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

[Dragonetti]

Greetings, 

> From: mikea
> 
<snip>
>
> It's nice that it was posed on the GC list. Is this list still open
> to folks who aren't on the GC? 

Yes. Anyone can subscribe and follow the discussion. Effective January 1,
2008, direct posting privileges were restricted to GC members only, in an
attempt to keep discussions more focused and productive. (I'm sure you
recall this had been the policy of the GC list a few years ago.) However, GC
members are encouraged to forwarded relevant messages they receive from
non-members. And I will be happy to do so, whether I agree with them or not.
So long as they are relevant to the current discussion at the time.

> I'll dispute the reasonability of increasing corporate revenue beyond
> present and known (or predicted) future need plus some margin for
> growth and contingencies, since in theory the corporation is there
> only to provide a framework for the game we call the SCA and to handle
> things best handled by an overarching structure.

Agreed.
 
> The benefit provided by the corporation to me as a member is, as I see
> it, precisely that overarching structure, plus publications. I have 
> seen the corporation intruding itself into areas where I believe it 
> has little or no business, though, since I first joined, about 30 or
> 31 years ago. 
> 
> Do you see some other role for the corporation? If so, please let us
> know what role you believe the corporation should have.

Not really. I want the corporation (modern aspect of our game) to intrude as
little as possible on the current middle ages in which I enjoy
participating. 
 
> As to increasing value, these measures appear designed to reduce the 
> value of the game we call the SCA in the eyes of those in what now is
> the Western Region. Possibly they may increase its value in other 
> areas, but I question whether the net change is positive. 
> 
> If cost reduction is one of the objectives, it would be good to see
> the costs that are being viewed with an eye towards reduction.

Increasing membership value and reducing costs were not directly part of the
current topic, though they have been excellent topics of the GC in the past.
I did not mean to confuse the issue by mentioning them along with what I
think a reasonable business entity might be concerned.
 
> In any event, we definitely need to know what problem(s) we are       
> trying to fix, or we may find that the Powers That Be are trying Yet  
> Again to drive nails with a screwdriver.                              

More details are good and would very likely impact the comments people make
and the direction the discussion takes. But I think there are enough details
to render some positive commentary. I know the
commercialization/modern-world intrusions of the SCA, Inc. irritates
virtually everyone, including me, and I offer my apologies for my tendency
to cast things in modern business terms. As a business owner, I tend to do
that. With my own business, I try not to wait until there is a problem, and
then react to it, but rather proactively play out several scenarios based on
the economy, political climate, local conditions, strength of competitors,
etc, and formulate hypothetical responses to those scenarios. If one then
arises, I'm equipped to respond to it much more quickly, or perhaps see it
coming early enough to avoid it all together. Not everyone is comfortable
with this type of exercise, especially when they feel too much information
is deemed missing. I can certainly respect that and I realize it can even be
detrimental in some instances. My personal opinion is that is not the case
here.
 
> I understand that I'm significantly widening the scope of the
> discussion; perhaps this should be a subthread under a different
> subject. I think, though, that the questions I pose have answers that
> are needed if we are to determine what problem(s) we're trying to fix
> in the context of what you state above that you find reasonable. As
> others have written upthread, I think that the Ansteorra List is the
> proper venue for this discussion; I would be very leery indeed of any
> effort to force the discussion into private E-mail.
> 
> -- 
> Mike Andrews        /   Michael Fenwick    Barony of Namron, Ansteorra
> mikea at mikea.ath.cx  /   Amateur Extra radio operator W5EGO
> Tired old music Laurel; Chirurgeon; SCAdian since AS XI

I appreciate your feedback. I encourage you, and everyone interested, again
to subscribe to the GC list. Whatever clarifications and new information
comes out will likely show up there first. If there is a technical problem
getting subscribed to the GC list, we need to be aware of that as well.

In the service of kingdom & crown, I remain,
Armand Dragonetti