Shire

A shire is a local branch of the SCA which reports directly to a Kingdom or Principality. Shire is the next logical step up from Canton. The minimum requirement for a group to become a Shire, is 5 sustaining-level finanical members and a petition that shows that the majority of the members of that group want the elevation.
Once a group has become a Shire their next elevation would be to Barony.