Officer Onboarding

MUST BE AN ACTIVE MEMBER – In Good Standing
All applicants must have and maintain an active membership in the SCA and be a member in good standing – Confirmed by the Seneschal. 

30 DAY JOB POSTING – Transparency of Opportunity Advert Policy
All new successor/deputy openings or Officer replacements MUST be advertised for 30 days on three of four of the following media types: your Group Website, Local Newsletter, Meeting Announcements, and Social Media. No Warrant will be processed without confirming this. Warrants are required for all Greater Officers (Local and Kingdom). For any concerns/emergency exceptions - engage the Kingdom Seneschal. 

(Note: If a group does not HAVE a Website/Newsletter – the open position must still be published on what platforms you do have, and announced in your Group Meetings.)

How to Report

Visit Our Kingdom Website for the Online Report Form:

https://www.trimaris.org/officers/office-of-the-seneschal/quarterly-seneschal-officer-report/

ALL KINGDOM OFFICER REPORT
DUE DATES CAN BE FOUND ON THE ONLINE FORM FOR EACH OFFICE:
Q1 (for Dec, Jan, Feb), Q2 (for Mar, April, May),
Q3 (for June, July, Aug), Q4 (for Sept, Oct, Nov)
Domesday report – Due after/with Q4

Please Note: You may report using this tool – however please ALWAYS keep a backup copy, in case there is ever any trouble with the form – as both a copy for your records and for request on audit from Kingdom or Society – in which case proof of reporting falls to the onus of the group and your office. If you do not use this tool – be sure to include all the fields from the online form in your layout. 

Tip: Write your report in Word or Notepad and then copy over to the form. That way, if your screen refreshes, you lose internet for a second, or the form times out because you just have that many words to share how awesome your people are doing – you don’t lose all your hard work and in frustration revert to: “We did stuff. It was cool. Send more glitter... the end.”

Once you fill out the online form – it forwards to your Greater Officer. They then review, comment, and use for their own reporting, as applicable, to Society. Once submitted, until you receive acknowledgement from your Kingdom Greater Officer, your report has not been processed. Please be sure to confirm receipt before considering your report complete – as failure to report for two consecutive quarters will automatically void your Warrant.

Your term and warrant Start and End dates are used to ensure all records are accurate and both the local office and Kingdom are on the same page and are working with the same data. You may want to save a copy of your Officer Warrant for easy reference – if this helps. (You will fill this out at least eight times over the term your tenure)  

You must be an active member of the Society for Creative Anachronism to be a Warranted Officer. As an officer, you will vote and have influence over your Group’s finances and laws – so you MUST be Warranted.   (See Warranting section below)

Domesday Report

Each Greater Officer of a group will provide information as is applicable to each office. This report functions as a year's end high level 'roll up' for your reference, kingdom review, and societal audit if requested. Please ensure, as with all reporting, you maintain a back-up copy of your report in case the form fails to submit. Each Officer/Group is accountable for their office reporting and maintenance records. Please store all group reports either in your group email, your group's G-drive, or some group accessible data storage solution. Engage the Kingdom Webminister for support. 

Here is an example of some of what you’ll be asked to provide:

EOY Domesday Report - All Officers

Due on Q4 Report Due date, after Q4 Report has been submitted. 

Personel Update/Review:

-All Officers, please define a listing of current Officers (and/or deputies) under your purview and confirmation of their status as members of the SCA, in good standing:

-Any vacant or transitioning offices in Q1 the following year (under your purview). 

-For any transitioning officers, has the 30 day Transparency of Opportunity policy been met?:

- Is there any member of your team you would specifically like to call out for their efforts to support you as an Officer (Who has gone above and beyond the expectation of their support role duties)? If so, please elaborate:

Personal Development and Year-End Reflections: 

-What are you most proud to have accomplished in your tenure to-date?

-What are you hoping to achieve/complete in the following year?

-What, if any, support do you require from Kingdom to meet your goals?

Year at a Glance Recap & Summary:

Did your group sponsor any events (relative to your office) on its own in the past 12 months?

Include the following for each: Name of event | Date | Location | Attendance Count:

Did your group join or assist another local SCA group in production of an event (relative to your office)? Name of event | Date | Location | Attendance Count: (May Upload last 4 reports if this is easier)

Warranting

All Officers must have a Warrant signed by their Greater Officer and Crown to hold their official standing as an Officer in the Kingdom of Trimaris. 

To qualify for and maintain an Officer Warrant, all officers must maintain an active membership, report Quarterly and for year-end Domesday, and remain a member in good standing in the SCA, confirmed by your Group Seneschal. If your membership expires – this will automatically void your Warrant. If another Warrant is signed – it automatically voids any earlier dated Warrant.

Warrants will not be approved without confirmation that the Transparency of Opportunity advert policy has been met. For one off concerns or emergency exceptions, the KSEN may be engaged.

Only a Warranted Officer may vote as an Official Officer in a Group’s Financial meeting (which may or may not apply as per the group’s financial policy structure). Additionally, to be counted in their Group’s Officer Headcount – when the Greater Officer reports to Society - an Officer must be Warranted. 

The Warrant Form can be found online on your Greater Officer Page via www.Trimaris.org. After ensuring all other criteria has been met and having received your acceptance from your letter of intent, you will fill out the top portion and send it to either your Office Admin/Warrant Deputy, or the Greater Officer who manages your field’s Warrants. 

The tracking and maintenance of your direct reports’ Warrants are the express responsibility of all Officers.

Once your Greater Officer responds to you and advises your Warrant has been accepted and signed by the Crown(+), then, and only then, are you a Warranted Officer in the Kingdom of Trimaris. Your term is automatically two years unless stipulated/approved elsewise. 

Congratulations! And thank you in advance for your gift of service and support.

Stepping Down – Your Responsibilities

See steps above for processing your replacement and Onboarding a Successor. You’ll want to work to ensure they have access to all necessary resources: Email, FB, Admin access as applicable, any paraphernalia like group necklaces or banners, any Handbook resources – and any event supplies that are your office specific.

Once a new Warrant is signed, it automatically voids the old. And you’ll want to work with your Successor to prepare them for their role. A good rule of thumb is often: What do you wish you’d known, looking back – and what insights might you offer to better support your successor in their new role?

Once your Successor is Onboarded, you will be the defacto emergency successor you’ll hear the term “Drop Dead Deputy” - which in essence means if for whatever reason your group suddenly finds themselves without the Onboarded Seneschal - you’re it again, and you’ll want to start re-advertising for a new Successor. This is not always unfortunate. When someone wins Crown Tourney, for instance - you may need to step in until they step down. Engage your Greater Officer for any questions or concerns.

Should you need to step down early, an official email is needed in order for the Greater Officer to void your Warrant.

If you are stepping down as expected, ensure AT LEAST the quarter prior to your stepping down your offboarding procedures are addressed – to allow a clean transition in handing over your office. More training is better than less – but your Greater Officer can engage to troubleshoot if life finds you having to step away early. 

THERE IS NO STIGMA for prioritizing life over your commitment to this office. If you find that life has shifted to find you unable to meet the expectations of your role as an Officer, ALL your service to date is not negated; ALL your service to date is greatly appreciated; and as a vital part of our community, even if you have to step away, your hard work will not be forgotten and you are not alone. Communicate, partner to strategize the best resolution, move forth with appreciation – and that’s the whole of it. 

Extending Your Warrant

You may only extend your warrant if you have advertised for the allotted time, no other candidates have volunteered and/or been found acceptable, you are still actually up for the task, and your Greater Officer and Crown approve your new Warrant once your Seneschal confirms you are still an active member in good standing. The old Warrant is void when it expires – you must complete and have approved a new Warrant to extend your tenure. 

If you extend, your successor deputy position posting should remain on your group Website and in your local Newsletter – as it is never too early to have a Successor approved. 

Should you receive an early applicant, you may step down early. Or you may complete your second term as you train your replacement. This can be worked out at your local level, in coordination with your Greater Officer. Communicate early and often to get this defined – as your Greater Officer maintains a roster of Warrant expiration dates and turnover expectations.

Key Things to Remember

Don’t Get Frustrated.
If you think you’re struggling for group engagement, don’t default to “I guess no one cares/is interested”. All things in their season. Keep the opportunities open. Think on specific people you can engage or charge to own perhaps a short series of initiatives to drive interest or participation. PRAISE your volunteers. You’d be surprised how far a verbal gold star will go toward making someone feel like their time is valued – and thus want to share it again. 

Keep Things Positive.
Administration can be frustrating. Many moving parts, shifting resources, transitioning officers, and varied pools of experience. Remember no one is being paid to do this so while those appointed to office should be fulfilling their role, giving people the benefit of the doubt, empathy, and professional courtesy will go a long way toward increasing the efficiency and productivity of your team. As Seneschal, you are the legal representative of your group and the administrator of your local meetings - which denotes authority. But most of your officers, while they keep you informed, report directly to their Greater Officer. Avoid an, “You’re not my Supervisor!”argument by engaging from a place of kindness, consistency, and transparency, across the board. The golden rule of leadership, “Praise in Public; Critique in Private”, is the cornerstone of any great and kindly remembered leader. 

Plan Ahead.
You get out what you put in. You took this job for a reason. And maybe that reason was altruistic or because “no one else wanted it” and you stepped up to be the hero. Every quarter you report is an opportunity to do a mental check in and answer the question “Did I achieve my goal?” Looking back, years from now, what will you wish you had done differently? What do you wish was done before you stepped in/up? What do you wish you could do if only you had a little more know-how or support? Engage your Greater Officer on any and all of the above - and work together to make a plan. Own your Office and take advantage of this opportunity to have a real impact on your community.