[Ansteorra] The real problem . . . Population-S

[Deirdre]

Lady Maili

For years, I have considered school demos a case of spinning our wheels - a
waste of time that very few of our people had to waste - your comments have
made me see another side.

I can't imagine life without the SCA, and I can't imagine a world without
the SCA - in order for that to happen, we have to have new members from now
until eternity (that's how long I expect the SCA to last) - so school demos
ARE a good idea - you're right - very little immediate return, but the
potential in the future is great!!

Thanks for the flip side!
Deirdre
former hospitaler for Bonwicke and the Western region for more years than I
can remember...


-----Original Message-----
From: ansteorra-bounces+ladydeirdre=sbcglobal.net at ansteorra.org
[mailto:ansteorra-bounces+ladydeirdre=sbcglobal.net at ansteorra.org]On
Behalf Of DonnelShaw at aol.com
Sent: Friday, April 28, 2006 6:59 PM
To: ansteorra at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] The real problem . . . Population-S





In a message dated 4/28/2006 2:53:00 P.M. Central Standard Time,
ldeerslayer at yahoo.com writes:

What many groups have found is that doing demos for schools does  not gain
them members. Sometimes it does gain them one or two teachers.

Even if the kids are incredibly enthused their parents are the  ones who
have
to bring them. They seldom get involved.

Also, most  of our members have day jobs and very few of them can take off
enough to  do the demos. What you often end up with is a few very
knowledgeable
people and a lot of very helpful people who either aren't very
knowledgeable
or don't understand how to present the SCA to the  public.

It does earn us Karma Points...but doesn't give us "bang  for the buck"...

It often is not a wise use of our  resources...

What we need is maximum exposure to the most Adults  who would be interested
(history geeks, gamers, etc) with the amount of  resources we can muster.

LDeerslayer



I have been sitting on the side lines and knew this would come up  sooner
than later. While all are valid points.

We must remember a few things. First we once were children and  someone
planted the seed of interest in the middle ages for us. Personally  it was
all the
technicolor movies.(Robin Hood, Black  Rose,..............) I loved them
then
and I still love them. It was  hearing Shakespeare read in class then seeing
the summer plays. My  parents taking me to see exhibits at museums.

When a school demo is done yes there will not be an immediate return.  But
it
is a long term investment. You are there to plant that interest to  spark
their imagination. To give them the idea that  there  higher standards and
they
to can see others have them.  That weaving and illumination is really neat
and
interesting. Those  children will grow. And in ten to fifteen years down the
road they my run  across another SCA demo and because that prior knowledge
as
been planted  and allowed to grow you will get better results then.

Even if they never join the SCA you will have had an impact on that  child's
life.

So to go and do a School Demo in my opinion is a very noble activity.  And
just as important an activity as other types of demos and should not  be put
by
the wayside in favor of other types of demos. We are an  educational
organization.


Remember the children are our future weather they are in the SCA or  not.

Lady Maili Donnel MacGregor








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