Administrative Scitte for the Mercenaries of Shadow and Light

Article I--General Organization

1. A kingdom shall be broken up into the following segments (in descending order):
Kingdom (ruled by a cyning or cwen)
Eorldom (ruled by an eorl or eorless, who reports to the cyning)
County (ruled by a count or countess, who reports to the local eorl)
Scir/Shire (ruled by a scir-gerefa/sheriff who reports to the local count)

2. Within each scir, there shall be a council consisting of the scir-gerefa, and at least two halefords and/or hlaefdiges. This council shall be known as a witan, and shall be responsible for making administrative decisions for the scir, and/or passing on their decision to the high witan. The witan shall meet every month.

3. Within each kingdom, there shall be a council consisting of the cyning, at least two eorls and/or eorlesses, and at least four counts and/or countesses. This council shall be known as the high witan, and shall be responsible for making administrative decisions for the kingdom, and/or passing down its judgement to the witans of the kingdom. The high witan shall meet very three months.

4. Each kingdom is required to hold a Cyning's Tourney once each year. The cyning or cwen shall be be chosen by winning the Cyning's Tourney, and demonstrating to the high witan that he or she is competent to rule as cyning or cwen for the year.
The duties of the cyning or cwen shall be as follows:
Oversee kingdom events.
Through the high witan and kingdom nobles, learn the opinion of the people and represent that opinion at any interkingdom councils, including war councils.
Keep in touch with the main administrative council for the Mercenaries of Shadow and Light, and pass on any new information to the "subjects" of the the kingdom.
Attempt to coordinate different events through out the kingdom.
Act as a mediator between any quarreling nobles.

5. Each eorldom is required to hold an Eorl's Tourney once each year. The eorl or eorless shall be chosen by winning the Eorl's Tourney, and demonstrating to the high witan that he or she is competent to represent the cyning or cwen, and to rule as eorl or eorless for the year.
The duties of the eorl or eorless are as follows:
Oversee eorldom events.
Through the local witans of the eorldom, learn the opinion of the people and represent that opinion at any high witan.
Act as a representative of the cyning or cwen, and pass on new rules, etc...
Aid the cyning or cwen in coordinating different events throughout their own eorldom.

6. Each country is required to hold a Count's Tourney once each year. The count or countess shall be chosen by winning the Count's Tourney, and demonstrating to the high witan that he or she is competent to represent the eorl or eorless, and to rule as count or countess for the year.
The duties of the count or countess are as follows:
Oversee county events.
Through the local witans of the county, learn the opinion of the people and represent that opinion in high witan or to their eorls.
Act as a representative of the eorl or eorless, and pass on new rules, etc...
Aid the eorl or eorless in coordinating different events throughout their own county.
Ensure that the local scir-gerefas are collecting dues for the upkeep of the Mercenaries of Shadow and Light.

7. Each scir is required to hold a Sheriff's Tourney once each year. The scir-gerefa shall be chosen by winning the Sheriff's Tourney, and demonstrsting to the high witan and local witan that he or she is competent to represent the count or countess, and to rule as scir-gerefa for the year.
The duties of the scir-gerefa are as follows:
Oversee shire events.
Through the witan, pass on public opinion to the ruling count or countess.
Act as a representative of the count or countess, and pass on decrees, etc...
Aid the count or countess in coordinating different events throughout their own shire.
Keep track of dues paid to the Mercenaries of Shadow and Light for upkeep, war funds, and any miscellaneous funds.

8. If any noble is found to be incompetent to rule their holding (this includes the cyning ro cwen) during the course of their year-long reign, then the high witan shall hold the power to assign a new noble to their station.

9. All nobles shall act with chivalry and courtesy towards their "subjects."

10. Any noble may, at any time, resign--provided that they give the high witan time to name a successor.

Article II--Cnichts and Fyrdmen

1. Any mercenary who has actively participated in the Mercenaries of Shadow and Light for at least three months, and who has proven himself/herself courteous, chivalrous and skilled in combat, as well as other arts, shall be eligible for consideration for the rank of fyrdman or fyrdfrowen.

2. The local witan shall consider the merits of any candidate for the rank of fyrdmen every three months, and shall choose two (at the most) to be granted the rank.

3. Once a mercenary is granted the rank of fyrdman or fyrdfrowen, he or she must swear fealty to the local scir-gerefa, and (though the sheriff) the cyning, eorl, and count that are repsonsible for the area in which the mercenary lives.

The duties of a fyrdman or fyrdfrowen are as follows:
Help teach others in the Mercenaries of Shadow and Light
Volunteer for the witan if the scir-gerefa is short of members.

4. Any mercenary who has actively participated in the Mercenaries of Shadow and Light for at least six months (as a fyrdman or fyrdfrowen for at least of those three months), and who has proven himself/herself courteous, chivalrous, skilled in combat and knoweldgeable in some historical field pertaining to their persona, shall be eligible for consideration for the rank of cnicht.

5. The local witan and the high witan shal meet to consider the merits of any candidate for the rank of cnicht every three months, and shall choose one (at the most) to be granted the rank.

6. Once a fyrdman or fyrdfrowen is granted the rank of cnicht, he or she must again swear fealty to the local scir-gerefa, and (through the sheriff) the cyning, eorl, and count that are responsible for the area in which the mercenary lives.

7. Upon the granting of the rank of cnicht to a local mercenary, a feast shall be heldin his/her honor. That cnicht shall be given the accolade by the cyning of the kingdom. The cnicht shall be addressed as either "Hlaeford/Hlaefdige" (Lord/Lady) or "Sir/Lady," and shall be given a position in the local witan.

8. The duties of a cnicht are as follows:
Help teach others in the Mercenaries of Shadow and Light
Give voice in the witan upon matters of importance.
Act as a model of courtesy and chivalry, and stay in character much of the time.

Article III--Combat Rules

1. Any rules of combat in question should be brought to the attention of the scir-gerefa. If the question is not easily answered, the scir-gerefa should, in turn, speak to the cyning or cwen, or to the local eorl if speaking to the cyning is too much trouble. In the latter case, the eorl, in turn, will speak to the cyning.

2. Any modifications to the rules of the rules of combat must be propsed to the hlaefords and hlaefdiges of the shire. If the witan recognizes the need for a change (by way of a more than ½; majority), then the proposal should be brought before the high witan. In the case of a simple majority vote on the high witan's part, the rule will be modified as proposed, or modified as the high witan sees fit.

3. No rules shall be passed by the high witan that allow for striking of taboo zones.

4. No rules shall be passed by the high witan allowing compound bows or bows of over 50 pounds draw weight to be used in either target or combat archery.

Article IV--Money Crap

1. All members of the Mercenaries of Shadow and Light shall pay a yearly fee to help fund the Mercenary Wars.

2. In the event of any excess money collected, the high witan shall decide whether to keep it for other events, or to give it back to the "subjects" of the kingdom.

3. No money contributed shall be used for personal reasons by any member of the Mercenaries of Shadow and Light. This is a non-profit organization, so using any money that way is called theft, and is prosecutable.

4. Additional dues can be proposed and ratifed by the local witan.

5. Any money spent for a local scir shall be carefully recorded by the scir-gerefa, and copies of the records shall be sent to the main administrative council of the Mercenaries of Shadow and Light, for filing, etc...

6. Fees for local feasts, events, etc... are the responsibility of the local noble, and as such are to be kept track of and recorded by him/her.