low numbers in univ. groups

[Jeanne Stapleton]

Hi All!  I hope that none of you have been injured or harmed in any 
way by the tornadoes I heard about on the news this morning.

I've had this gem sitting in a folder for months now; I apologize for 
resurrecting an albatross, but I realized upon re-reading it that I 
did want to comment for a different perspective, and just havne't had 
the time.
> 
> > >SCA having low numbers problems athe UofH.
> 
> This is a very common problem in groups who draw primarily from
> Universities.  I can speak from experience in this instance.  I
> spent my first four years in the SCA in the Shire of Mooneschadowe
> which, at that time, drew most of its new members from the OSU
> College crowd.   
> 
> The low numbers drawn from the University are mostly due to the lack
> of free time available to the students (we had lots of people
> express an interest).

I just want to express that my experience is exactly the opposite.  
It is very probable that universities differ in what is available in 
terms of activities, and in climate (as to how free students feel to 
"goof off").

I attended Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA, which was a 
lovely little gem of a campus that was very insulated and isolated in 
suburbia.  NO "university district" to speak of.  Most of us didn't 
have cars.  As a result, we did lots of things together, had lunches 
and dinners, that weren't always "meetings", at least once a week, 
studied together, etc.  I found college (my first two years, where I 
got really active in the SCA, got my first three costumes, etc.) to 
be the first truly on-going social experience of my life.  I *wanted* 
to do things in groups, whereas I'd always been isolated outside of 
school before.

Then I went to the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, where there is 
*very* little to do and the campus has a pretty rowdy atmosphere.  
Once again, isolated from the city by a few miles of tundra and 
permafrost, with few cars and severe cold in the winter, the SCA gave 
us things to do with others; dance practices or costuming sessions in 
the ballroom on Sundays, that sort of thing.  We got a lot of the 
"in-town" central provincial/baronial types coming out our way simply 
because the University had the nicest free or cheap facilities in 
town.

  In general, this lack of time forces the
> college students to be highly selective about their interests. They
> usually tend to pick groups which don't require as much of a time
> committment as the SCA does. 

Once again, not my experience.  I think it depends where in the 
college process the students are.  Many of the poorer students picked 
the SCA over an expensive interest group like the ski club because as 
a rule, the overhead investment in equipment was not as great and 
weekend trips weren't as pricy.

Many, perhaps even most, of the people I know in the SCA found us in 
college.  There are trade-offs like anything in life--less money, 
maybe no car--but students also are not programmed into a grind about 
commute, work, child care yet.

 Of all the students that checked us
> out during the time I was in Mooneschadowe, I'm sure fewer than a
> fourth stuck with us (probably less).  I think college-based SCA
> groups have to be very active with their demos - at least one per
> semester.

This I definitely agree with.  One demo per semester, don't forget 
summer, and preferably during "rush week" or orientation.

  This allows students who were interested, but too busy
> the previous semester, to be reminded of us.  Holding fighter
> practices on campus could also help (I don't remember if this was
> already being done...).     
> 
Definitely.

> I believe the way Mooneschadowe solved the problem with the large
> turnover from the University was by directing recruitment to the
> permanent Stillwater, OK residents (the fact that many strong SCA
> players decided to remain in Stillwater after college graduation
> didn't hurt either).
> 
The college graduation migration is what tends to hurt or at least 
alter college groups in a major way.  That's why recruitment has to 
be such a focus for them, and why the variations in their status 
requirements are such handy things.

> I guess recruiting from the Houston population at large isn't a
> great idea for the U of H group - as the Houston area already
> supports several large branches from it's non-collegiate community. 

I don't know the U of H structure, but sometimes existing members who 
are going back to school or in non-traditional programs can be a 
great boost, if they're willing to devote the tiem.

> I'm not sure, but wasn't the group designation "college of..."
> supposed to allow college-supported groups the ability to go dormant
> during school breaks and periods when activity levels aren't
> sufficient to sustain the group and fill local offices?  I know that
> wouldn't be the preferred choice, if any other options are
> available.
> 
Exactly.


Countess Berengaria de Montfort de Carcassonne, OP
Barony of Caerthe
Kingdom of the Outlands