ANST - Event costs

[Dennis and/or Dory Grace]

Salut, Cozyns,

Lyonel aisai.

Ulf Gunnarsson responds to Aquilanne's examples--

>> Also, while we're at it, when's the last time you went to the movies
>> or out
>> to dinner? Movies cost around $7 per person to get in during prime
>> time,
>> and I don't even want to *think* about how much they charge for
>> popcorn and
>> coke. As for dinner, unless you're going out to McDonalds, you're
>> going to
>> pay close to $10 per person for a decent meal with a beverage, and
>> *maybe*

--with the claims:

>Almost never.  I can't afford it _and_ site fees.  As for dinner, who
>can afford to eat out? For $10-$15 I can feed a balanced square meal to
>a family of four, including drinks and dessert.  These examples I've
>seen time and time again and they do not apply. They sound more geared
>toward singles and childless couples, which many SCA'ers have stopped
>being.

Uh, no.  We're neither single nor childless, and I consider the example
applicable.  Aquilanne's comparing the cost of one activity (going to an
event and eating feast) with the cost of a similar activity (going out to
find other entertainment and a meal).  You are trying to compare both with
a meal at home.  I can't think of too many activities that include
entertainment and a meal (prepared by someone else) that don't cost money,
unless you want to include being entertained in a friend's home.  Now, I
know quite a few folks like to think of the SCA as family, but I don't know
of too many members with big enough homes to entertain 500 or big enough
wallets to feed same.  

To the remainder of Aquilanne's description--
>> dessert. At an SCA event like Steppes 12th Night, site *and* feast was
>> $10
>> in advance, $12 at the door. This was for a *12 hour event* PLUS food!

Ulf opines:

>And it was fantastic and well priced.  The Barony of the Steppes should
>be, and has been, complemented on this year's 12th Night.

In which case, I'm not quite sure where this rant began.

Ulf ends his response with:

>You are correct that most folk don't realize the cost for things not
>immediately visible.  I will maintain my point, though, and second Rumil
>about taking a long range look at the growth of the funds.  If a group
>ends up with a significant percentage increase in funds at the end of
>the year, then they should consider their gate fees may be too high.

Sorry, Ulf, but I can see no logical support for this claim.  If a group
has been mismanaging their funds and they begin managing them correctly, if
a group has been holding events planned to fail and they stop such
foolishness, or if a group comes up with an attractive new twist on an old
event that causes their gate count to skyrocket, their year-end tallies
will show a significant percentage increase.  I see no problem with this.
Funds are a good thing for all-volunteer groups to have available.  

Understand, I'm a poor grad student and my wife's a free-lance artist.
We're not exactly rolling in wealth.  I understand that high-cost events
would be prohibitive.  But we don't *have* any high-cost events--not that
I've seen.  High-cost would be site fees comparable to tickets for TRF or
Sea World or Six Flags.  And those tickets don't include meals.  Do you
really think Ansteorra's experiencing such inflation?  Next time you're
charged $27.50 per person for site fee and your feast is a 2 oz. plastic
bowl of nachos for $2, let me know.  I'll help you organize the boycott.

lo vostre por vos servir
Sir Lyonel Oliver Grace 
_____________________________
Dennis Grace
University of Texas at Austin
English Department
Recovering Medievalist
mailto:amazing at mail.utexas.edu

Micel yfel deth se unwritere.
                           AElfric of York
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