Autocrating 101

Autocrating 101

by: Lady Elspeth Flannagann

EVENT TIMELINE

**This information must be completed in order to make an event official.**

6 months prior:

  • Autocrat (or representative) will present the following information to the Baronial Coronets, Seneschal, Reeve:
    • Completed event form
    • Budget for the event

3 months prior:

  • Autocrat (or representative) will provide an update to the Baronial Coronets and the Seneschal about the event
  • Have event article published in the Higher Word.
  • Event article must be published in the Southwind (you must have this article sent in to the Chronicler at least two months in advance with a copy of the signed event form).
  • You can also publish the event article on any of the e-lists: Atenveldt, Ered Sul, or any of the other baronies you think might enjoy the event.

1 month after:

  • A post event report must be sent to the Baronial Coronets, Seneschal, and Reeve. This report will include: final budget, site information (cost, suitability etc.), attendance estimates, problems you encountered (and how they were handled), and a general report of what happened at the event.

Site

Ask past autocrats about sites they have used in the past.

Ask non-SCA people if they might know of a good place to have your event.

Forest service land, city parks, private land, churches, clubhouses, halls for rent, and colleges are all possibilities. Call, visit, and find out if they can work for your event.

Check if the site is damp, wet, or dry. The seneschal needs to fill out the liquor permit if the site is not dry!

 Article

Your event article should include:

  • Date (what date will the event fall on)
  • Time (what time is set up, when does it start, and end)
  • Where (is it in your town or just outside, is it a common site, if you are contacting people from out of town be sure to include the name of the town/Barony the event will be held)
  • Directions to site (even the most frequented sites should have complete directions)
  • General summary of what will happen at the event (tourney, feast, competition, etc.)
  • Autocrat contact information (your SCA and mundane names, your address, your phone number and times when it is best to call, email address, and name(s) and same contact information of your co-autocrat(s))
  • Costs, if any (Be specific.. if there is a different fee for feast and site, split them up; if there is a discount for members, put it in; if there is a different fee for children, add that too.)
  • Special site considerations (Is the site dry, damp, or wet? Are pets allowed? Are glass containers allowed? Is camping allowed? Are fires allowed? Is there water on site? Is there shade or will the populace have to bring their own? Is there light on site? Is there a designated smoking area?)
  • Reservation information (who to contact, deadline to be added to the list, reservation limits)
  • Make nice with the chroniclers! Contact them before the deadline to ask their preferred way of receiving the article. Most Chroniclers also appreciate bribery.
  • Cross posting on the Yahoo! Groups may get the word out, but you’re more likely to annoy people than anything else if you post a reminder twice a week for the two months prior to the event. Keep the emails brief, to the point, and correct.

Planning:

 (1) Don’t be afraid to ask for help, even from the Peerage, (2) Make sure that those you have delegated to know what they are doing or are allowed to do, (3) Check in a make sure that things are getting done by the delegatees.

Contact: (1) Seneschal, (2) B&B, (3) Chronicler, (4) Marshal, (5) List Master/Mistress, (6) Subautocrats

Know the facilities: be able to give detailed directions (using landmarks, compass directions, for people in town or out of town); know where the privies, garbage, cleaning supplies, and phones are; know where the closest emergency room, grocery store, hotels, and police station are; do you need to bring tables, chairs, rugs, ox cart, electricity, candles, t.p., cooking wares, or water?

Costs: be sure you can recover costs of the event but do not make the site/feast fee cost prohibitive. Try to keep the event under $5 per person for one day, no feast events and $15 per person for most two day events.

Try to get the bulk of the work done six months prior to the event (site, sub-autocrats, paperwork, etc).

Never presume to tell the crown/coronet when they’ll be holding court…unless they tell you to make that call.

If you are student be careful when you plan your events, things like finals have a way of biting back.

If you are having a tourney:

  • Contact the local marshal, be sure you have a marshal on site before any fighting starts (this includes pick-ups)
  • Have extra waivers on hand (the seneschal should have some, you should have some too)
  • Know where the local emergency facilities are (which ones are closest to your event?)
  • Have a first aid kit on hand (preferably in the hands of a warranted Chirurgeon)
  • Make sure you have a Master/Mistress of the lists (someone who can handle multiple lists if you have more than one tourney)
  • Know how you want to organize the lists and have list markers and runners ready
  • Be sure to ask marshal and list officer before writing them down on the event form, do not assume!!!

Event:

Entertainment: If you are having entertainment from other people, make sure you check in with them a week before and again the day before the event. Also be sure you have a back up plan in case they have to cancel last minute.

Make sure necessary people are there! You cannot have fighting without a marshal on site and you cannot have court without your Coronets or Crowns.

Be the first person on site and the last person to leave

Checklists are good, but only if you actually use them!

Once the event starts it is beyond your control! Deal with that fact and you’ll be at peace.

Most events run themselves once site opens.

Post event:

Report: A post event report must be sent to the Baronial Coronets, Seneschal, and Reeve. This report will include: final budget, site information (cost, suitability etc.), attendance estimates, problems you encountered (and how they were handled), and general report of what happened at the event.

Clean up: Remember our motto “LEAVE THE SITE CLEANER THAN YOU FOUND IT!” Most sites will return a deposit if the site is cleaned after the event.

Thank you’s: Thank you’s are VERY important! Either publicly or privately is fine.

Emergencies:

  • Alternate site: always have more than one site in mind for an event, there is a chance you won’t get your first choice or your eighth. If you event is held outside, try to find another inside venue to use incase of inclement weather.
  • Subautocrats: Always be sure they know what their job is. If that job is to take over the event in case of an emergency for the autocrat, let them know that too. Always have a person who is informed enough to take over for your autocratting duties if there is an emergency. We never plan emergencies; if we did, they would be called plans.
  • Information that is done or not finished yet: If you do need to call in your emergency autocrat or you do not have one, please keep a list of what you have done and what needs to be done. This list can be handed off to your subautocrat or to the Seneschal in case of an emergency. This way the event does not need to be cancelled.
  • Official vs. unofficial events: An event is unofficial if the event form is not filled out correctly (with the correct signatures) and there is no article in the Southwind in time for the event. Unofficial events cannot use monies from the SCA (that includes Atenveldt and Ered Sul monies) and autocrats must pay for the event from their own pockets. Awards cannot be given out at unofficial events and they are not covered by the SCA insurance and/or waivers.

****Any autocrat needing assistance with any of these guidelines should contact the Seneschal for assistance.****

Helpful Things to Remember

1. Feel free to delegate authority, but it’s your responsibility to check up on your subautocrats before your Seneschal checks on you.

2. Feel free to ask for help, but don’t expect anything you’ve not asked for. And don’t try to do everything yourself! This is supposed to be fun, dammit!

3. Be flexible. Spontaneity can be fun, too, as long as it doesn’t replace planning.

4. Keep the Seneschal up to date on everything. If anything goes wrong, the Seneschal is the one who’ll be asked about it, and she’d better know.

5. You should be the first person at your event and the last to leave. If either of these is impossible, designate someone to take over, and be sure your surrogate and the Seneschal know who he or she is.

6. Remember the final decisions are yours. Listen to advice, but you have the last word.

7. Autocratting can be fun! Efficiency hides a multitude of sins and makes the whole process a lot less painful in the long run. We’ve all been through the same problems before, so ask for help; don’t weather it alone.

8. Don’t be afraid of failing…at the very least you’ll have a great story to tell later on. J