ANST - Kingdom membership

[Greg Shetler]

>I was sad to see some controversy about paying for memberships.
>

You're not alone.  I'm saddened by two things about this controversy:

1) that it appears there aren't enough paid memberships
2) that some think that paid memberships should be required or coerced

I've been a paid member since 1981 (except for a brief lapse in 1987), and 
have always thought it obvious that paying for membership helped support the 
game that I was enjoying so much.  I find it hard to believe that folks who 
enjoy playing would feel that they shouldn't pay to help keep it going.

At the same time, I've always considered one of the best things about the 
SCA to be the fact that people don't *have* to pay to play.  Folks can "try 
it out", and figure out whether they want to pay.  Others, who participate 
only rarely, I think should not have to pay either - their presence doesn't 
cost us anything, and their participation on the ocassions that they show up 
is a help by itself.

If we *are* going to try to do something to "beef up" the number of paid 
memberships, I think giving the paid membership as a prize is the way to go 
- once somebody has been receiving the newsletter for a while, they're 
likely to want to continue it.  At the same time, no undue burden is place 
on them to continue paying - either monetary or moral.

Some other alternates:
A drawing of some sort at each coronation, for paid members, for some 
donated prize (free admission to and event, next year's membership paid, 
something material, etc).
Sorting the Order of Precedence by duration of paid membership, rather than 
by date of receipt of each award (whoo - what a bombshell that would be...)
Working with the SCA, Inc to provide a 10% discount on membership for those 
who've paid for 5 years or more, provided they don't lapse.  Or something 
similar.
Working with commercial vendors to provide discounts to SCA members, and 
publishing the list of discounters once a quarter in the Black Star.


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