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The Paisley Glen Constitution
Please note that this is the controversial "Summer of War" version of the Paisley Carta. It contains a few anachronisms and innaccuracies. For absolute certainty regarding issues of Paislian Law, please contact King Edmund.
Further, please note that our massively hidebound constitution is still in the process of being worked over and revised by His Serene Majesty and his crack legal team. It is being culled for maximum clarity, usefulness, and entertainment value. Check back often, if you wish, as it is a work in progress.
The Paisley Carta
Paisley Glen (also referred to as the Glen), or Paisley is a group of like-minded individuals (also referred to as Paislians,Paisleyans,Paisleywallahs, or Paisley members) who camp together at the Washington Renaissance Fantasy Faire.
This is our constitution.
Membership:
New Members:
At the end of each Faire Season, all full Paisley Glen Members will play at voting on any new members for the following year. The Glen should be at reaching a muffinly consensus on all new accepted Members. If the entire Glen cannot be at being gathered together to play voting on new Members, the potential Member may be at becoming a Neophyte Member.
Any person may be proposed for sponsorship between Muffinalia (which is technically July 1st) and the first weekend of Faire). They then enjoy a probationary period AT FAIRE. They then continue being sponsored and trained, &c. for the whole next year, until they are voted on at Muffinalia. If they are approved, they receive initiation during the first weekend of Faire.
Long term associates or allies of Paisley Glen may play being granted admission into the Glen, as an Honorarium, without a Neophyte period, after four years of association or alliance with the glen have been completed.
Von Hale's Conscription Clause:
In an emergency, or if there is an individual that is Necessary for the Greater Good of the Glen, a person may be initiated into the Glen without following the ordinary procedures. Privy Council must take two votes prior, however; the first to establish that the need exists, the second to establish that the proposed person is the one to fulfill that need. The person who proposed the potential Paislian must be the one to prove his/her case. However, if approved, the conscripted Paislian falls under the Samurai Clause, which means that they have no sponsoring privileges for an additional year, and that they do not get Muffin Clause rights for that same year.
Neophyte Members:
If a new potential Member cannot be at being agreed upon by the entire Glen, or if a new potential Member plays expressing interest after the close of the previous Faire season, an existing Member of Paisley Glen (who MUST have camped as a full member the previous year, regardless of their length of Membership) may play sponsoring the individual as a Neophyte Member. They must then be at being seconded by a different Member who is at being familiar with the potential Member and their conduct, said pot-smoking cousins. Any existing Member may only play sponsoring one Neophyte Member each Faire Season.
The Neophyte will camp in the Glen, and their sponsor will play being held responsible for any Sadness they cause. If the Neophyte makes the Glen exceedingly Sad, the sponsor's sponsoring privileges will be at being suspended for the following year.
Neophyte Members of the Glen must play being a part of all functions and areas of Paisley Glen, on account of having to make a decision eventually, said being in the Glen.
At the end of the Neophyte Season, Parliament or the Privy Council will play at voting on whether to accept the Neophyte as a full Member in Muffinly Standing. The entire Glen should be at agreement on the decision, said a consensus.
Neophytes will not have to be at contributing to the Paisley Fund during their Neophyte year, said not yet benefitting from it. They also will not be at being able to play voting in Paisley Affairs until the completion of the first year of their full Membership in the Glen. The Neophyte, if accepted, will not be able to sponsor anyone until their first year as a full Member has been completed.
If a Neophyte Member of the Glen, in extenuating circumstances, has fulfilled all requirements to becoming a full member but one, they may apply to become an Acolyte of the Glen. An Acolyte of the Glen is accorded all rights and privileges of a full Member, with the exception that they are not privy to the ceremonies and rituals of Paisley Glen, are not entitled to vote on Paisley affairs, and with the provision that they will still fulfill their Neophyte duties. An Acolyte may then have one additional year to complete whatever requirement was missed.
Post-Mortem Admissions:
A simple majority vote of any legislative body and an initiation-in-effigy at the Paislian Shrine is at being all that is necessary to effect a post-mortem admission into Paisley Glen, said Glorious Forbears.
Existing Members:
Once a Member has camped with Paisley Glen as a full Member, they are a full Member for life, unless they are voted out (by a majority) because of special circumstances, or if they are banished by the Monarch by popular demand.
Banished Members (the Unmuffinly Clause):
Persons banished from the Glen are denied sanction and entry into all Paisley Principalities and Territories, as well as all Paisley Allied Territories. These banished members are known collectively as "The Unmuffinly," on account of their unmuffinly conduct.
Unmuffinly persons are still denied entry into Paisley Glen, even if the qualify for entry under Muffin Clause, said covering our bases. The only exception to this is played under the Cutler Sufferance Precedent, which states that "Genuinely repentant Unmuffinly persons may be admitted into the Glen's territories on the understanding that they will be sent away at the least sign of infraction." Unmuffinly persons may not camp in the Glen under any circumstances, said Drama.
Significant Others (the Muffin Clause):
Any Member (or Neophyte) of Paisley Glen may share their tent with a husband, wife, consort, boyfriend, girlfriend, fiancé, lady of the evening, gentleman of the evening, or significant other (Muffin), who may or may not be a Member of the Glen. The Muffin, if not a Member of the Glen, is not necessarily to play at being voted on at the end of the season, does not need to play contributing to the Paisley Fund, and does not play at voting on Paisley Affairs. They are simply at being there for their Member's entertainment.
Muffins may partake of Paislian food only when an arrangement is made that they will give the Glen something in return.
Monetary Issues:
The Paisley Fund:
All Paislians are expected to contribute a certain monetary equivalent (to be established each season) of goods, services, or cold, hard, cash, in addition to the fees to Camp and Faire.
This money goes towards communal food and communal luxuries, such as Paisley Pavilions. Donations in the form of money will be put into a fund and the use of that fund will be voted on when something needs to play at being purchased.
Admission to Faire:
Each Paislian is responsible for his or her own admission to Faire, and camping fees, or waiver thereof.
Members are welcome to set up an arrangement with anyone they like (Faire, a guild, or another Paislian) to offset the cost of Faire.
Only Paislians who have paid their admission or made arrangements as outlined above may camp in Paisley Glen Proper.
Life in Paisley Glen:
Camping:
Camping space is generally at being allotted on a first come, first served basis. Paisley Glen cannot guarantee that there will be room for Paislians who begin their stay with us in the middle of a Season, which is at being an exceedingly Sad Game. Therefore, for a guaranteed spot, one must call either the Monarch, The Prime Minister, or the Vice-President of Evil one month before the start of an Event to play reserving a Camping Spot, with a rough estimate as to how many will be at coming with the Paislian, and how much square footage they will need for their tents, pavilions, braziers, &c.
A full Paislian or Neophyte of Paisley Glen may camp with the Glen as many or as few weekends of a Season as they like. While they are camping, they are expected to play following the rules, to exhibit Muffinly Conduct, and to generally be at contributing to the Happiness of Paisley Glen.
No one should ever be at going into someone else's tent without their express permission, no matter what they think they left in there.
Don't cause drama with other encamped Paislians if it's possible to avoid it.
Paisley Scouts (defined as being Paislians between five and sixteen years of age) may not camp in the Glen, but they may visit during the day.
Apprentice Members of Paisley Glen (defined as being between sixteen and eighteen years of age) may only camp in Paisley Glen if a Parent or designated Adult who is responsible for them will keep watch over them and if site rules allow it. After an Apprentice Member's eighteenth birthday, a legislative body must vote to determine whether they may properly enter the fellowship of the Glen. If approved, they serve their Neophyte year like anyone else, but they are considered to be sponsored by the whole Glen, rather than just an individual.
Unattended children and pets are prohibited in Paisley Glen. They must have a Parent or Designated Adult who is responsible for them watching out for them at all times; the Parent or Adult must remain sober while the child or animal is in their care.
Guests (Amarantha's Annoyance Clause)
If a Member has a problem with a guest or a wanderer who has come to the Glen, and no other Member (Full, Neophyte, or Apprentice) is willing to vouch or claim responsibility for said guest or wanderer, then the Paislian who has the problem must first inform the guest or wanderer of the problem, and give them one chance to fix it. If they refuse or are unable to do so, they must leave the Glen at once. If the Paislian does not wish to cause offence by following this procedure, the Paislian has the right to ask the Monarch, the Vice-President of Evil, or the Grand Vizier to do so for them.
If the guest or wanderer that is causing the problem or irritating a Paislian is a Foreign Dignitary (defined as a Nobleman of the SCA, a member of Event Staff, the Autocrat of an Event, the Head of another Household, &c.) then the offended Paislian MUST take the issue up with one of the three officials listed above.
Guest Camping
Foreign Dignitaries and other High Ranking Persons may camp in the Glen, if they are met by several Paisley Members, and those members approve the guest by an overwhelming (3/4 or better in favor) majority vote of the full cabinet, not just the ministers present.
Food:
There is a Paisley Kitchen. The food kept in this kitchen is for all encamped Paislians, their Muffins, and guests (with clearance or permission pre-arranged with the cook) to share, said wanderers stealing our food or breaking our kitchen. If a Paislian wants to make a meal for the Glen, they must let the Glen know (with a note or declaration) so that the food that the Paislian wishes to use is still there when the meal is to be cooked, and to avoid meal duplication, said 12 pizzas and beer stew. In some cases, other Fairegoers may partake of the food, but only if they offer the Glen something of value in return, and that transaction is approved of by the Monarch.
If a starving person comes to the Glen, they may trade something of value for a meal, work for the cost of a meal, or be given Top Ramen, of which there is traditionally a plentiful supply, said compassioness.
If a Paislian is cooking in the Paislian kitchen, s/he must clean up his/her own mess, or make an arrangement with someone else to take care of it. In the case of group meals, someone other than the cook must play washing up.
Beer is prohibited in stew or soup. Any soup or stew may not be kept more than three days unrefrigerated and still eaten.
No imports from Paisley Mexico are allowed in the Paisley Kitchen, or indeed the Glen.
Some of the Paisley Food is donated as food. Other food comes from the Paisley Fund. The food purchased with this fund should be agreed upon by the Glen in a fair way (alternating various members' requests for entrees, &c.)
All food that is not for the communal usage of Paisley Glen should be kept in a Members' own tent. If a Paislian cannot fit a cooler or basket for food in that Paislian's own tent, that Paislian may ask another Member to keep it for them. If that fails, and that Paislian has no choice but to keep it in the Paisley Kitchen, they must mark it with BIG LETTERS that it is only that Paislian's food. That Paislian must understand that there is still a big risk that someone may play eating it.
Paislian v. Paislian Conflict:
In the event of Paislian versus Paislian conflict, the offending Member has three options upon being confronted by the offended Member. The option chosen must be agreed to by both parties. They may:
1. Agree to Third Party Arbitration, in which case a Paislian not involved in the dispute ( usually, but not always, the monarch, Camp Mother, or the Prime Minister) will judge the case and determine who was in the wrong, and determine what is to be done about it.
2. Agree to Trial by Competition, in which case both parties must agree upon the form of competition, whether it be a Boffer Match, a Game of Monopoly, a Spelling Contest, &c., and allow the competition to decide the matter.
3. Agree to a voluntary "Time Out" for both parties, until tempers have had a chance to cool.
Decorations:
Decorations are an important part of what makes Paisley "Paisley". Please respect the decorations. All Paislians are strongly encouraged to bring decorations of their own, as well.
Cleanliness:
Some members of the Glen who live near the site will take trips to shower, do laundry, and generally wash up periodically throughout Faire. However, not all Members will have the opportunity to take a shower or do laundry without making that opportunity for themselves. Paislians tend to be accommodating, but there is no guarantee that any Paislian will grant any other Paislian a free shower, or free laundry services.
Paisley Policy:
Smoking:
Keep it in designated areas, or better yet, outside the Glen, please.
Drinking:
Paisley Glen disapproves of underage drinking. If a Paislian is of age, they are welcome to drink, but they must not share with minors and must keep drinking discreet.
If a Paislian is Underage, THEY MUST NOT DRINK. If a youthful Paislian takes even a sip of alcohol, the underage member will be immediately expelled from the Glen. If an underage Member is caught by Site Officials, they may not claim Paisley Glen as their Encampment, because expulsion from the Glen is considered to take place the instant that Paislian takes a sip of Alcohol. There is no ceremony or vote.
Nakedness and Sexual Conduct:
No nudity is permitted in the main body of the Glen, except at night, with consent of all parties present, or in designated areas (such as the Naked Tent). This includes toplessness, for women, unfortunately.
Any male whose torso might be considered offensive or unpleasant for any reason may NOT remove his shirt. If he does so in defiance of the wishes of those present, they may shout "Belly Rule!" and point at him until he replaces his shirt.
The Lady Poppy's breasts are considered exemplary; they are the standard upon which all other breasts are judged.
Dame Scarf is considered prettier nude than the painting "Nude on Black Velvet," which resembles her.
Bestiality (excepting with consenting sheep over the age of majority) and other forms of Animals Cruelty (excepting the cookery of already dead flesh) is banned in Paisley Glen.
Necrophilia is banned in Paisley Glen, with the following exceptions:
1.Madame Amarantha Butterscotch may continue to have relations with Lord Glorfindel Butterscotch after his death, providing he is properly taxidermied.
2. Sexual activity with self-aware undead creatures is permissible, should any wander within the Glen, providing that their consent is obtained prior to said sexual activity.
New Branches of the Glen
A. All founding members of a subsidiary branch of Paisley Glen must have been Full members in good standing in an existing branch of the Glen for at least a year prior to the creation of their subsidiary branch.
B. Any newly created Branches of Paisley Glen must obey the laws in effect in the Primary Branch of the Glen at the time of their creation. Subsequent laws affecting the whole of the Glen will be voted on in Parliament or Privy Council of the Primary Branch of the Glen; the Monarch, V.P. of Evil, or Prime Minister will then collect votes from the executive of the subsidiary branch. Subsidiary branches are free to create by-laws unique to their chapter, provided that they send a copy of the law to the Crown, so that it may be kept on file.
C. Creation of Subsidiary Branches of Paisley Glen will be considered by the Monarch, Privy Council, Parliament, or other legislative body on a case-by-case basis.
D. If any particular subsidiary branch of Paisley Glen breaks local or federal laws, laws of the glen, or site rules, it may result in disbandment, depending on severity.
Combat Regulations:
If alcohol has been consumed, the consumer MAY NOT, under any circumstances whatsoever, be allowed to fight "Live Steel," EVEN IF SAID STEEL IS "ONLY" PAKISTANI.
Minors fighting with any branch of Paisley Glen's Armed Forces MUST obtain a Hold Harmless Agreement, which must be signed by the Minor, the Minor's Parent or Guardian, the Monarch, and the head of the branch of the Armed Force that the Minor wishes to fight in.
All weapons must pass inspection by the ranking military officer available at any given practice or tournament.
Persons fighting in any branch of Paisley Glen's armed forces are to be paid at the rate of one Octothorpe per day of active duty.
Politics:
The final say on any matter that cannot be decided among Paislians will go to the Paisley Executive, whose official title is The Emperor and Overlord of All Paisley Principalities. This office is usually referred to simply as the Monarch, said saving one's breath.
The Monarch:
The Monarch, following the Glorious Coup, is the supreme Executive of Paisley Glen. S/he may legislate by decree, but said decree can by overruled by simple majority vote of any legislative body. The Monarch has veto powers over any vote in the Glen, excepting votes overruling decrees and votes overthrowing the current Monarch. The Monarch may, in most cases, appoint his/her successor. The Monarch must act as a liaison to site officials, and must do his/her utmost to make the Glen work as a group, and get along. The Monarch may appoint a cabinet if so desired, which shall consist of an odd number of people. This cabinet is known as the Privy Council. Any powers not specifically delegated to the Cabinet remain with the Monarchy.
Any Paislian may challenge the Monarch for his authority, provided that they can support Paisley Glen in the style to which it has been accustomed, by having numerous draperies, brightly colored fabric yardage, pavilions, furniture, &c.
In order to successfully conquer the Monarch, the Challenger must succeed in two out of three Trials By Competition, and be elected by a majority vote, following the procedures laid out below.
The first Trial is chosen by the Challenger, and may be anything from Boffer to Tiddlywinks, that is acceptable for the more usual Trial By Competition used to resolve interPaislian disputes. The second trial is then chosen by the Monarch, and the third is chosen by an impartial third party, who must not be a member of the Privy Council.
If the Challenger succeeds in two of these Trials, a Full Special Session of Parliament must be called. One Month's notice of this session must be given so that as many Paislians as possible can be there. This session is headed by the Prime Minister. Once Parliament has been convened, each claimant - the Challenger and the Monarch - presents his or her case to the body of the Glen, and the Paislians there assembled anonymously vote for the claimant they think best qualified to rule the Glen. A simple majority wins the Monarchy, and the ex-Monarch, if defeated, must surrender the various accouterments of power. If the former Monarch retains his power, then the Challenger is free to leave the Glen if s/he wishes, or to remain, beaten and chastised.
The Privy Council:
If the Monarch so desires, he or she may appoint a Privy Council or Cabinet to help keep good order and good feeling in the Glen. The Council may be dissolved at any time, and should be dissolved at any point it no longer aids in the good fellowship of Paisley.
Each Monarch may create whatever positions he or she thinks will best serve the Glen.
Any Paislian may attend the meetings of the Privy Council, and act as a Privy Councilor, whether or not they fill one of these necessary posts. The Privy Council acts as Parliament when Parliament is impractical for the majority of Paislians. Any Paislian may propose legislation to the Monarch or other proxy to be carried to the Privy Council.
The Monarch calls the meetings of the Privy Council, and must give at least 24 hours of notice to Councilors that a meeting will occur. In an emergency, or when the Monarch is otherwise incapacitated, the Prime Minister or the Grand Vizier may call the Council in his/her stead.
There must be at least seven Paislians, or two thirds of the Privy Council, present for legislation to be passed in the Privy Council, whichever number is higher.
When a Privy Council is formed, the offices must be defined and placed in the Paisley Carta until the point that council is dissolved. The duties, rights, and responsibilities of each office should be listed as well.
Parliament:
Parliament is open to EVERY MEMBER of Paisley Glen, whether a Founding Member, a Member who has been voted in, or a Member who was sponsored and then initiated. However, as it is difficult in practice to get every Paislian in one place at one time, even at Faire, Parliament hardly ever meets, and lends its legislative powers to the Privy Council.
Parliaments may be called by any Member. The Paislian wishing to hold Parliament must have a Place to accommodate the entire body of the Glen, and inform the Monarch that they wish to hold a Parliament. The Monarch will then make the arrangements. If the member wishes to hold a full Parliament to dispose of the Monarch, they still must inform him/her that they wish to hold a Parliament, but they do not need to inform him/her of the reason why.
If the Monarch has been challenged, a Full Special Session of Parliament must be convened, which will be headed by the Prime Minister.
New Rules/Amendments:
New rules must be voted on and accepted by a majority of any Paislian Legislative Body, and/or decreed by the Monarch
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