Membership, Awards, Local Participat

[KiheBard at aol.com]

In a message dated 97-02-11 14:44:41 EST, you write:

> Sometimes in a group there is a faction (oh, ugly word!) clinging 
>  desperately to the status quo even though it is stale, limits new
>  participation and looks suspiciously upon change because it
>  has enough change in the mundane world and wants some-
>  thing "stable".  Well, the only constant in the world *is* change;
>  and sometimes these groups look like obstructionists to people
>  who want ot try something new, to "shake things up".  Usually,
>  as in "real life", it is left to history to determine whether they
>  were troublemakers or innovators.  Sometimes, years later, I
>  have come across the original "bloc" still grousing about hte upset
>  that an incoming group caused, even though the group is obviosuly
>  thriving and happy on its new path.

I've known some people / groups like that.  It is my observation that at
least one of the Ansteorran peerage circles currently is in the process of
working through a major "grouse season". At least, this is the external
appearance of things...
  
>  However, this sounds more like a case of true group instability and 
>  bad ideas.  So what should happen?

I guess whopping people upside their heads won't work too well, particularly
since most of the worst offenders might be tempted to whomp back (and just
might have armor on at the beginning, too). 

What should happen? People should grow up, be adults, and quit their useless
bitching about "ancient" group history.  Alright, so maybe Mistress
MuchBetterNow started out in a polyester princess get-up that could have been
dyed by Pepto-Bismol and had decolletage down to *there*. She learned, she
got better, and she still had to move out of Kingdom before her talents were
recognized as being peerage-quality. Guess who may be the worst grouse of all
when she manages to move back "home"? 

Probably not Herself, actually. Probably the leaders of whatever faction had
blocked her peerage previously based upon "ancient history" newcomer's
mistakes.  

(And to be perfectly crystal-clear, this example HAS been constructed from
whole cloth. No serial numbers filed off, no specific individuals in mind in
constructing the scenario.)

The only resolution here would be modification of the way peerages are
parcelled out, I fear.

What should happen? What about the situation where an early founder of a
local group made a power grab and polarized the whole community, maybe even
losing the use of choice event sites forever because of temper or spite or
whatever? The lines of decision will be as deep as the lines of division.
There will be no easy answer. The most obvious answers are not feasible or
functional, *particularly* in low-SCA-population areas. At least one solution
used in a marginally-similar LARP group to bypass such possibilities has been
rejected by the SCA: all our group boundaries are biased upon the physical
map and parcelled out by postal codes (therefore the concept of establishing
two co-terminous groups is disallowed).

What should happen? The answer will depend in every instance uon what is
deetermined to be ultimately wrong with the situation, what has already been
tried unsuccessfully, and what resources remain available to be applied
toward a solution.

Sorry, I am a Bard. I make no claims to providing EASY answers!

Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri al-Amra
	currently residing in Barony of the Steppes, Kingdom of Ansteorra
a.k.a. Kihe Blackeagle (the DreamSinger Bard)
Mike C. Baker					KiheBard at aol.com
Any opinions expressed are obviously my own unless explicitly stated
otherwise!