Mklawarticle15

ARTICLE XV - Territorial Barons and Baronesses

• XV-100 A letter of request from the populace and polling information from the Kingdom Seneschal's office shall be forwarded to the Crown for consideration of any appointment of a Territorial Baron and Baroness. The letter and polling must reflect the consensus of the members of the Society within the proposed Barony. The populace of a Barony and the resigning Baron/Baroness (if a Baron and Baroness are currently in place) shall in this way advise the Crown regarding the appointment of a new Baron/Baroness. Consideration of the letter and polling requires that the selection of the Baron and Baroness must not be substantively opposed by the members resident in the Barony.

• XV-200 Pursuant to these considerations, the Crown shall appoint as Baron(s) and/or Baroness(es) no more than two people, regardless of gender, deemed most fit to represent the Royal presence in the Barony.

• XV-210 The term baron refers to the male gender. The term baroness refers to the female gender.

• XV-300 Territorial (Landed) Barons and/or Baronesses may not also hold the offices of Baronial Seneschal or Baronial Exchequer. In addition, a Territorial Baron and/or Baroness may not be a signatory on any Baronial bank account.

• XV-301 Territorial (Landed) Barons and Baronessess must reaffirm their fealty in person to the Crown of the Middle Kingdom (or the Crown's appointed representative) at least once per reign.

• XV-302 Territorial (Landed) Barons and Baronessess must report, in writing, to the Crown of the Middle Kingdom (or the Crown's appointed representative) at least once per reign. This report shall be due at each Coronation.
  
  This report shall include: contact information for both the Baron and Baroness (including address of residence, telephone and e-mail contact information, if applicable) copy of current, valid Society membership, information regarding the state of the Barony, summary of events and meetings attended by the Baron and Baroness, and changes to any existing Baronial Charter. The first report shall include a copy of the Baronial Charter, if one exists.

• XV-303 All Baronies will have established a term of office of five (5) years for the Baron and Baroness. At the end of the term shall have conducted within their barony, a polling of the populace for a new Baron and/or Baroness. The current Baron/ess may be nominated for the polling. This polling shall be conducted through the office of the Kingdom Seneschal, following the Kingdom Seneschalate policies.

• XV-304 If a Territorial Barons or Baronesses, leave their Barony to become a resident of another place so as to preclude their continued active participation in the affairs of the Barony, they shall resign their territorial title and, at the discretion of the Crown, may be styled Baron/Baroness of the Court.

• XV-305 The populace of the Barony and the resigning Baron/Baroness shall advise the Crown regarding the appointment of a new Baron/Baroness by a written petition reflecting the consensus of the members within the Barony. Consideration of this petition requires that it must not be substantively opposed by the members resident in the Barony.

• XV-400 In the case of an extended, but temporary, absence of the Baron/Baroness, he/she may request that the Crown appoint a Vicar to fulfill the duties of Baron/Baroness until their return.

• XV-410 The vicar may fulfill the duties of the baron/baroness for up to one year. The Crown may choose to extend the period of time that the vicar serves up to a maximum of eighteen months.

• XV-420 If a baron/baroness is not active for one year without the appointment of a vicar, the crown shall appoint a new baron/baroness. Not active is defined as no participation in the resident barony at events and/or meetings.

• XV-500 Baronial Court may only be held within the territory of the Baron/Baroness holding Court.