SCA's NEXT GENERATION

[dennis grace]

Hi there. Aquilanne here.

Soberbia wrote:
>> Survival of the SCA depends on more people continously joining,
>> the best way to get people to join is by word of mouth advertising.

HL William FitzBubba wrote:
>Soberbia:  if you see a problem, fix it.  <snip>  The
>Society is never going to be a place for the timid.  

Soberbia:
>> On the other hand what of the person who sees yet another large group
>> of people with tightknit clicks who aren't interested in what they may
>> have to offer?

William:
>Aw, crap.  Cliques are nothing new.  I've been in several volunteer
>organizations, and there's always cliques.  If you want to hang around
>those people, worm your way in.  If not, form your own clique.  (grin)

Speaking of hot-buttons...
William, your posting sounds good-natured enough, but I must say that while
I tend to agree with you in concept (the "if you see something wrong, don't
just complain, try to think of a solution" approach), I have to question
this particular application. Unless I misread Soberbia's posting, it sounds
to me as though she's played *some* SCA in another kingdom and is not
familiar with the Ansteorran group she's in at present. _If_ you believe
that bringing newer folk in is important, then it's not fair to lay the
burden of "fixing" things on them. Likewise for the cliques. Cliques by
their very nature exclude people. How is she supposed to have any idea who
or what clique she might want to hang around with if all the clique does is
stand around cliquing? Hospitalling should not be a singular job that one
person "gets stuck" with doing; hospitalling should be a common concern for
everyone. 

As to the SCA not being a place for the timid--I really dislike that kind of
exclusionist attitude. The SCA is a wonderful place for the timid. The
founding Baroness of the barony I am from was a fairly shy person. Over the
years she became less so, and an inspirational belly dancer as well. The
only place that the SCA is "no place for" is people who don't want to be in
the SCA (barring, of course, psychos and murderers and IRS auditors, etc
;->). In that same barony, newcomers were welcomed with open arms by anyone
who happened to be the first to spy them, and if that newcomer had *any*
previous experience with SCA, then woohoo! Plug & Play! Maybe larger
baronies tend to become logy and a little too content and to forget how
important new folk are, but there's really no excuse for the sort of thing
Soberbia is describing. Anyone who's ever been involved with active attempts
at recruitment can tell you that recruitment is time-consuming and not
always very fruitful. Groups should be grateful for the infrequent
individual who shows up already interested and just looking for a little
friendliness.

Just as a side note, being open and welcoming as opposed to "screening"
individuals didn't hurt the climate or quality of the above-mentioned
modest-sized  barony; it boasts several sets of coronets (viscounts, count,
barons, baronesses) and a pack of peers--some of whom didn't start out as
gregarious gang-busters.

Aquilanne
_____________________________
Dennis Grace
University of Texas at Austin
English Department
Recovering Medievalist

That's right, you're not from Texas, but Texas wants you anyway.
                                                  --Lyle Lovett