Armoured Combat:Chain Of Command

Chain of Command and Procedures for Reporting

Marshallate Chain of Command

The general Chain of Command of the marshallate in Lochac is as follows:

• The SCAA and SCANZ Committees
• the Society Earl Marshal
• the Crown of Lochac
• the Kingdom Earl Marshal
• warranted deputies of the Kingdom Earl Marshal
• Knights Marshal of Baronies and Shires
• Knights Marshal of subsidiary groups such as cantons and colleges
• the Marshal in Charge of an event
• the Marshal in Charge of the Field
• Field Marshals.

As per Corpora, real-world law always takes precedence over all SCA laws. <figure class='fullPage' id='reportingAndAuthorityHierarchy'>

   <img src='images/lochac-marshallate-reporting-diagram.svg'>
   <figCaption>Reporting and Authority Hierarchy of the Lochac Marshallate</figCaption>

</figure>

Reporting Requirements

General

Reporting is an important function of the marshallate. The flow of information from individual marshals through group marshals to the Kingdom Earl Marshal, and ultimately to the Society Earl Marshal is what allows those officers to make informed decisions about the game. Reporting of incidents as required by these procedures does not constitute formal escalation, and will not be accepted as such. Incidents can be entirely and satisfactorily resolved at a lower level of the marshallate, but must still be reported to the Kingdom Earl Marshal. If formal escalation of any incident is required it must be done in accordance with the procedures set out in <a class='crossReference' href='#proceduresForSanctionsAndAppeals' data-chapter='proceduresForSanctionsAndAppeals'>Sanctions</a>. Failure to report as required may be grounds for actions such the removal of a group marshal, or the suspension of a marshal's marshallate authorisation. Failure to report on injuries or disciplinary incidents may be grounds for revocation of authorisations or further sanctions. Reports are to be submitted electronically.

Injury Reporting

Injury reporting procedures are set out in <a class='crossReference' href='#reportingInjuries' data-chapter='combatInjuryProcedures'>Managing Injuries</a>.

Reporting Dates

Group marshals of stand-alone groups must report to the Kingdom Earl Marshal quarterly between the 1^st and 15^th of February, May, August and November. Canton and college group marshals must report to the knight marshal of their parent group six-monthly between the 1^st and 15^th of April and October. The dates on which officers, including marshals, shall report are set out in Lochac Kingdom Law. The laws of Lochac can be found on the Kingdom Seneschal's website at <a href='http://lochac.sca.org/laws/'>http://lochac.sca.org/laws/</a> . All marshals who are required to report on a regular basis should familiarise themselves with the schedule set out in those laws. In the event of discrepancies between Kingdom Law and this document, Kingdom Law takes precedence.

Marshal in Charge of an Event

Other than reports of revocation of authorisation per <a class='crossReference' href='#reportingAuthorisationRevocations' data-chapter='proceduresForGrievancesAndSanctions'>Revocation of authorisations</a> or serious injury reports as outlined in <a class='crossReference' href='#seriousInjuryReporting' data-chapter='combatInjuryProcedures'>Reporting injuries</a>, reports should be supplied to the knight marshal of the group sponsoring the event within 30 days of the date of the event. Reports must note any incidents where:

1. Someone was injured (refer to <a class='crossReference' href='#combatInjuryProcedures' data-chapter='combatInjuryProcedures'>Managing Injuries</a>); or
2. A fighter or marshal had to be disciplined; or
3. Disputes occurred over understanding of rules, acceptability of equipment, or personal conduct which did not require disciplinary action.

In the event that an incident occurs, a brief report should be gathered from all involved, including other marshals on the field, chirurgeons etc. These reports should be noted in writing and taken as soon as practical after the incident.

Knight Marshal of a Branch

Reports from Baronial or Shire Knights Marshal of groups who have subsidiary branches, including colleges and cantons should include a summary of the reports received from the Knight Marshal of the subsidiary group(s). Reports should contain a brief summary of the state of fighting in the group and details of any incidents or injuries incurred at official events or practices. In addition to the regular reports, Knights Marshal of groups must provide such additional reports as required by the Kingdom Earl Marshal.

Deputy Kingdom Earl Marshal

Warranted Deputies to the Kingdom Earl Marshal shall report to the Kingdom Earl Marshal quarterly. Other Deputies to the Kingdom Earl Marshal shall provide reports as requested by the Kingdom Earl Marshal. The reports of Deputy Kingdom Earl Marshals shall contain a summary of the state of the area of combat for which they are responsible, and details of any incidents, injuries or sanctions that occurred during the quarter.

Kingdom Earl Marshali

The Kingdom Earl Marshal must report to the Crown of Lochac, Lochac Kingdom Seneschal and the Society Earl Marshal quarterly as required by Kingdom Law. The laws of Lochac can be found on the Kingdom Seneschal's website at <a href='http://lochac.sca.org/laws/'>http://lochac.sca.org/laws/</a> . The report of the Kingdom Earl Marshal shall contain:

1. a summary of the state of all combat-related activities in the kingdom; and
2. a summary of the current authorisations in the kingdom; and
3. details of any sanctions and disciplinary actions with a span greater than a single event; and
4. a summary of all injuries reported in that quarter; and
5. a summary of all test programmes underway or completed in that quarter.