Shire
From AmtWiki
The Shire
a Chapter
What is a Shire?
The smallest sized Amtgard chapter. Under most contracts the required number of active players per a six month period is five. This is also the general term for a new group, no matter what it's size.
What can a Shire do?
Shires may grant a limited number of awards, and no ladder award may be given above rank 2 or 3, depending on which kingdom they're under; BL limits them to 2, while EH permits 3. A shire is not allowed to give any titles of Nobility.
The next step
Once a shire grows to an average of 20 people per week in a six month period, they qualify to become a Barony.
