ANST - Kingdom membership

[Ihone & Eileigh MacEoghan]

Greeting Ansteorra,
 My lady and I decided to look into the SCA after we ran across the
compound at TRF.....We enjoyed talking to them and decided that since
the Populace meeting was the following monday, we would attend and see
what happened from there.....
 It is now 4 months later, and not only are we members now, but I am
acting herald for our canton and my lady is applying for a baronial
office. It is because of people like Baron Michael Silverhands (soon to
be Pelican...shameless plug) and the gentles we have met in Ansteorra,
that we decided that the SCA was something we really enjoyed being a
part of.
 I agree with not having to pay to play......I do think, however that
those that have been playing for more than lets say 6 months without
membership, should be encouraged to do so......nothing overt, but maybe
the advantages of membership should be stressed....

In service
Ihone MacEoghan


Greetings, all, from Michael Silverhands:

Genevieve de Courtanvaux wrote:
>
> This thread is reminding me strongly of the "pay to play" days. In
case you
> have forgotten this Kingdom led the way in saying NO! we won't pay to
play.
> Genevieve de Courtanvaux
>
> [snip]
> >
> >I would love to see Kingdom memberships increase...good luck
Marguerite and
> >please continue to keep us posted.
> >
> >Gwyenth
> >

Actually, the way I remember it this Kingdom led the way in saying "You
can't
make us pay to play, nor can you make us make others pay to play. If we
choose
to be members, that's up to us, not up to you. If we choose to admit
non-members
to our events, that's *also* up to us."

Thank goodness we belong to an organization in which you don't have to
be a paid
member in order to participate. I certainly hope that the day never
comes that
one cannot attend a populace meeting, or a fighter practice, or enter
the gate
to an event without a membership card.

However, you may not realize that membership dues go, in part, to cover
the
costs of insuring our activities against liability in cases of personal
injury
or death. We cannot, in our modern, mundane, litigious world, have an
event
without such insurance. If someone attends an event without a paid
membership,
they are "riding on the coat-tails" of those who have paid. I'm not
entirely
opposed to this. In effect, paid members sponsor non-member attendance
at events
by covering the cost of their insurance. This allows non-members to
attend our
events and participate fully in our activities before deciding whether
they want
to be a member or not.

[I'm happy to do this for newcomers, and willing to do it for those who
temporarily can't come up with the $35 for a membership. I resent doing
it for
someone who chooses to ride my coat-tails even though they could pay,
and have
obviously decided to stay. I *really* resent doing it for someone who
*says*
they can't afford a membership card, but they seem to be able to afford
beer and
cigarettes.]

I'm not saying that I think everyone should be *required* to pay for
membership
in order to participate. But I *do* think that everyone who is able to,
*ought*
to. Not because someone makes them do it, but because it is the right
thing to
do.

If local groups wish to encourage people to come paid members, I think
that's a
Good Thing (tm). The more creative and fun, the better! Just so long as
nobody
tells me that I *have* to be a member, or that I have to make *you* be a
member.
Remember our battle cry: "You can't make me!" :-)

Cheerfully yours,
Michael

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