ANST - Steppes 12th Night

[Decker, Terry D.]

>Michael F. Gunter wrote:
>> 
>> Once again, my apologies, I take full blame for the servers who missed
>>people.
>> I tried to make a few circuits of the hall to catch such things but I
>>couldn't
>> be everywhere at once.
>
>Gunthar, IMHO you shouldn't have to do this. The headcook (note, I didn't say
>feastocrat, blah) has enough to do in the kitchen. Servers should be
>organized
>under a head server who should report to the autocrat. This is generally a
>light
>duty time for the autocrat but not for the headcook.

While I agree that service problems should be handled by the head
server, as a head cook, I try to walk the floor as Gunter does.  It
keeps you in touch with the people who are eating the feast.  It lets
you check on the communications (or lack thereof) between the head
server and the kitchen.  And it lets you check on the head server's
performance.

>> The main problem was the lack of servers even though I tried to make it
>>easy for
>> people to volunteer. Servers were given half-price admission and were fed
>>before
>> the feast. I wish more people from the Steppes had decided to step forward
>>and
>> help with the feast. Just about everybody who assisted was from outside the
>>Barony.
>
>I'm not sure what else to do about this. I think this arrangement was
>generous.
>My wife and I considered acting as servers but decided against it. One of the
>reasons was that we had prepaid our reservatons. The announcement said that
>only
>pre-paid reservations would be held. I felt it would be a problem to then try
>to take advantage of the half-price admission and perhaps tacky to ask for
>half our money back.
>
>I have noticed that we do have some problems in Bryn Gwlad finding servers
>but
>not apparently as bad as in the Steppes. Do other groups have this problem?
>How do you handle it?
>
>Stefan li Rous
>stefan at texas.net

For a feast the size of 12th Night, I would be scrambling to get bodies.
 I estimate a feast that size will need 35 servers and 4 service
preparers, who double as kitchen help. 

If it looks like you are going to be short of servers early on, call on
the seneschal of the other groups near you, and ask if they can provide
anyone who would be willing to serve.  Try to provide servers when they
call on you.  This is a quid pro quo.  Frankly, the head server and the
autocrat should be beating the bushes to find servers.

The fact that most of your volunteers came from outside the Barony
suggests that the press gang wasn't very efficient or that your group is
having a high incidence of burnout.

Bear

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