The East Kingdom is NOT asking its member groups (shires, baronies, etc) to contribute 18% of their funds to cover the $95K that is the EK portion of the settlement
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Announcement was made at events and on lists over the weekend that Outlands will be sending their 18% and that of all groups. They will then collect from individual groups to reimburse what kingdom plans to front for them. If monies come from the settlement they will be distributed but it isn't clear if it will be to groups or kingdom first or if it will be an equitable split. It is too early to determine what hardship this will cause but knowing the state of most of the shires coffers I expect the hit will be hardest to the baronies since they have the most in funds and assets for the most part.
I'm actually more concerned with whether the contributions will be a hardship, rather than how much folks are having to contribute. Are groups going to be able to fund their events and infrastructure as planned, or is there going to be major belt-tightening, or even cancelling of plans?
Ironically... due to a major dust up over the kingdom calendar last year a bunch of events were already cancelled/postponed so unless the hit is bigger than I am thinking ( numbers aren't available yet) there shouldn't be too much impact for now. Course the expensive winter events are already set, paid or already over. Impact on next winter will be where we see the hits. I expect the summer events will see more fund raising efforts than normal. There will be belt tightening and perhaps we will see a double impact that might even engender some intra-group cooperation that could bring good out of both messes.
Yeah, whomever figured out that we Easterners like to be offered the chance to be chivalrous more than we like being ordered about knows us VERY well. >:)
I'm confused as to how this would be considered a tax. All North American SCA accounts are owned by the SCA out of California. Asking groups to send a portion of their funds is just easier (and nicer) than going through the process of freezing the accounts legally.
In Ealdormere, we were instructed to contribute. Being Canadian sheep, we have complied without question. I have not heard that it is a hardship. The wording I got seems to be that the tax applies to Kingdoms all or partly in the USA, so I confess I am puzzed about why we are contributing. I question the fairness if USA kingdoms are refusing to contribute, but that could just be my socialized-medicine Canadian voice.
All North American Kingdoms are part (or wholly owned subsidiaries) of SCA Corporate, based out of Milpitas, CA. ALL North American Kingdoms are paying in. NONE are refusing, or even talking of refusing, from what I've heard. (Granted, their funds are all owned by SCA Inc, so Corporate could just seize their accounts anyway.)
It does! The wording we got referred to kingdomes wholely or partly in the USA, not North America. I love my American cousins, but I tend to get shirty when folks conflate USA to be North America, which has three separate countries.
Also, now that I have re-read the original message on a full screen instead of on my blackberry while riding the bus (before coffee too!), I see that I misunderstood. East Kingdom is paying and groups can chose to contribute. That option had never dawned on me.
Yeah, North America is three countries. Amazing how many people don't remember that, eh? ;)
ALL North American Kingdoms are paying 18% of their accounts. In the EK, the kingdom has chosen to foot the bill for all of the smaller groups within the EK as well, but those groups are encouraged to make loans to the EK, so the EK can make loans to other kingdoms. (I *think* that is what you said, but clarity is a good thing!)
According to the email sent to the Merry Rose and what was announced in Saturday's Court - The Kingdom is writing a check. Which it has the money to do, but it will take the Kingdom accounts down to less than half of it's yearly budget. So the Kingdom is requesting each group to send $400 to the Kingdom which will get them thru this year. In the meantime the Kingdom Officers will be figuring out what goals they want to set for replenishing the Kingdom accounts in the future. His Majesty did say any fundraisers/donations should go to KINGDOM NOT CORPORATE. Since money sent directly to Corporate would not be counted against the Kingdom's share of the cost.
Yes, it was my understanding that folks from the EK should send money to Kingdom rather than corporate as well.
$400 from each group certainly sounds easy to do the math on, but aren't some groups more flush and/or able to deal with that amount of outlay than others? Are any groups being especially hard hit by this number?
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Hope that helps!
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Also, now that I have re-read the original message on a full screen instead of on my blackberry while riding the bus (before coffee too!), I see that I misunderstood. East Kingdom is paying and groups can chose to contribute. That option had never dawned on me.
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ALL North American Kingdoms are paying 18% of their accounts. In the EK, the kingdom has chosen to foot the bill for all of the smaller groups within the EK as well, but those groups are encouraged to make loans to the EK, so the EK can make loans to other kingdoms. (I *think* that is what you said, but clarity is a good thing!)
Enjoy, and thanks for the feedback!
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$400 from each group certainly sounds easy to do the math on, but aren't some groups more flush and/or able to deal with that amount of outlay than others? Are any groups being especially hard hit by this number?
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