[Ansteorra] Pay-2-play, Pay-2-fight, Pay-2-whatever...

[Chris Zakes]

At 04:51 PM 1/8/2008, you wrote:
>Unto all Ansteorrans do I, Baron Armand Dragonetti, send warm greetings and
>a humble request for assistance.
>
>I would like to share a brief excerpt from the Grand Council regarding its
>current task assigned from the Board of Directors:
>
> > The Board of Directors would like the Grand Council to
> > consider the topic
> > of _*membership dues with respect to "pay to play", "pay to
> > participate",
> > "pay to fight", or "pay to...?"*_


I'm opposed to the notion of requiring a membership before someone 
can participate in the SCA. We're not like the Boy Scouts or a model 
rocket club, where it's pretty obvious from the outside what the 
group is about. You really have to go to a few events, maybe try out 
the fighting or the cooking or whatever before you can make an 
informed decision about the SCA. I expect if Joe Newbie was told "you 
have to pay the site and feast fees *plus* $35.00 before you can come 
to Candlemas or Bordermarch Melees or Queen's Champion," we'd see a 
lot fewer newbies.

Also, if (as it appears) places like the Western Region are having 
trouble with membership levels, I can't think of a better way to 
discourage new members than to make it more expensive.

Requiring membership to fight or get awards is, to my mind, preposterous.

I don't object to requiring membership for officers or ruling 
nobles--those positions require a greater degree of comittment than 
just coming to an event.

Increasing the non-member surcharge would just be another way to 
discourage newbies. The current surcharge isn't onerous for a few 
events, but if someone is getting hooked on the SCA, then it's a 
definite encouragement to get that membership card and save money in 
the long run.

         -Tivar Moondragon