[Wyewood] Regarding AUTHORIZATION RENEWALS DURING COVID & LONG-TERM CHANGES TO THE AUTHORIZATION PROCESS

[Ruslund Geyer]

Greetings Wyewood,
There is news from the Kingdom Earl Marshal regarding renewals of
authorizations during our period of suspended in-person events.
In service, 
Avine 
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Greetings all Fighters & Marshals! 
Unfortunately, since COVID required we suspend all of our activities from
March 10, 2020 until at least January 31, 2021, we have not been able to
sign any authorization cards.
This means a number of martial officers are not in compliance with the
requirements of their position, and we have a growing list of participants
who need their credentials updated while there's a shrinking number of
senior marshals able to do so. 
After consulting with a number of individuals, I explained the situation to
Their Majesties and our Kingdom Seneschal, including the applicable passages
from Society and An Tir documents and how other Kingdoms address this topic,
and Their Majesties agreed to one of the action plans I proposed.   
Effective immediately, authorization renewals can resume, but we are going
to start verifying the waiver requirement directly with each form:  If you
have a current SCA membership, then write that number and the expiration
date in the existing blanks on the forms.  If you do not, then adults need
to print out the "Adult Participant Consent Form" (An Tir #7)
<https://antirsca.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/library/EYvJAInpFqdIkYHpiUz9CT8B0D4OO
Yz779QJNDiX3WHdZg?e=KaG1dM>  and submit that with their authorization form. 
This rule will continue even after official activities resume, and our
manuals will be updated accordingly.  The individual signing the
authorization form must be a current senior marshal in that discipline per
our current rules.  Participants can email forms back and forth to print,
sign, and re-scan; or use the electronic signature functions in PDF,
Docusign, or similar programs.    
Minors can also submit renewals for their authorizations.  Their parent or
legal guardian was already required to sign form #53 "Minor Combat Waiver
(Authorizations)"
<https://antirsca.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/library/EWAc4sbHattEkwcHJQ0hUR4BRPCHu
Xj99TsjZLnLJARRBQ?e=sjgeWy>  and that hasn't changed now.  Marshals for
youth armored and youth rapier combat still need to update their background
clearances & the Society is processing those.   
The Society's equestrian rules have a separate requirement for
authorizations to occur at events or official practices, but the Society
Equestrian Officer is waiving that for the duration of the pandemic
closures.  Waivers are still required using An Tir forms #31-34
<https://antir.org/library/>  depending on where you are the time of
signature.   
Unfortunately, new authorizations whether for a new fighter, a new weapon
form, or for a junior or senior marshal, will remain on hold until SCA
events or official practices can resume, because the applicant must be able
to demonstrate they have the relevant physical skills, and that requires the
presence of other people.  When these authorizations are done in the future,
the individual will either need to document their membership information on
the authorization form or sign the relevant waiver and submit both.   
If you have any questions about this decision, please contact me at
earlmarshal at antir.org.   Martial Authorization Officer Kara Reginasdottir
and Equestrian Authorizations Deputy Tove aet Horselei can help with
technical questions and accept your forms marshal.authorizations at antir.org
and Equestrian.Marshal.Authorizations at antir.org. You can check your status
at any time in the database at  https://antirlists.org/auth
<https://antirlists.org/auth/> . 
Thank you for your cooperation.  Please keep taking care of yourselves and
each other.  
Maestra Althaia filia Lazari,  Earl Marshal of the Kingdom of An Tir.   
https://antir.org/2020/11/26/authorization-renewals-during-covid-long-term-c
hanges-to-the-authorization-process/