Greetings,

First of all let me say welcome to your group and that we are glad to see you've decided to undertake the efforts of establishing a new group in Northshield. I'm always here for questions, advice, assistance, or just to give your direction if you're not sure where to look or what to do in any situation.

The first thing you'll want to do is to read the section of the Northshield Policies for starting new groups.

Functionally as a new group you want to decide upon a regular meeting time (whether that's monthly or weekly). What to call your area in the interim until you choose a name for the group (the geographical area, city, or county would work.) Next you need to figure out what zip codes your group will include, please attempt to keep them within a single state or province as only in rare cases does the Society Seneschal allow groups to cross such borders. Assuming none of the zip codes you are interested in are already being declared by another group that's all to that, if there are conflicting zip codes it gets more complex and I'll explain more if we get to that point.

Then your group will need to decide upon a neighboring established group to approach and ask to be your sponsoring group. Your group will not be able to hold events or having a checking account in its own name until it is has gone full status, in the interim a sponsoring group will open a checking account and that group's exchequer will work with your group's exchequer in the handling of funds. For any official events, the sponsoring group will need to approve it and have an officer present who is ultimately responsible for the event and would work with your group's event autocrat.

At this point your group will want to establish who your Seneschal, Exchequer, and one other officer such as herald, minister of arts and sciences, or group marshal is (you need to have at least 3 officers, but you can have more if there's interest). These people will actually be deputies of the sponsoring group officers and need to report through them. Typically this process works as people nominate someone or themselves and then the group votes on who they'd like to fill that role, then that recommendation is sent to the sponsoring group officer for that position as they are a deputy to be approved. Then a change of officer form should be filled out (there is an online version to fill out and then print, sign, and send it in). I should be copied on all these change of officer forms in addition to the instructed copies so I'm aware of the group status. Anyone wanting to be an officer must be a member of the SCA.

Once you've got all these infrastructure parts in place you can start figuring out a group name that needs to pass and be registered with the college of heralds and a group device. There is a group called The Academy of St. Gabriel that will assist in coming up with documentable names. You can also get the assistance of the Northshield Keythong herald, there is instructions and contact there.

There is certainly more to this, but these first steps are the ones that take most of a new groups focus. Other things to think about is local demo's in your area to boost membership, figuring out specific interests in your group (i.e. armored fighting, rapier fighting, scribal/illumination arts, sewing, archery, brewing/venting, metal working, etc) and perhaps start determining who is going to organize classes and work sessions, and eventually start thinking about either hosting an event or working with the sponsoring group's event (i.e. run feast/lunch, troll, etc).

So I'm sure there are lots more questions and that this I've provoked some thoughts, so please email me any that you have and let me know that of your interest at tang@northshield.org.

Again welcome and I look forward to working with you as your group moves forward!

In Service,
TANG Deputy Seneschal