'Proposal Regarding the Southern Marches'...

Having allied ourselves and our shires as the Alliance of the Southern Marches, through signing the scroll of agreement, we--the undersigned seneschales/seneschals--know that such an alliance cannot hold unless its members understand what is expected from them. Hence, these rules of agreement.

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The alliance shall abide by Meridian Kingdom Law. Alliance members and shires are responsible for their conduct during practices and events; their behavior--whether good or bad--reflects on themselves, the alliance, and Meridies.
The alliance's intent is not to evolve into a Meridian barony, province, or principality. Member shires may, if they choose, evolve into a barony or province; however, the alliance itself will not be part of their evolution.
The alliance shall expand if prospective member shires agree to abide by this document and member shires agree to have them. Member shires, if they wish, can leave the alliance after notifying its remaining member shires.

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The alliance will be recorded in the Society Armorial as a household under the name of Alliance of the Southern Marches. Its device--per pale argent and sable, an eight pointed mullet counterchanged--will be registered in the Armorial as a household badge.
The alliance colors, sable and argent, are the same as the kingdom. Its name, the Southern Marches, refers to an earlier name of Meridies.
Alliance members shall decide whether to wear the alliance badge and which customary place (sleeve, chest, belt) they should wear it. Shire and kingdom badges may also be worn with the alliance badge.

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The alliance will hold quarterly practices where fighting and non-fighting skills can be learned and shared. Any fighter/non-fighter from outside the alliance is welcome to participate.
Practices will rotate among alliance shires with the hosting shire preparing and overseeing practice activities. If the host shire cannot sponsor a practice, it can either ask other shires for help or it can exchange practice dates with another shire.
The alliance shall not sponsor events nor shall it collect and spend money. Its banner shall be displayed at practices and events where alliance shires attend as a group.

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The alliance shall be governed by its seneschales/seneschals meeting during each practice. They cannot appoint alliance officers but can ask shire officers and alliance members--with their and the members' approval--to do specific tasks.
It is each seneschal's/seneschale's responsibility to bring alliance-related proposals to his/her shire before a practice and to report alliance-related decisions after a practice. The proposals must receive approval from the members present at a practice before being implemented.
If a seneschale/seneschale cannot attend a practice, he/she shall appoint a shire representative to it. The representative, like the seneschale/seneschal, has to bring alliance-related proposals to her/his shire before a practice and to report alliance-related decisions after a practice.

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Alliance fighters shall, if possible, fight together as a group in war situations. Each practice shall have time set aside for war fighting.
Shire marshals shall determine and oversee individual and group fighter training. They, and their fighters present, shall determine how alliance fighters are formed after being deployed.
The marshals shall represent alliance fighters when meeting Meridian army officers. They and their fighters shall determine beforehand what identifying mark (badge, surcoat, mantle, etc.) alliance fighters will wear.

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The Chalice, representing the goals of group fighting chivalry and skill, shall be fought for by alliance shires in a tourney list at each practice. The winning shire team shall keep the Chalice until it loses a future tourney list.
Shire marshals shall oversee the list's guidelines and requirements. They shall also be responsible for supplying qualified deputies to assist where needed.
Individual awards shall not be awarded to alliance members concerning their fighting and non-fighting abilities. Alliance members, though, are encouraged to recommend fellow members for kingdom recognition; the more kingdom awards presented, the more recognition the alliance receives.

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If alliance members agree, let there be a group arts and sciences competition--to be known as the Competition for the Southern Star--held at each practice. The winning shire team shall keep the Southern Star until it loses a future competition.
The purpose of this group competition is to promote the arts and sciences throughout the alliance. Members shall be encouraged to submit their artistic and scientific works; this competition preparing them for baronial, kingdom, and inter-kingdom competition.
Shire ministers of arts and sciences shall oversee the competition's guidelines and requirements. They shall also be responsible for supplying qualified judges to determine the winning team.

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These documents of agreement, consisting of a scroll and rules, shall be revised on an as needed basis and the changes must be approved by alliance members present at a practice before they become effective. These items shall be displayed during practices and at events the alliance as a group attends.
Each year, a new rules of agreement--incorporating the revisions approved since the last one--shall be prepared and signed by alliance seneschales/seneschals. The seneschales/seneschals shall distribute copies of the rules to their members so that all may know what was agreed to.
The scroll of agreement shall be revised if member shires leave, member shires join, or member shires change status (shire to barony, shire to college, etc.). Each new scroll supercedes previous scrolls made; all scrolls, however, will be preserved.

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Thus, we--with the approval of the shires we represent--do formally accept these rules of agreement binding upon us and upon our shires. Done this ---- day of ----------,
A.S. -----, ---- Gregorian.

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Page updated 10 January 2002 by Lord Robert Cattanach of Moravia.
(c) The Waterbearing Fish.

References
'Proposal Regarding the Southern Marches'
The Consortium of the Southern Marches and Its Structure