[Ansteorra] A few quick obvious points

[Casey Weed]

Robin is right; this is a terrible idea.  Spend the same time and effort
investing in nice loaner clothes and a tri-fold with a faq... and then make
sure whoever is working at the gate asks if each person has what they need.

"Cold?  We have nice coats in three sizes you can borrow from the Barony for
a day.  Oh, and be sure to take a hat, too.  Hot?  We have straw hats and
light tunics.  Do you have a cup to drink from?  We don't want anyone going
thirsty."

I'd volunteer to make my Barony three for men in small, medium, and Calon
shield wall size.  Put tags in them so nobody can claim to "forget it wasn't
theirs".   You'll still lose a few but that's part of group maintenance.
And those garments usually show up later on down the road.

When my household meets someone new the FIRST thing we do is get them
dressed as good or better than the average Ansteorran... something they can
be proud to wear.  Leaving them to their own devices, wearing sneakers and
tagged with a white sash like a starbellied sneech is just awful... it's no
way to make someone feel like they belong.  Make them feel like they fit in,
for Pete's sake.  Well, for Robin's sake, at least.

Wow... I've agreed with Robin twice this month.  I'd better cut it out
before I start liking book heraldry and sonnets... oh, wait... I like
sonnets... HEEELLP!!

Ritter Dieterich



> Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:05:05 -0500
> > From: rudin at peoplepc.com
> > To: ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org
> > Subject: [Ansteorra] A few quick obvious points
> >
> > 1. DO NOT give a newbie any badge, belt, or other symbol and tell them
> that it's a newbie badge and will tell people to treat them like they're new
> unless *EVERY* *SINGLE* *PERSON* at the event they are going to will
> recognize it as such -- including visitors from out of kingdom and people
> coming back after a ten year break. Otherwise, you're only setting up yet
> another awkward situation for them. Oh, joy. Since we don't all know about
> your new symbol, it cannot work.
> >
> > 2. If there are in fact people who are too pushy or scary or rude to
> newbies by inclination or policy, you are providing them signposts to do so.
> They will spend more time looking for the badge than the helpful people
> will, since the helpful people are busy at the event helping.
> >
> > 2. Our symbols have value, but the value isn't to tell us which people to
> be nice to. People in the SCA already have a tendency to sniff each other's
> symbols like dogs do, to determine how to treat each other. This is the
> problem newbies suffer from; it isn't the solution.
> >
> > 3. The only solution -- the ***ONLY*** solution -- is for us to treat
> everyone we meet with courtesy and openness. Newbies don't need a badge or
> belt. They need a smile and polite conversation.
> >
> > And so does everyone else.
> >
> > Robvin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin
> >
>