Starosty

Now the groom would invite the bride, her parents, the starosty, and the bridesmaids to a formal dinner hosted by his parents. ❋ BETSY OPPENNEER (2003)

She would give the starosty embroidered ritual cloths, which they tied diagonally across their chests as emblems of the agreement. ❋ BETSY OPPENNEER (2003)

The groom’s parents invited two respected elders to act as starosty, or emissaries, who would visit the girl’s parents to persuade them that this was a good match. ❋ BETSY OPPENNEER (2003)

[FOOTNOTE: A starost (starosta) is the possessor of a starosty (starostwo) ” i.e., a castle and domains conferred on a nobleman for life by the crown.] ❋ Niecks, Frederick (1888)

It had the communal responsibility of all members in case of crime, its own jurisdiction and administration by street aldermen (ulichanskiye starosty), its own seal and, in case of need, its own forum; its own militia, as also its self-elected priests and its, own collective life and collective enterprise. ( ❋ Petr Alekseevich Kropotkin (1881)