[Ansteorra] Newbie Status

[Coblaith Muimnech]

Charles of Portsmouth wrote:
> Although Willow's comparison of the yellow star was to the extreme  
> I feel that it was not that far off.. . .

Not far at all.  Offering newcomers too shy to walk up to strangers  
and say, "Can you explain what's going on?" the option of wearing  
some sort of easily-removed doohicky that says it for them is almost  
exactly the same as forcing all members of a given ethnic group to  
wear an identifying badge so that institutional discrimination  
against them can be practiced efficiently.  I'm surprised somebody  
didn't mention the similarity sooner.

> . . .Being a new comer to the SCA is a lot like being the new kid  
> at school. If you were the new kid at school and they made you ware  
> a sign/symbol that stated that you were the new kid you would have  
> never wanted to go back due to the shame and humiliation you would  
> endure.

That's why nobody graduated from American colleges in the first half  
of the 20th century.  Freshman beanies.

Lucky nobody's yet suggested anyone *make* newcomers wear anything, huh?

> Although most members are helpful and only want to see people grow  
> inside the SCA like it should be, a few look down on you if you are  
> not knowledgeable in the interworking of the SCA.

Could you give a specific example of this?  'Cause I don't think I've  
ever seen it, in my local branch or online, and I'd like to know  
exactly how it's been happening. . .especially if one of the big  
objections to the idea of generating some kind of newcomers' emblem  
is that it might serve to draw the attention of these malignant  
individuals to their prospective prey (which I assume is the reason  
you brought it up in this particular context).

> So my thoughts on what we should do to make the new people feel as  
> if they belong is to treat everyone the same.

So which is it:  should I talk to everyone like they already know who  
Claire is and where "the Georgetown site" is, or tell Daniel both  
those things every time we discuss Candlemas, even though he's as  
familiar with both as I am?  One approach to every conversation I can  
handle.  Let's just agree on which one's the one.

Fact is, who you are and what you know determines what constitutes a  
positive, helpful way to interact with you.  The suggested newcomers'  
emblems would be nothing more than a way to help *those newcomers who  
elected to do so* communicate one salient piece of information about  
who they are and what they know quickly and efficiently, just as  
coronets allow nobles to communicate one salient piece of information  
about who they are and what they know quickly and efficiently and  
chapeaus allow members of the Order of the Pelican to communicate one  
salient piece of information about who they are and what they know  
quickly and efficiently.  They would be no more degrading or  
dehumanizing than those or any other pieces of regalia that  
accomplish a similar function.


Coblaith Muimnech
<mailto:Coblaith at sbcglobal.net>
<http://coblaith.net>