[Ansteorra] Newbie Status

[Charles of Portsmouth]

Coblaith,

First let me say that everything is left up to interpretation.

    Lets be realistic here for just a moment. Is this going to be something 
that is going to be utilized. Probably not. The reason for my "Opinion" on 
this is the same that I stated before. If you were that New kid would you 
wear the emblem? 9 times out of 10 no because you want to be treated as a 
equal

I will clarify some things that I stated in my post.

On the statement of people being treated differently because they are new 
and have no idea how things work is: New person addresses someone of 
nobility as they would address someone not being of nobility because they 
know no different. No one pulls them to the side and tells them what they 
did was wrong, no one explains to them why what they did was wrong, or how 
they should have addressed that person. This happens more than most would 
like to admit. This is just something that is Expected to be known. Another 
example is when a new person starts asking questions about why things are 
done a certain way, how people earn titles that they in no way could earn in 
their first few months, or why they have to address certain people a certain 
way. People tend to get agitated at the questions because they feel that if 
the person is going to play they should do their own research on how we do 
things. A comment I have heard after the person has walked away is "Don't we 
have a newcomers guide?"

This is when opinions are formed. Remember first Impression is everything.

A lot of the times these things are over looked or not noticed because the 
person being affected never speaks up.

What I mean by  treating everyone the same is not so literal as it could 
have been taken. If I know someone knows the information that I am speaking 
about then I will hold my conversations as such. If I have questions if 
someone knows about the topic I am speaking of I will ask them if they have 
any knowledge of the topic and explain if I need to. I will not jump to the 
conclusion because I have seen them around a few times or never seen them 
around at all that they know or not know what I am talking about. That is 
basic communication skills. I have no idea what anyone knows and it is my 
responsibility to obtain that information by asking questions if I am to 
include someone into my conversations.

By treating everyone the same I mean show the newcomers the same respect and 
dignity that you would show a person of high nobility. For one day they may 
a person of high nobility.

Everyone has an opinion, everyone has an  interpretation of what is and what 
is not, and everyone has a need to be respected.  Remember the "Golden Rule" 
that is what I am saying.

We as senior members have a responsibility not only to the new guys/gals but 
to
all in the SCA to help, encourage, and educate one another. Not only is it 
our responsibility to do such it is also our duty to be proactive in doing 
so. It is not the students job to seek help it is up to the teachers to 
provide the help.

Charles of Portsmouth

"We are only as ignorant as the those who teach us."

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Coblaith Muimnech" <Coblaith at sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Monday, February 22, 2010 6:19 AM
To: "Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc." <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] Newbie Status

> 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>
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