[Ansteorra] tagging newcomers (was: Newbie's perspective on NMS and other things)

[Elizabeth Crouchet]

SCAers as bunch tend to be very talkative once we get started. I know that
when I was new I was painfully shy and it took all my will power just to say
'What does that mean? " Once I got *anyone* started talking we could not
shut up but making that opening was hard. I know it can be hard for others.

Maybe it needs to be a concerted part of our newcommers training to
encourage them them to ask questions even of people they don't know and to
reassure them it is acceptable behavior if done politely.

We also need to remind our old timers to be patient when this happens;
though most will wax enthusiastically. Even a newbie in a badge is still
intimidating to me, they are still a stranger, I am still inherently shy, I
am just better at dealing with it now.

Once a newcommer does get me talking, I try to make a point to help them
make another connection before I have to run off so they are not alone and
don't have to start that conversation by themselves. I would do the same for
any guest at my own party so I do not see this as overly burdensome or too
much to do for a new person. Oh, and I also make sure to ask  if they have
already met the hostpitaler, so  I do not introduce them to that person for
the umpteenth time. The hospitaler is a good host/hostess and point of
contact,  not the the only person a newbie is allowed to talk to.

A positive cultural attitude of how we deal with newbies and they with us
may be much more useful than a badge/token/ribbon/marker. Any newbie can
always wear a name tag that says My name is: and I'm kinda new. I am OK with
that, too. In fact, at interkingdom college type events, I think name tags
with kingdom ID might even be useful, but that is another discussion.

Claire


On Fri, Feb 19, 2010 at 4:55 PM, Fiona the Needleworker <
danab-steppes at tx.rr.com> wrote:

> That was why I had suggested some sort of uniform token/favor that would be
> discrete. Perhaps some woven thing on a loom in the Ansteorra colors. If
> they're new and they don't want it, they don't have to take it, but if they
> want folks to know, "I'm here, and I could use a friend or perhaps some
> help." they'd have it and could wear it proudly, and we could know who they
> were and they'd know each other. I still feel new to the SCA as a whole.
> There are lots of things I still have questions on, but because I don't know
> too many people very well, I don't feel comfortable going up and asking face
> to face all the time, even when I have a question. Even at populace, I sorta
> sit back and listen more than talk, because I feel so apart sometimes. I
> think something like this when I had gotten here would have helped me to
> mingle more. :) And I'm a talkative person when I get to know you!
>
> Fiona
>