Getting
Started
A. Officers’ (Business) Meetings
Your event should be discussed at a business (officers’) meeting.
Be certain to have the bid approved prior to reserving a site. Once
an event is scheduled, you, the autocrat, or a representative, should
attend at least three officers’ meetings prior to the event.
This is to allow time for all of the relevant paperwork to be completed,
and to keep the officers informed on the progress being made on the
event. Then you or your representative should be prepared to give
an overview of how the plans are proceeding. Attending Officers’
Meetings also allows you to spread the word that volunteers are needed,
speak with officers, and to solicit advice from people who may have
experienced similar difficulties running events. The Officers’
Meeting is your one-stop resource to get some of the basic questions
and problems answered quickly.
B. Co-autocrats
Large events consist of many small details. It can become too much
for a single autocrat to handle. As the Autocrat, you are responsible
for the entire event. You should:
- Organize:
The full organization of the event is your responsibility
- Finance: The
pricing, paying and final accounting can only be done by the autocrat,
so make sure you have the full cooperation and understanding of
the exchecquer.
- Advertise:
You are the one who has to make sure the event is on the calendar
(check with the seneschal and/or Coronet to make sure we reserved
that weekend at Convocation), the event announcement is in the Kingdom
Newsletter on time, and that the seneschal flyers are out soon enough.
As the Autocrat,
you have the ability to ask for help. Designate responsibility for
portions of the event to different sub-autocrats, such as autocrats
in charge of the fighting (rapier and heavy), serving, crash space,
or Quest. The co-autocrats or sub-autocrats can handle the details
of running the fighting, classes, feast, camping, or anything else
that may take lots of time to plan and coordinate or manage during
the actual event. The main autocrat can then be free to manage the
overall event including the basic schedule, the paperwork, the advertising
and the finances. While many of these aspects can also be delegated,
it is ultimately the responsibility of the main autocrat to ensure
that the proper paperwork is filed and that the finances are properly
handled. It is a good idea, particularly for larger events or camping
events, to have a deputy autocrat who can work with you to make the
job easier on both of you. This will allow inexperienced people to
learn first hand how to plan and run an event. It will also provide
you, as autocrat, with someone who is aware of the details and the
overall plan for the event and can act as back-up should an emergency
arise.
It is the autocrat’s
duty to contact the officers to ask for help. Just because the Barony
has a Minister of Youth, do not assume the Minister of Youth will
be at the event with children’s activities ready-to-go. Same
goes for the Marshals, the MoAS, the Chiurgeon, the Water Bearers
and the Exchecquer. Contact them and ask them how much money they
will need to have their materials available for your event.
C. Budget/Bid
When you expressed interest in autocratting this event, you had an
idea for the look and feel of your event. There may be fighting scenarios
you wish to create, or an Arts competition you wish to run. You could
have chosen a themed event, like Quest or Masque. You have an idea.
The bid “sells” your idea to the Officers of the Barony.
Your bid is the
estimated cost to run your event. It should include all equipment
and supplies you need to enable your vision to be fulfilled. The bid
should also include the expense of feast. Do not use sale prices when
you are trying to bid an event or a feast. Generally, the bid is submitted
at least 6 months and up to 18 months prior to an event. A copy of
the bid is given to the Baronage, the seneschal, and any applicable
officers (Archery Marshall if you will have archery, MoAS if you will
have classes, display or competition and Fighting Marshall(s) if you
will have combat.) Each member of the Financial Committee (5 members)
also needs a copy of the bid.
Prices change
over time. The event budget must be presented at the Officers’
Meeting every 3 months prior to the event. This will be the “modified
bid”. The prices you estimated on the bid will be replaced by
the actual expenses of the event. Remember to use Baronial letterhead
and solicit donations for everything from rebar and emergency tape
for parking lines to leeks for the feast stew.
Make every effort
to keep your event under budget. Provide a copy of the original bid
and current budget each month to the Seneschal for the Financial Committee.
No expenditures over $50 (total for the event) that were not on the
original bid may be made without the written approval of the Financial
Committee. Pre-authorization of the Financial Committee is highly
recommended.
Otherwise, you
will earn the Barony’s gratitude for your donation to the event.
Please check with the available pool of gifts and merchant donations
for prizes for your event before purchasing something.
Make sure you
have checked the inventory in the storage locker before spending Baronial
funds on items we are storing.
As bids become
more competitive, the most complete bids are the ones that will receive
the most scrutiny and interest. Here are some of the most important
items that must be included in your bid/budget:
1. The costs of
the site. Please notice that costs is plural. There are many costs
involved:
a. Deposit
b. Remaining site rental fee
c. Janitorial fees
d. Advance setup fees
e. Table and chair rental charges, etc.
Include the fee
if an insurance certificate is required by the site. Campgrounds and
convention halls often have fees based on the number of individual
areas being used. Plan appropriately for visiting royalty by having
several royal rooms available instead of just one, if possible. Separate
changing rooms for men and women (in addition to rest rooms) are always
appreciated. A child’s playroom is also an added bonus. A merchant
area is a pleasing addition to any event. Scribes will need a place
to create last-minute scrolls.
2. The costs
of the feast. This is only to be included in the actual budget if
your group is doing the cooking. Build in the cost of having a sample
feast, or for supplying some food to make samples of proposed menu
items. Don’t forget the costs of cleaning supplies for the kitchen,
such as soap, paper towels, garbage bags, steel wool pads, and so
on. If the feast is being catered, the costs to attendees should be
included in the bid, but not in the actual budget unless the group
is required to advance some funds. Make sure that you account for
the free feasts; that is, consider that anyone at the head table is
eating for free.
3. The cost for printing and mailing event flyers to local seneschals.
It is a traditional courtesy to mail a flyer to the local branch seneschals.
Do not rely on a web site to broadcast your event info. The SCA does
not consider web sites to be “official” news carriers.
4. Decorations
5. Site tokens
6. The costs of obtaining enough local property to manage the event.
If you don’t have enough serving trays, server tabards, water
pitchers, etc., you’ll have to borrow or buy. Do you have enough
feast settings to accommodate royal guests at head table who had not
planned on eating feast and now have no dishes? Do you have enough
list equipment to run two list fields at once?
7. The cost of incidentals. This would include supplies for the gate,
reimbursements to the event steward(s) for telephone calls and other
postage, etc.
8. Discounted rates and Royalty expenses. Will you offer a child’s
rate? Will you offer a Family Rate? Will your group be offering hotel
space to any visiting royalty, or contributing to the travel fund
for this particular event?
9. Projections. You need to project how many people will be attending
the event and eating (aka “paying”) for the feast and
site, and compare this income to the expenses above. Contact recent
host groups to get numbers on attendance and income. Use this data
in your projections.
Just a note: It is unacceptable to submit a negative budget; that
is, a budget that indicates a loss of money. If you cannot at least
break even on the event, your bid is not going to be accepted. Human
beings plan successful, reasonable money matters all the time –
don’t exercise poor judgment just because it’s not your
money.
D. Autocrat’s
Point
At every camping event it is wise to establish an Autocrat’s
Point. This point will house the Chiurgeonate, the Sheriff/Lost and
Found, Security, fundraiser/raffle, volunteer point, Schedule of Events,
etc. It will serve as the center of operations during your event.
This is not the same tent as the Exchecquer/Reeve.
