ANST - Newcomers

[iainmacc at juno.com]

On Sun, 2 Apr 2000 23:35:45 EDT AuroraeB at aol.com writes:
> 
> <<<< over 15 years I have yet to see a fighter practice regularly
>   attended by the Hospitaller.  >>>>
> <>
> 
> I also attended almost every weekly fighter practice when I was a 
> branch 
> Hospitaller.  I also did things like make myself availible to 
> newcomers if 
> they needed help getting ready for an event, made sure that had 
> adequate garb 
> and feastware, etc.... I even took a few newcomers to events myself. 
> 
> I would say that those of us who worked hard to get newcomers 
> involved and 
> KEEP them involved are saddened that in 15 years this person has not 
> encountered a Hospitaller that was able to show up to a practice on 
> a regular 
> basis.  There is no reason for this.  If the Hospitaller cannot be 
> at the 
> practices for mundane obligations, then they should have a deputy 
> hospitaller 
> assigned to take up the slack.
> 
> There is no reason for there not to be at least somebody at any 
> practice or 
> meeting who can give basic information to newcomers.  It is not that 
> hard to 
> create and maintain a supply of basic chapter flyers or brochures 
> and to 
> maintain a well stocked loaner chest.
>

	This is a reply to several people, so please don't be offended if this
note wasn't specifically replied to you.

	Please understand, I realize that not every Barony in every Kingdom is
this way all the time. Also, I must admit to a certain amount of negative
bias, for when I was in the Outlands for 6 years (Albuquerque, I never
learned the name of the Barony) I went to fighter practice 6 or 7 times,
was always told that they were glad to see me, always had my name,
address and phone number taken, always was apologized to for not having
any baronial newsletters or kingdom calendars on hand, and then NEVER
contacted. After awhile I got to the point that I felt I was pestering
these people to no useful purpose.
	I would like to make it clear that we DO talk to newcomers and onlookers
at Steppes fighter practice. We try to get them interested, try to bring
them out of the perimeter into the group, try to explain things and help
with questions and concerns. It is done by whoever happens to be handy,
and there are usually several noncombatants gathered who will take the
task. We don't let the interested wander aimlessly or be ignored.
	The point is that Hospitallers who go out of their way to take care of
interested mundanes, rather than just new SCAers (a fine line, but a
distinct one) are, IN MY PERCEPTION, the exception, not the rule. I make
no claims to the correctness of that perception, nor do I claim an
adequate sample of baronies and times. And while I think you could count
on whoever happens to be free to talk to the newcomers and help them
understand what they are seeing, I doubt you could get them to volunteer
to schlep a bunch of gear around to help them with it. Nor do I believe
you could get them to commit to making every fighter practice so the gear
would be there. I suspect that at that point they would feel they were
doing the Hospitaller's job for them, without getting the credit.
	I am a Hospitaller by nature. When the job came open in the Steppes a
short while ago, I applied for it. While the barony had no Hospitaller, I
answered newcomer email on the webpage, and made sure they had resources.
When my email crashed before I could reply to a transplant from Phoenix,
I ended up sending emails to all three baronies in Phoenix trying to
relocate her, so I could reply. I didn't resent doing it, and I don't
mind someone else being Hospitaller now. I stand ready to help her any
time she wants me to, and she knows it.
	But I can't picture myself being saddled with a bunch of stuff (and a
schedule) that I have to be responsible for, WITHOUT having the resources
of the office at my disposal.

								Iain MacCrimmon

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