Alternatives to NMS

[Pug]

>  * Cut funding on TI. There is no justification for spending money on a slick
> cover and and slick paper.  Look at recent issues of An Tir's _The Crier_, the
> print quality is as good as TI on paper that's only a step or two above
> newspaper stock.

I must agree with this. Especially after the last two I got. (I was a
bit disappointed, but hey, it could just be me.)

>  * Reduce the newsletter stipend to the Kingdoms. Or at least don't raise it. 
> Encourage the Kingdoms to cut their expenses and let the Corporation transfer
> the surplus to the subscription liability account.  I know Ansteorra could cut
> the size (and thus the cost) of _Blackstar_ in half.  Consider the following
> data taken from October newsletters (page counts include covers, but not
> unnumbered inserts):
>                          Events    Event          Total
>   Kingdom   | Branches | Oct-Mar | Flyers/Pages | Pages
>   ------------------------------------------------------
>   East      |     97   |    41   |   39/20      |   48
>   Ansteorra |     42   |    39   |   15/19      |   48

48 pages / 4 = 12 sheets

>   Middle    |    129   |    40   |   12/6       |   38

38 pages / 4 = 9.5 sheets ?

Since postage is based on multiples of 6 sheets, there is nothing saved
on postage. (Assuming standard paper stock on all 6 pages.)

> How do the East and Middle do this?  No maps.  Minimal wasted space.  Small
> (but readable) fonts. Regular paper stock covers.  Some Kingdoms could save
> more than others, but every bit helps, yes?

I'm not sure about this. I'd rather pay more for a quality newsletter
than have to squint, wonder where I'm going for an event (!), or have it
be too cluttered. (There is a reason places hire professionals to do
newsletters.) And yes, I like the card stock for covers, and our local
Barony newsletter uses it whenever it is not exactly 6 or 12 sheets.

Btw, do groups have to pay for their event announcements? If not, why
not charge them if it goes over a half page? This will encourage groups
to make their information concise and short, but allow them to be
extravagent if they want to pay for it.

>  * Cut the size of the "time to renew" and new membership card packets. 
> Judicious pruning and reformatting of the text should halve the amount of
> printed matter.  Send a return mailing label instead of a whole envelope in
> the "renew" packet.

I think so. I'm not sure why I keep getting the stupid description of
the SCA and what terms mean. After all I'm renewing and not a new
member. All I need is a form and when it is I need to have it back to
them.

Ciao,

-- 
Phelim Uhtred Gervas  | "I want to be called. COTTONTIPS. There is something 
Barony of Bryn Gwlad  |  graceful about that lady. A young woman bursting with 
House Flaming Dog     |  vigor. She blinked at the sudden light. She writes
pug at arlut.utexas.edu  |  beautiful poems. When ever shall we meet again?"