be treated as receivable items until they are reconciled by presentation of receipts and/or cash totaling the amount of the advance. Reconciliation of advances must occur within 60 days of the disbursement.

X. CONTROLLING CASH RECEIPTS
Adequate cash controls must be in place at any event where money is collected in the name of the Society. Implementation of cash controls is the responsibility of the hosting branch’s Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Autocrat of the event, and must comply with Kingdom Law and Kingdom Financial Policy. Cash receipts will be deposited in the appropriate account within a reasonable period of time. Minors under age 15 may not serve as Head Gatekeeper/Troll /Reservationist /etc. for an event. Such minors may assist at the gate collecting funds, making change, etc., under the oversight of an individual permitted by the SCA’s Corporate Policies to serve as an officer, who will be ultimately responsible for the accounting of the funds passing through the gate. Individual Kingdoms may be more restrictive should they choose.

XI. REVIEW OF BOOKS
A review of books is mandatory when the office changes hands or every two years, such review to be conducted by the Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer or designated representative. The books maintained by the Kingdom Exchequer will be reviewed by the Society Chancellor of the Exchequer and/or the Kingdom Seneschal when that office changes hands. The financial records are public property and will be made available for examination by any member upon reasonable request at a time and place agreed upon by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the requestor.
XII. INTERKINGDOM EVENTS

A. Any event, which has a standard monetary distribution to another Kingdom's accounts based on a calculation method other than or in addition to volunteer hours, and has the event administration either as a perpetual independent event staff or changes between Kingdoms on a standard rotation, must have a financial policy approved by the Board of Directors and the Society Chancellor of the Exchequer.
B. Inter-kingdom Financial Policies must include: a method for staffing the Financial Committee, a means for determining approvals of budgets and expenditures, a means for revision of the policy, reporting requirements and schedule, and the standard distribution calculation.
C. The Kingdom Exchequer may require similar financial policies for intra-kingdom events.

XIII. VARIANCES TO THIS POLICY
Variances to Sections I, II.A, II.F, II.D, and III.B may be granted in writing for limited periods of time on a case-by-case basis by the Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer, subject to review by the Society Chancellor of the Exchequer. Variance to other portions of this policy may be granted by the Society Chancellor of the Exchequer on a case-by-case basis subject to review and confirmation by the Board of Directors.

XIV. INTERNATIONAL REPORTING POLICY

A. For SCA entities which are part of non-U.S. corporations, the Society Exchequer may grant upon request a variance to financial reporting requirements and notify the appropriate Kingdom Exchequer of such variance. All officers report through the normal reporting hierarchy used by the SCA, Inc. except for the Treasurer. The Treasurer returns the Negative Report Form with the “University or College Branch/Separate Incorporation” section filled out and is requested to include a copy of the reports filed with their reporting authority as a courtesy.
B. For SCA entities located outside the United States, which are not part of non-U.S.
corporations, reporting, accounting, and banking procedures used must be designed to meet the needs of the reporting entities as well as the requirements of the corporation. All non-U.S. branches must file reports at least yearly with their superior Chancellor of the Exchequer. The requirements for reporting of non-U.S. entities shall be determined by the Society Chancellor of the Exchequer, in conjunctions with the Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer responsible for that area.
XV. KINGDOM FINANCIAL POLICIES
A. Kingdom Financial Policies must include: a method for staffing the Kingdom Financial Committee, a means for determining approval of budgets and expenditures, a means for review of the Kingdom Financial Policy, reporting requirements and schedule, and any additional policies desired by the Kingdom Financial Committee.
B. Each Kingdom Financial Policy will be reviewed yearly by the Society Chancellor of the Exchequer who will present any changes to the Board for approval.

Art of War - Master Alanus Handouts - FINANCIAL POLICY FOR EVENTS

FINANCIAL POLICY FOR EVENTS

CHAPTER 9: EVENT FINANCES

Holding events is one of the most widely used ways of proving our interest in the Middle Ages; this is where we display what we have learned to others. We hold tournaments to display our knowledge of combat in the Middle Ages. We hold Arts & Sciences exhibitions, classes, and competitions to show what we have learned of aspects of life in the Middle Ages. We hold feasts to display what we have learned of food and drink in the Middle Ages. Every branch takes turns doing the work of finding a place to gather, setting up and coordinating the activities, cooking the feast, and cleaning up afterwards. To the modern world, events are all-day or weekend conferences with meals prepared and served on site. In the modern world, attendees are charged admission to these sorts of gatherings, and we are no different. Hosting events costs money, so we usually charge admission. For this reason, the Exchequer should be an integral part of the planning process. The basic premise behind event financing is that expected income should cover expected expenses. No one wants to lose money on an event unless they are being generous. Regardless, efforts should be made to accurately estimate income and expenses. It is a good idea to overestimate expenses by about 10% to allow for unexpected situations. Events are allowed to turn a profit. We definitely don‘t want to lose money when it could have been prevented. If the event is to be a fund-raiser (you budget to make some amount of profit as money for some project), please advertise that fact. Letting people know beforehand will probably increase attendance among those who use cost as a criteria for event attendance, and decrease possible bad feelings afterwards. There is a very fine line between overcharging and underestimating attendance; one generates feelings of being used, and the other generates thoughts of bad planning. They are both something to avoid, and can be corrected when planning the next event. In general, planning to break even is the safest path. Learn from each year‘s event to better estimate the break-even point. Here are some guidelines to use when planning an event. They are only guidelines, and local custom and/or Kingdom Policy may dictate that a branch use other methods.



I. BUDGETS

A budget is a list of expected sources of income and expenses. Expected income is based on estimated attendance paying at a certain price (for example, 300 people at $3.00 each). Expected expenses are based on what activities will require supplies (for example, site rental at $1000, feast food at $600, tournament at $80 for list poles, stands, and prizes). An event budget should be submitted in writing to the branch Financial Committee prior to setting event attendance fees, within a time period recommended by the Financial Committee. A copy should be given to the Exchequer for his or her reference when reimbursing receipts. This budget should include estimates for income and for expenses by category based upon expected attendance, rates charged, and any free admissions. Some kingdoms have required forms. If not, use what works for you and your branch. Some sites may be small enough that expected attendance would exceed the maximum site capacity. While this is nice for budgeting because you expect to sell out, it isn‘t nice for the potential attendees who get turned away. Make sure that if your event has an attendance cap because of the site restrictions, that this is thoroughly advertised, and that the reservation method is fair to everyone. Don‘t assume everyone has access to the Internet and email - those without will not have an equal chance to make a reservation due to both the time lag of the Kingdom newsletter and the postal service. One way to avoid this is to advertise in the kingdom newsletter several months in advance of the event, with a starting date when reservations will be taken by regular mail (reservations received before that date should be returned to be fair). Everyone will have a chance to mail his or her check to the reservationist so that it arrives on or after the due date.

A. Income Categories

Income categories include site fees, feast fees, camping fees, etc. Consider family rates, children‘s rates, kitchen worker/server rates, and free or reduced admission for Royalty as per local custom. Also consider timed rates (one rate until some date about a month from the event, another rate afterwards and another at the door). A site fee for the day is standard, as well as a feast ticket charge, if a feast is offered. Special fees might include off-board feast (limited service), overnight lodging, camping fees, etc. All of these are reported under Adjusted Gross Event Related Income on the Income Worksheet. Don‘t include expected Corporate Surcharge, as you won‘t be using it to pay for the event. Also don‘t include estimates for any Fund raising income, as that is unrelated to the event funding.

B. Expense Categories

Valid expense categories are: Food (food and beverages), Printing (photocopies of maps, schedules, fliers, etc.) and Postage (fliers), Occupancy (site rental), Supplies (site tokens, equipment rental, sports drinks, rope, tape, signs, cleaning and bathroom supplies, and prizes), Equipment Rental (portable toilets, grills, etc.). All of these categories are reported under the Events column on the Income Statement.



Transfers to the kingdom newsletters for advertising are reported under Transfers. Transfers to the Kingdom account for profit sharing or event Fund raising activities are reported under Transfers within Kingdom. Prizes worth more than $300 or $50 in cash distributed at an event in the U.S require a special form to be filled out called the IRS 1099 form. The Treasurer issues this form in the name of the SCA Contact that officer for more instructions. Sometimes, food like bread, piecrusts, etc. can be made in advance to save money. Other time-consuming tasks can be done in advance; such as peeling garlic bulbs rather than buying chopped garlic. These things cost more to buy pre-processed than unprocessed (not to mention it‘s a great excuse for a party). Purchases of alcoholic beverages for serving are prohibited. Alcohol in small quantities for cooking is acceptable, as long as the site permits it. (CP VIII) Don‘t forget to allow extra money in the budget for unexpected charges, such as hay for a mired campsite, or extra portable toilets if attendance is larger than expected.

C. Segregation of Budget By Activity

Theoretically, each activity should pay for itself. • The feast fees should cover the cost of the food, beverages, rental equipment, feast tokens, kitchen cleaning equipment and supplies, etc. used to provide the feast. If servers or kitchen help eat free, the paying attendees must cover their costs. • Class fees should cover the expenses of any supplies or rental equipment incurred by the class apart from the general site costs, such as craft supplies, or honoraria for a guest speaker. • Childcare fees should cover the cost of any professional childcare workers, snacks, equipment/video rental, and any supplies used. • The site fee should pay for the site tokens, camping fees, hall rental, hall cleaning equipment and supplies, general activity supplies, prizes, and anything else not covered by another fee.

D. Pricing

Fees for participation are calculated before the event to cover all the expenses that will be incurred holding the event. The break-even point is the point at which all the people in attendance paying to attend have paid for all the expenses incurred in putting on the event. This is calculated separately for each activity that requires a fee. Once attendance has reached the break-even point, any further income should be profit, as long as the expenses haven‘t gone over-budget too. The fee schedule should be kept as simple as possible, and rounded to the nearest dollar. This will result in less work for the Gate staff and resolution of the cash box will be easier. Consider: • Family rates, price limit or cap (one or two adults and any number of minor children would be considered a family), • Children‘s rates, • Kitchen worker/server rates, and • Free or reduced admission for Royalty or Kingdom Officers as per local custom. If you decide that special rates are appropriate for your event, make sure they are clearly stated and justified (i.e., not just the Autocrat‘s extended household). Reduced rate or free admittance should only be done in return for some service you are expecting, like Court and higher attendance for the Royalty, or work from servers or overnight gate constables. Consider timed rates to encourage advance registration (one dollar off until a month from the event date, and the full rate afterwards). The easy way to determine your participation fees is to estimate your expenses, and divide by the minimum expected paid attendance at the activity. This tells you what each paying attendee‘s share of the expenses is, and you can then set your fees based on this information. This also makes your minimum expected attendance the break-even point. There should be a really good chance that at least the minimum expected attendance should be satisfied, if not more. Feasts are special in that there are usually several meals given free (such as head table). Count the available seats to be sold when counting attendance, but count all meals to be prepared when figuring expenses. This way, a small part of the price of each sold feast ticket pays for a small part of one of the free meals. When considering children‘s fees, remember that a few children will not make much difference to event site fee income, although they might make a difference for a feast (by taking up a possibly full paid seat, not in how much they may eat). Consider charging nothing for children under a certain age. This helps simplify the fee schedule and encourages families to attend. It is allowable to charge a special fee for a special children‘s feast (such as children‘s meals from a local fast food restaurant or simple hotdogs and Mac-n-cheese) that they are more likely to eat than the sometimes exotic feast fare. This also encourages family attendance. Here are the steps used to calculate participation fees for each activity.

1. Pick a reasonable minimum paying attendance figure for each activity.

Talk to people in other branches, and ask for information if you don‘t feel confident making an estimate. Remember that Royalty attending will always attract more people, and Peerage meetings (if they happen at events) even more. Royalty attending other events the same weekend or other special purpose events the same weekend will lower your attendance. Reasonable attendance at a feast does not necessarily mean all available seats - don‘t assume you will sell out unless you have done so repeatedly in the past. Planning to sell 75 to 80 percent of the available seats is usually a good margin. If you set your attendance estimate too high, the prices are correspondingly lower, and you may find yourself with either unexpectedly large attendance due to the low price, or low attendance for some other reason (weather, etc.) so you end up losing money. If you set your attendance estimate too low, the prices are correspondingly higher per person; you may find yourself just barely breaking even because of the high price, or with tons of profit, but next year you may have your attendance drop because the attendees this year didn‘t feel they got their money‘s worth. As an example, say that your event will have 100 people attend as a rule, based on previous events of that theme held by your branch over the last few years. To make things simple, there will be no feast or other charges above the site fee.

2. Estimate your total expenses for each activity.

Figure out an approximate cost for site rental, supplies, food, rental equipment, insurance, and any other expenses that the event might require. In this example, the total expenses for the site are estimated to be $500.

3. Fudge Factor

Add at least 10% to the estimated expenses for each activity to allow for unexpected expenses. Then round up to the nearest dollar. In the example, the total for this step is $550 ($500 x 1.1).

4. Divide the total estimated expenses for each activity by your estimated paid attendance at that activity.
This gives you the estimated cost per paid person for each activity. In the example, this gives $5.50 per person site fee for this event ($550/100).

5. Round Up

Round the estimated cost per paid person for each activity up to the nearest dollar or half dollar to simplify payment and accounting at the gate. In this example, we‘ll use $6.00 as the site fee.

6. Reality Check

Make sure the price for each activity seems reasonable, and comparable with other events of that size. Would you pay it? Do your branch members consider it a good deal? Is the price comparable to what other events are charging? Calculate costs for a ‗family of four‘ and see if it is still a good deal. It‘s a fine line, and may take some practice. In our example, a ‗family of four‘ would be charged $24.00. If it turns out that the estimated price seems too high, revisit steps 1 and 2. Revise your estimated attendance numbers and possibly reduce your expenses. Then follow the rest of the steps 3 through 6 until you are satisfied that the numbers are realistic and the price is acceptable.

7. Calculate Estimated Break Even Point

Your estimated break-even point is the count of attendees who will have paid for all the estimated event expenses. Everyone else who attends after that point represents profit. This figure gives the event staff something easy to watch for during the event to see whether they will make a profit. To calculate this, divide your estimated total expenses for each part of the event by the price you will charge. The result (rounded up) is the total number of attendees necessary to pay for that activity at that event. In our example, our break-even point is $550/$6.00 = 91.6 or 92. 92 attendees is our break-even point. As a contrast, the break-even point if the site fee was left at $5.50 is 100. It may wind up that the event makes more or less money depending on actual expenses, and that‘s okay. This is a ballpark estimate for during the event until the final accounting is done.

II. EVENT ADVERTISING

Most events are advertised in the Kingdom Newsletters. Most Kingdom Newsletters allow one one-half page advertisement per event for free. If your event is a Kingdom-level event, you will probably want to use at least one full-page advertisement. This isn‘t an advertising expense as the IRS sees it; this is a transfer. If your event is open to the public, or will have a portion of it open to the public during a set time, consider advertising in the local newspapers. Any fees paid for this would be listed as Advertising.

If you want to have a site flyer that contains advertising, it would be considered a special edition of a newsletter. See Chapter 10 for how to put together a site flyer.

III. VENDORS

When dealing with vendors (site owners, rental store clerks, grocery clerks, etc.), be polite and professional. We want to leave a favorable impression, so that next time we have to deal with them, they will be happy to help us.

A. Before The Event

Wear modern clothes when meeting with possible vendors. If your branch has business cards, bring some along for distribution. We want to give the impression that we are stable, rational people who will treat their site or equipment as well or better than they do. Make sure that if they need documentation about the Tax ID, they get it. Having it ready the first time you meet with them would be a good idea. Allowing us to use the Tax ID means more paperwork for them, so the easier we make it on them, the more willing they will be to work with us and the Tax ID. If you can, check out the contract before the Seneschal signs it. Make sure that the financial payment information is correct. If you don‘t see it before it‘s signed, ask for a copy so you know the financial obligation information. Some sites may require a special insurance form that names them specifically. This is available from the Corporation. Make sure that you find out as soon as possible whether you will need this form to give adequate time for the form to be drawn up and sent to you. This transaction is recorded as a ‗Transfer out of Kingdom or to Corporate Office‘ on the reports. When you check out the site or equipment, make sure that everything is in proper order and that equipment works, etc. Take pictures or video of the site or major equipment before and after the event. The photos can be used later in future event bids if everything goes well. If the vendor will bill you after the event, find out when to expect the invoice and verify where the invoice will be sent. Get a contact name and number to call if you don‘t receive the invoice within 30 days of the event. Do a pre-event walk through of the site with the site owner, noting any problems or broken items on a sheet of paper. Have the site owner initial the list. This will help prevent any disputes over whether a piece of equipment was broken before you used the site. Schedule another walk-through of the site with the owner as soon as possible after the event, preferably before it is rented to some other group.

B. Dealing With Vendor Cancellations before the Event

If a vendor decides to break their contract before the event (due to act of God or overbooking, etc.), insist on getting your entire site deposit back, immediately if possible. Ask if they know of any other sites that may be able to accommodate your needs, and contacts for those sites if known. Depending on how long until the event is to occur, you may be able to find another site or vendor to accommodate you. If you haven‘t found one or the cancellation happens less than two weeks before the scheduled event, your Financial Committee should meet and discuss deciding to cancel the event and cut your losses. You could ask the vendor breaking the contract to cover the costs of re-advertising your event if you find another site to accommodate you, but don‘t be surprised if you don‘t get it. Sometimes, you may, but you won‘t if you don‘t ask (politely).

C. After The Event

Make sure that the site or equipment‘s condition is acceptable to the owner when you return it to them. Since most owners require a damage deposit, you want to make sure you get it all back. It is in our best interest and has been Society tradition to leave things better than we found them. This makes the site owner eager to rent to you next time. If you have expenses that are paid after the event is finished, make sure you get the invoice within a month of the event date. If you don‘t receive an invoice within that time, contact the vendor to ask them to resend the invoice. Keep track of your contacts with that vendor in case you need to remind them you did try to resolve your debt.

D. Dealing With Problems at the Event

In a conflict with a vendor at an event, the Event Steward should notify the Seneschal and the Exchequer. Every attempt should be made to correct the problem as soon as possible after the problem is noticed. If it is unable to be resolved at the event, a written report of the problem should be sent to the Kingdom Seneschal, and a copy should remain attached to the event report.

E. Dealing With Problems after the Event

If there was a problem after the event is over, the Event Steward should find out specifically what the problem was from the owner, and ask to be notified in writing. If they refuse to put it in writing, then consider the matter dropped. If it was in fact the Society‘s fault, apologize in writing and make right what was wrong, either by fixing the problem or paying for the damages. If the damages were significant, contact the Corporate Office for guidance. If it was not the Society‘s fault and you have documentation (the pictures of the site before and after the day of the event), write a calm, professional letter and include copies of your proof. If the situation is still not acceptable to the owner, try to release the Society from a relationship with that vendor. Your Kingdom Seneschal, Kingdom Exchequer and/or the Corporate Office can provide guidance on this.

F. After The Fact Donations

If you find yourself with a payable because a vendor has not billed you yet, and it has been over a year, then remove the payable, list the amount as a direct contribution, and write them a letter thanking them for the donation. Make sure you mention that you have been trying to resolve this for past year with no success, and this is what you are assuming they want done.

IV. MERCHANTS

When dealing with merchants, remember that they are, in some cases, trying to make a living. However, we are not obligated to help them do this, other than allow them to have a place to work if the site and event theme allows. Merchants sometimes add ambiance and attract attendees – and some events can have the merchants as the main attraction.

A. Deciding to Have Merchants

First, see if the site has space for merchants in addition to other activities that may be scheduled. They will need at least 10‘x10‘ per merchant to set up their wares, and some will take up more space than that. If you are having the merchant space indoors, make sure that you aren‘t setting them up so that they will either be blocking traffic flow, or be so out of the way that they get no traffic. You may decide that only certain merchants may sell – but you must make the rules known in advance, and make them generic. Examples are: only merchants with period pavilions, only merchants selling music, only merchants selling period items (no bumper stickers/t-shirt only merchants). If you make the criteria subjective, use a team to evaluate the merchant applications so that it appears to be an objective evaluation. Merchants who are not allowed to sell for what they see are unfair evaluations or criteria will complain and having a team involved will mean that they can‘t blame their ability to sell on only one person.

B. Dealing with Merchants

You may or may not charge merchants for space at your event. If the room where the merchants will be costs extra, you could split the cost of the room among the number of merchants that could set up in that room and set that as your merchant fee. Treat the reservation of merchant space just as you would any other reservation, such as for a feast. It is highly encouraged that there be some sort of agreement signed by both the branch (Seneschal‘s responsibility) and the merchant regarding any fees for appearance, and refunds or forfeiture of those fees should the merchant not appear. A contract will protect both you and the merchant, and several branches already have them in effect. You can find them by asking the Seneschals or asking the autocrats of large events that consistently feature large numbers of merchants.

C. Legal Obligations

Some states or other jurisdictions have rules regarding transient vendors (which is what most merchants are classified as). As host, sometimes the branch has an obligation to ensure that the merchants file their paperwork properly with the appropriate jurisdiction for any event they hold. Check your local laws to see what, if any, responsibilities the branch would assume by allowing merchants at that event before you decide to allow merchants. It is also possible that your state or municipality may change the rules regarding transient vendors, so it is recommended that the rules be checked at least once per year to make sure that nothing has changed. Your kingdom exchequer should have information on this.

V. CONTROLS OF CASH

The gate at SCA events is to be controlled by the SCA branch hosting the event. If the site owner wants to have additional oversight, that can be negotiated, but final control of all entrance fees must always rest with the SCA. The only exception is Pennsic, where the site owner‘s bonded employees manage the cash and the SCA manages everything else.

A. Gate Cash Income Management

One individual should be designated to be responsible for custody of gate funds at the event, and if the individual is not the Exchequer, see to it that this money is turned over to the Exchequer for reconciliation and deposit. This person may have deputies or helpers; however, the person in charge is ultimately responsible. Any person responsible for custody of SCA funds, either in advance or at the gate, must be an SCA member. (SFP XII)

1. Advance Registration

All cash or equivalents (i.e., checks) received prior to an event should be deposited within 7 days but no longer than 14 days of receipt, or forwarded to the Exchequer for deposit within a week to allow the Exchequer time to get to the bank within 14 days of when the funds were received by the reservation officer. Some Kingdoms may have shorter timeframes. It is advisable to deposit checks immediately for two reasons: one, some people don‘t practice good bookkeeping, so the sooner you deposit the check after it is written, the better the chance that there are still funds there to cover it; and two, if the check bounces, it may bounce before the event and you may be able to resolve the matter in person at the event. It is not acceptable for the reservation person to hold on to all checks until the event so that if a refund is requested the check can be returned.

When depositing the checks, make a list of the checks by legal name on the check, amount, and check number to allow for later cross-referencing if there is a problem or a refund is requested. If possible, include on the list the address or phone number on the check so that the person can be contacted in case the event is canceled. The person responsible for advance reservation administration must keep detailed records of advanced funds received and bring these records to the event. It is a good practice for the gate reservation person to make copies of all checks received. If your Kingdom has set up a relationship with the Ansteorran Credit Card Electronic Payment System (ACCEPS), you may have advance registrations taken over the web by this service. The branch will work with them to set up a web page where people can go to register for your event using their credit card (there is a small fee for this service). ACCEPS will send your branch a transfer check 10 days before the event along with a list of all registrations that they have processed which can be used at the Gate for check in. It is never allowable to use other services such as PayPal to take advance event registrations. (SFP XIII.B) PayPal and other institutions do not have adequate safeguards on the accounts for our purposes, and most treat any accounts as their own rather than someone else‘s account.

2. Gate Setup

The day before the event, have someone take out a funds advance for a small amount of cash that they can convert into cash for the change fund. NEVER WRITE A CHECK OUT TO CASH. (SFP XI) $50-$100 in $5s and $1s should be sufficient change to start. Get a roll of quarters if your prices are not rounded to the nearest dollar. Don‘t wait until the last minute to get the change for the cash box - it will make your gate table that much harder to start up the day of the event. Also don‘t get it more than a day in advance so that there‘s little chance of it going missing. It is not an acceptable practice to borrow starter cash from a person, and refund that cash later in the day. It is acceptable to write someone a check in return for the same amount in cash - but don‘t mark that check as an expense of any kind because it‘s an advance. Make sure that the cash appears at the gate during setup (i.e., have the person with the check cash it on the way to the event). If the day of the event is the first of the month, the change fund cash on hand is reported on the bank reconciliation form on the bottom line.

3. Gate Operation

The goal is to get people signed in (waivers and membership card checks) and paid for as quickly as possible so that they can enjoy the event. It is highly discouraged to have more than just the sign-in and payment process at the gate. Jars for donations, raffle or auction signups, feast seating charts, and activity signups that do not require a separate payment all will disrupt the efficient operation of the gate, because of questions or people taking time to think about whether they want to participate in any of those other things. Have signups for those other things at a different table out of the way of getting people signed in as quickly and efficiently as possible.

4. Running the Gate Table at Ordinary Events

It is highly recommended that one person be responsible for the Gate Table. However, that does not mean that one person should run the Gate Table alone. More than one person should be present during on-site event registration whenever funds are being collected. This is not only so that one person doesn‘t get stuck with Gate Duty for the entire event, but also that having more people who know what‘s going on at gate makes it easier to take breaks and resolve conflicts. Don‘t go overboard, though. No more than four people should be involved in the gate at any one ordinary weekend event, unless it is a very large event or continues over several days. In that case, see 4. below. Minors under age 15 may not be responsible for the Gate Table at an event. (SFP XII.C) They can assist, but they cannot be in charge. No expense receipts should ever be reimbursed from the cash box at events (SFP XI). Here are some recommended procedures for running gate at ordinary events.

a) Schedule of Fees

Make sure that there is a clear list of fees to be charged, including NMS. This will help reduce time to calculate fees for each person, as well as reduce mistakes. An example of a list of fees would be: Adult Member site only: $5 Adult Member site + feast: $15 Adult Non-Member site only: $8 Adult Non-Member Site + feast: $18

b) Special Rates

Have a list of who is exempt from gate fees or has a reduced rate (such as a server). Check them off as they arrive (but they still must go through the waiver process).

c) Staffing the Gate

Each person working at the gate must:

i. Be a paid member in good standing of the SCA.

ii. Be acceptable to the group exchequer and the group seneschal.

iii. Understand your branch cash handling procedures and waiver policy.

The Exchequer needs to train the gate staff on proper cash handling procedures and provide the proper forms to use when running the gate. It is recommended that pictures of the persons authorized to handle the cash box be posted inside the cash box for easy reference. There also needs to be an established escalation plan in case there are questions or objections to any part of the gate sign-in process. One plan could be that any questions or issues regarding payments are escalated to the Exchequer, and any questions or issues regarding waivers is escalated to the Seneschal.

d) Receipts

An individual‘s canceled check shall serve as the receipt for all attendance fees paid at the gate by that individual. Receipts shall be issued for cash received at the gate if requested by the attendee, including Non-Member Surcharge funds. Have a duplicate receipt book present at the table for this purpose. No expense receipts should ever be reimbursed from the cash box at events (SFP XI).

e) No Non-Gate Activities at the Gate

It is highly recommended that Fund raising activity or any other monetary activities are set up in a different place from the Gate. Any other business will most likely slow up the gate, leading to unhappy attendees.

f) Cash Box Counts

The gate cash box should be counted and verified at the beginning of the event, at the beginning and end of each day, and at random intervals while troll is open. These intervals should not exceed 5 hours in duration. The gate cash box shall be counted and verified by the following officers: the Event Autocrat, the branch Seneschal, and the branch Exchequer. Any two of these officers may select a representative to serve in this capacity on their behalf should they not be available at the appointed time to perform this duty. Representatives of these officers must be acceptable to all three officers.

g) Cash Box Extracts during the Event

After the gate cash box has been counted and verified, all checks and cash shall be removed for deposit, minus the starting gate funds. The starting gate funds for the cash box shall remain in the cash box until the gate closes. It is recommended that pictures of the persons authorized to count and verify gate receipts be posted inside the cash box for easy reference by the gate staff. All cash and checks for deposit should be sealed in a secure envelope with the following written on the outside of the envelope: Amount of cash and denominations, amount of checks, date and time of verification, and signatures of all three officers (or their representatives) verifying the amount. Envelopes containing gate funds shall be secured in a locked vehicle, out of public view. Two of the officers (or their representatives) verifying the deposit should convey the envelope to its destination. If the gate funds are to be taken directly to the bank for deposit during the Event, two individuals should accompany the money to the bank to ensure the safety of the individuals conveying the funds. No expense receipts should ever be reimbursed from the cash box at events (SFP XI).

h) Cash Box Final Accounting

At the close of the event, two or more individuals shall reconcile the attendance list to funds collected, and account for gross event income. This should be performed by both the individual responsible for custody of funds and by the Exchequer (or designated representative). All cash and checks for deposit will be sealed in a secure container (sealed envelope or locking pouch) with the following written on the outside of the envelope: Amount of cash, amount of checks, date and time of verification, and signatures of all three officers (or their representatives) verifying the amount. All Event funds are to be turned over to the branch Exchequer or other designated member of the branch Financial Committee at the close of the Event. All Event funds should be deposited within 7 days but no longer than 14 days following the close of the Event. Some Kingdoms may have shorter timeframes in their Kingdom Financial Policy.

i) Gate Staff Evaluation after the Event

All individuals who have served as Gate staff correctly should be commended publicly. The Exchequer can maintain a list of individuals who are acceptable to serve as Gate staff at future events. If an individual exhibits bad judgment or fails to follow laws and policies in relation to the handling of branch funds, a reasonable attempt should be made to educate the person in the correct behavior/policy and to explain the possible consequences of financial impropriety that may affect the person, the branch, and the SCA. In the event of an individual exhibiting bad judgment on two or more occasions in relation to the handling of branch funds, the branch Seneschal and branch Exchequer will consult their respective Kingdom-level Officers for recommendations on what actions are to be taken.

5. Running the Gate Table at Multi-Day or Very Large Events

These events require extra precautions and care due to the large sums of money and the work involved to fully staff a large gate table. All of the above instructions apply here as well.

a) Schedule

For everyone‘s peace of mind, have a regimented schedule of people scheduled to work and when. Make sure there are scheduled meal breaks and coverage for restroom breaks. It may help to have the merchants be able to check in and set up before anyone else arrives at the site (but it may not help to let them check in before the branch is ready to have them there - just because they‘re there doesn‘t mean they can check in and set up). Also, schedule in advance for any overnight shifts.

b) Rotating responsibility

Have three or four people authorized to take money from participants and remove money from the gate at scheduled times. Mix the people up so that each time it‘s a different two people from the pool of four, who both count and bag the money. Have two people able to leave site to make bank drops. For a really large event, it may be necessary to have someone just run between the event and the bank with the money.

c) Bank drops or money conversion (i.e., getting the cash into the bank ASAP)

Figure out where you can either deposit the cash or convert it to money orders before the day of the event. If the bank you normally use is not near the event site, try to use the closest branch. If that isn‘t practical, make sure you can bring the cash to the nearest bank, credit union, currency exchange or post office and get cashier‘s checks or money orders (the fees would be an expense of the event). Western Union may be able to wire the money directly into the branch‘s account. Some Wal-Mart stores and grocery stores sell money orders as well. Get disposable sealable bank bags, and include a SASE to the branch‘s Exchequer or Seneschal‘s address. At regular intervals (more often during peak times, less during slow times), count out cash equal to the total minus the starting cash, and remove it and any checks from the cash box. Place it in sealed or locked bank bags with a detailed count of bills and checks. Put a SASE addressed to the branch in the bag. Store these in a safe place until they can be transported to the bank drop or money conversion point. Have two people drive the money to the bank or money conversion point a few times during the days with the most traffic through the gate. Envelopes or bags containing gate funds shall be secured in a locked vehicle, out of public view. Two of the officers (or their representatives) verifying the deposit should convey the envelope to its destination. DON’T ever deposit the money using an ATM into your account and then write a check to the branch. That‘s commingling of funds, and strictly prohibited. Writing the branch a personal check and taking the cash is also prohibited. It is recommended that pictures of the persons authorized to handle the cash box be posted inside the cash box for easy reference.

d) Use multiple lines during peak times

Separate the crowd into separate lines - member vs. non-member, site-only vs. site and feast, pre-registered vs. non-pre-registered, etc. Use whatever separation most evenly splits the traffic.

e) Advertise the prices and site map

Use posters to show the prices being charged so that people don‘t have to use time asking and figuring out how much they owe. Put small versions of this list at each seat so the gate staff won‘t have to turn around to figure it out as well. Have a large map of the site near the gate table, but not so near that people will clump around it and block traffic.

f) Separate the check-in process into steps

Have one spot for pre-registration check off, another for money taking, another for waiver signing, and the last for token and flyer handout. People asking to help can be directed to the end of the line where most of the questions about the site will be asked.

g) Make the gate staff comfortable

Have in place at the gate some water with cups, sun block, snacks, and a restroom facility within 20 feet of the gate (close enough to use quickly, but not so close as to smell or have the line block access to the gate).

6. Accepting Checks

Checks received at the event should have the individual‘s legal name, address, phone number, and the name of their branch on the check, in case of problems. If they don‘t know the name of their branch, either leave it off or help them find out. All checks must be made out to your branch in the form of "SCA, Inc. - ".

7. Refunds

If people request refunds at the gate, get their name and address, wait until their check clears the bank, then send them a refund check. Do not attempt to return an attendee‘s check; it creates problems for the autocrat and exchequer. Do NOT issue cash refunds.

8. Collecting any Non-Member Surcharges

When people check in at the Gate, they are required to show proof of membership because of the waiver policy. If an attendee is not a member, and there is a Corporate Non-Member Surcharge in effect for that type of event, they must pay this additional fee. After the event, the amount is calculated and sent in as the current requirements dictate. Each Kingdom has its own Gate Reconciliations forms; contact your Kingdom Exchequer for more information.

Any event surcharge should not be figured into event budgets, but will need to be included on the event reports both as income and an expense.

9. Gate Closing

At the close of the event, two or more individuals shall reconcile the attendance list to funds collected, and account for gross event income. This should be performed by both the individual responsible for custody of funds and by the Exchequer (or designated representative). Signatures of the individuals performing this reconciliation should appear on the attendance list evidencing performance of this reconciliation. All funds are then turned over to the Chancellor of the Exchequer (or designated representative) for deposit.

10. Trespassers

If it is determined that someone has entered the event without going through the gate to a) pay and b) sign the waiver, and you know their name, ask a herald to page them to the Gate table. If they do not appear within a reasonable time or you don‘t know their name, ask the Autocrat and branch Seneschal to approach them after you have pointed them out. They must either comply with the fees and waiver policy, or leave. If it is determined that someone is attending a paid feast that did not pay for it, ask them to leave, as they are trespassing. This is where feast-tokens become useful. The Exchequer‘s responsibility in these matters is to notify the Seneschal of those who did not pass through the gate. The Autocrat and Seneschal‘s responsibility is to enforce the event‘s rules (minimum dress code, beverage restrictions, littering, etc.), or have them removed as trespassers.

11. After the Event

All event funds should be deposited within 7 days but no more than 14 days unless extraordinary circumstances prevail.

B. Expense Reimbursement and Invoice Payment

No receipts may be reimbursed from the cash box at events (SFP XI). Expenses shall be reimbursed by the Exchequer based on receipts tendered. In all cases, written receipts must substantiate disbursements. Fees may be paid based on invoices. Honoraria may be paid based on Financial Committee approval (a copy of a letter thanking the person included with the check serves as the documentation). No receipts may be reimbursed from the cash box at events (SFP XI). All funds advanced in excess of receipts tendered must be returned to the Exchequer for deposit. No receipts may be reimbursed from the cash box at events (SFP XI). Collect all the receipts as soon after the event as possible. Set a cut-off point of 14 days after the event, so you can meet the usual 30-day deadline for the event report. When making reimbursements, keep track of how much of each budgeted category has been spent. No receipts may be reimbursed from the cash box at events (SFP XI). If, for some reason, money is paid directly to a vendor personally for services rendered (such as honoraria, custodian fees or site rental to an individual), keep track of how much is paid over the year. If it‘s more than $600 and the branch is in the U.S., an IRS 1099 form will need to be filled out for that person. The Society Treasurer fills out the IRS form. The information required is name, SSN, Address, amount paid to them and for what. This information is to be sent to the Treasurer by December 31 of that year, as the SCA has to file with the IRS by January 30 of the following year. No receipts may be reimbursed from the cash box at events (SFP XI). (Get the picture?)

C. Attendance Management

One or more individuals will be designated to be responsible for maintaining the attendance list for the event. In addition, these individuals are responsible for collection of appropriate signatures indicating compliance with waiver policies. All attendance records (including waivers) should be delivered to the branch Seneschal, Exchequer or designated representative within 14 days after the event.

D. Final Accounting

At the close of the event, the individual responsible for the gate cash shall reconcile the attendance list to funds collected. (See IV.A.9 above) Don‘t forget to remove the "change fund" from the amount collected before determining gross income.

E. Non-Gate Income Management

One individual should be designated to be responsible for custody of non-gate income that is received during the event, and if the individual is not the Exchequer, see to it that this money is turned over to the Exchequer for reconciliation and deposit. This person may have deputies or helpers; however, the person in charge is ultimately responsible. Any person responsible for custody of SCA funds must be an SCA member. (SFP III.D) If the activity that generates funds is medieval in nature (class fees, etc.), then the income is reported as Activity Related. If the activity that generates funds is not medieval in nature (auctions, raffles, etc.), then the income is reported as Fund Raising, Internal. If there is just a donation jar, the income is reported as Direct Contribution.

VI. GOING OVER BUDGET

Sometimes, estimates aren‘t very accurate, or unique circumstances appear where some expense is more than was expected. We can be flexible in these cases, as long as the funds are there to support us. When a potential overrun is detected before the money is spent, take steps to verify that there is no other alternative. If some grocery store suddenly raises its prices, there is no reason why you can‘t go to some other store for a better price than the one you were budgeting on. If there is really no other alternative, the Financial Committee can adjust the budget to match the new estimate. If the overrun is found after the expense has already been incurred, the Financial Committee may still approve the additional expense, but it isn‘t obligated to do so. If the Financial Committee doesn‘t approve the overrun, the person can be reimbursed up to the limit of the budget. However, repeated overruns by the same person should be investigated -- did this person even know there was a budget they had to follow? Was the budget published? Did they make the purchase before the budget was approved? It may be a simple communication foul-up that can be corrected.

VII. REPORTING

The Event Steward and the Exchequer will complete an event report within thirty days of the close of the event. This report will include accounting for all event income and expenses, by category, and attendance. The event report will be sent to the superior officer as outlined in each Kingdom‘s Financial Policy.

VIII. RECOVERING BAD DEBTS

All checks received before the event should be deposited quickly, so that if a check is returned, the branch may try to resolve the issue before or at the event. See Chapter 11 for procedures to follow when attempting to recover these funds.

IX. CANCELING AN EVENT

In the case where an event must be canceled before it is held, several steps must be taken depending on where in the lifecycle of the event the cancellation occurs. Events can be canceled after they are planned but before being advertised, or after being advertised. Events can be canceled for several reasons - the site becomes unavailable for some reason (fire, flood, overbooking, etc.) and no other site can be found; another event is scheduled which would draw attendance at this event‘s expense (for example, a popular Tournament of Chivalry somewhere else the same weekend) that would make the budgeted event break-even point unreachable.

There are several steps that must be done to un-schedule an event. The scope of these steps depends on how much scheduling had been done up to the point of cancellation.

A. Cancellation after site contracts signed but before advertising

If an event is planned but must be canceled before it has been advertised, all vendors must be notified as soon as the decision is made. Deposits should be returned from the vendor, possibly minus a fee. If the reason for cancellation is due to the site being unavailable after a contract has already been signed, it should be reasonable to get the entire deposit back. Ask for it. If the reason for cancellation is not due to a lapse on the site owner‘s side, the fee should be paid. Any fee paid would be reported under Fees, and the reason would be ‗for canceled event‘. Perishable supplies purchased for the event (such as feast food) can be returned if possible, used for some other purpose, or discarded. Non-perishable supplies can be kept for the next event. Non-returnable supplies expenses would still be reported under Event [Food, Supplies, etc.] regardless of whether they are used or discarded.

B. Cancellation after the event has been advertised

If an event must be canceled after it has been advertised, word must be spread of the cancellation as far and wide as possible, as well as printing a retraction as soon as possible. Use the Internet to post messages on email lists or other public fora, and also print a retraction in the next kingdom newsletter if its first-class delivery date is still before the event was to occur. Call any officers or royalty expected to attend to notify them of the cancellation. Call everyone who has sent in a reservation if you have the phone number from the checks to notify them of the cancellation and ask them where they would like the refund sent (some may decline the refund; be grateful). All vendors must be notified as soon as the decision is made. Deposits should be returned from the vendor, possibly minus a fee. If the reason for cancellation is due to the site being unavailable after a contract has already been signed, it should be reasonable to get the entire deposit back. Ask for it. If the reason for cancellation is not due to a lapse on the site owner‘s side, the fee should be paid. Any fee paid would be reported under Event Occupancy. Perishable supplies purchased for the event (such as feast food) can be returned if possible, used for some other purpose, or discarded. Non-perishable supplies can be kept for the next event. Non-returnable supplies expenses would still be reported under Event [Food, Supplies, etc.] regardless of whether they are used or discarded.
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