by Aldus Marius on Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:32 pm
Salvete, Romani Viatores!
I'm copying my letter to Triarius, and his response (see following), over from Comitia-->Mons Aventinus Revisited. If we're going to hash out the Societas' take on MA, and we're going to have a Sticky for it, I think these two messages need to be in the thread.
Once they're both up, I'll start tossing some new ideas out for consideration. Here ya go... >({|:-)
Salve, Triari magister!
Much earlier than I expected, I think Mons Aventinus is approaching a tipping-point.
I've been getting "pinged" all week by SVR Sodales, including MA residents and prospectives, in the SVR Forum and privately, and they all want to know the same thing: Why can only Novaromani occupy a domus or a villa?
It may seem a small thing now...but, like the old "non-Citizen" Hill zoning, it has implications. MA's great appeal is that it is meant for all Romans, everybody. But some of the site's policies do accord preferential status to Nova Romans. I don't think that's intentional; the site, like anything that changes, is a product of its own history, and for Mons Aventinus that started with NR. But as long as differences in policy remain, questions of this nature are going to arise, and I thought it might be better to hammer something out while the Project is still young.
In general, is it desirable to maintain a distinction between Nova Romans and all others? If we do (and I could see it in some ways; see below about the villae), is it possible to do it in a way that will not seem (or be) actively discriminatory?
This begs an even larger question. The site takes pains to point out that Nova Roma and Mons Aventinus are two separate things. Right now, MA is pretty tightly bound to Nova Roman regulations and structures. (Heia, it had to start somewhere.) But they are bound to diverge at some point, probably pretty soon, as new blood and its accompanying outside influence make themselves felt. Wouldn't it be wiser for us to make provision for that separation from the beginning?
...[snip some Nova Roma history for comparison]...
This could serve us as a cautionary tale. I think we can do better...but it'll require some thought. I see the NR elements as a foundation, but only that; it's not the weedy lot, surely, but neither is it the whole edifice. What Mons Aventinus will be when it grows up depends on the residents--and it may not closely resemble anything either of us was thinking! >({|8-)
OK, the housing situation in particular:
FWIW, I'd like to see at least the domi open up to more people. This, I think, would alleviate a lot of the feeling of "housing discrimination" that's going around. If we decide to keep some sort of requirement for occupying a domus, it could be something unrelated to NR Citizenship--perhaps being an active member of one's own group (NR or otherwise), or having lived on MA for a certain length of time before qualifying, or writing at least a minimum number of articles for the site. (We need articles...)
The villae are, understandably, a special case. I know that the residents of the villae in particular are all NR assidui and have thus, in a way, paid for the privilege. I respect that, and I agree that people who have given financial support should be given some form of preference. But if this project works as well as we'd like it to, eventually some of the paying members will be non-Nova Romans, contributing towards site fees and such. Would they be eligible for a villa as well?
I wouldn't be bugging you if I didn't believe in what you're doing, and wish the best for it, and desire to head off possible problems before they arise. Mons Aventinus is very young, still finding itself as a community. We have time to get it right. >({|:-)
In amicitia et fide,
Aldus Marius Peregrinus.