8/9/05

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On 8/8/05, Jed Stancato wrote:
> > 1) Camarilla rules require that the domain be disbanded/that our venues
> > be shut down if we don't report for 6 months
> >
> > This is purely an informal, unwritten guideline.
>
> In all honesty, RCs are asked at 6 months by the national coordinator or
> his delegated assistant what is going on with the chapter/domain that
> reaches six months without a report. Having been that assistant, I know this
> to be fact. I used to email the RCs who had black chapters or domains from
> coordinator reporting non-compliance. The "default" state as you call it is
> actually not true. The NC had authorized me, back when I was ANC: Chapters
> to close chapters and domains that had reached black status for report
> non-compliance. So the default is not always the case.
I might not be the best person to talk about this, but here goes. As far as I know, Henry has tried very hard to find every documented rule he can and to follow those rules. A large portion of our issues come from these "unwritten rules." Hopefully, this ordeal will encourage one of two things: those rules no longer being enforced OR those rules actually being written down and widely distributed. (After passing all necessary processes to be recognized as official rules.) Either one would lead to stabler situations in the future. This has long been an issue in the Cam and saying "well, this is how it's been done and that's a fact" solves very little and, in some ways, adds fuel to the fire.

Against appearances, Henry is actually relatively new to the club. How can you fault someone who tries so hard to understand "the rules" for being less than pleased when those rules are incomplete and the ones that he doesn't know, and can't know because they aren't recorded, are used to his significant disadvantage? Heck, I've been here almost eight years and I can't keep up with all these guidelines and psuedo-rules. I'm not trying to prove that we're right, I'm just trying to get you to understand where we're coming from. I wasn't at the instant-meeting-just-add-water, so maybe you already know all this. Maybe you don't. Maybe you need to hear it again. *shrug*

> > 2) The Domain is about to enter Black status
>
> While you may have time. I would not suggest trying to utilize it in that
> fashion. As I pointed out to people on Saturday and vice versa, the
> *perception* of that action would appear as if the domain were trying to
> work against the rules and their spirit. This also has the appearance that
> the domain is trying to work against regional. Now, while that might not be
> the case. the appearance would be there. In many cases, perception becomes
> reality. I do my very best to keep perception from becoming my reality. I
> would hope though, that you, as a domain would not do something that others
> would perceive as what I said a sentence ago.
I don't think I understand what you're getting at. Many, or maybe just some especially loud, members of the Domain have voted None of the Above as a protest. We're following the rules, as far as we know them, to the letter. Yes, the spirit is being denied but that's because we feel wronged. Actually... wait, no, the spirit is to have the DST we want, and that's precisely what we're trying to do. I'll give you that we're not playing nice, but we're legally allowed to do this and, from our perspective, we are /defending/ the spirit of the rules. We maintain that the spirit of the rules, general propriety, and a vague sense of democratic determinism mandate our actions. Not that I speak for the Domain at large, but I do speak for at least myself and since this opinion is completely opposite the one you have presented I felt you should be made aware of it.

> I hope this clarifies things a bit.

It does give us a better perspective on what "everyone else" is thinking. However, it also reinforces an on-going complaint we have about unwritten rules. I hope this comes out as diplomatic as I intended it (a quick re-read tells me that it didn't, but I can't think of a better way to come at it) because I, at least, want to see this all calm and polite, but I want to be sure that you (Jed) understand our (or at least my) perspective and since I couldn't make the meeting this is the best medium left to me.

- Donald Sheldon
US2002022644
I feel like I've done this before...

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