[Ansteorra] Dynamics...Was...Re: Group Status Changes

[L T]

Willow,

--- On Wed, 7/16/08, willowdewisp at juno.com <willowdewisp at juno.com> wrote:

> From: willowdewisp at juno.com <willowdewisp at juno.com>
> Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] Group Status Changes
> To: ldeerslayer at yahoo.com, ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org
> Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2008, 1:38 AM

> Dear Lorraine
> While i think a good officer system is important I  also
> believe that an informed populace really does stop more
> problems than it starts. 

It depends upon what you mean by informed. 

At a general level, almost everyone has access these days (via the net) to general information, our Kingdom's newcomer page has links to good resources for other things that SCAers to read to have a basic understanding of SCA culture/customs/etc... not that it's mandatory... but it's much better getting it from that source first rather than trying to pick up things at random with very little basis of knowledge. 

I've seen more misunderstandings because even people who have been in for eons have just garnered information that was incorrect and passed it along with their subjective twist and then a newish person or one of few years in gets disenchanted because one of the things that they understood to be true and which they based their participation on... never existed.

People have access to the SCA Corporae and By-Laws, Kingdom Law, and various offisorial handbooks. There are classes at Round Table and often at other events as needed/requested by Kingdom level or Deputy Kingdom officers.

At a local level (though specific groups may vary)... there are Populace meetings, officer meetings, news letters and e-mail lists. In my experience, many groups have an "after event meeting/post mortem" to cover all the issues (good and bad) to take care of business and to figure out what works and doesn't about a particular event/site/format, etc. 

In regard to serious local problems... like child molesters, thieves, and majorly troublesome people... there is a requirement for secrecy because of legal issues. Very often that information can only be doled out in sound bites and generalities because of the legal issues involved.
 
>A balance is needed for a well  working group.

Very much so... it requires ebb and flow... members of the populace stepping up to become leaders... leaders stepping down to become populace... Everyone has to make an effort to inform and become informed.

> The first is a matter of practicality. As a volunteer group
> our populace is supposed to step up an take on jobs. Modern
> young adults don't like to volunteer for jobs that they
> do not know what they entail. Open discussion of what
> reports entails and examples of reports that are being sent
> along with real feedback help people understand what would
> be expected of them if they volunteer. 

True, but since this isn't a business, consistancy is extremely difficult to maintain. Most officers that I've known try to do what you stated and may even have prepared to do that with many things when something else superceded. 

>Secret meetings and  codes of silence just make people anxious about >taking an office. 

Unfortunately, you'd have to name specifics for me to understand...
and that is NOT a good idea for someone to do on an open forum... 

> The same is true of Autocrats. Open commentary allows
> people to talk about problems and how to solve them. As far
> as I know we don't do any thing that requires mystery.
> I am afraid that sometimes we are too polite. It is good to
> start with positive statement but sometime people only hear
> the first statement.. 

And many times people are just too damn touchy... 

If you ask a question they ass-u-me that you are attacking them.
Then they get defensive and paranoid and freak...and start a vitrolic campaign to attack you... just because you wanted to know the status of a thing or situation...

 >For example someone is told that there may be problems with their group.

That is usually done through official channels... to the seneschals or officers of a group... not to the random populace - unless there has been no response.

> The officer contacts his/hers superior and asked,"Are we doing
> everything properly?" The officer trying to be
> positive with the statement " You are find according
> to kingdom Law. But I am concerned about your group
> activities."  Or "I am concerned about your
> reporting  or anything. The problem is that the individual
> never listened to the concerns. They stopped listening
> with "you are legal". 

Communication goes both ways.

>When it is something
> serious the officers need to be told very clearly that need
> to fix things.  

They are told what they need to do about standard requirements... but group dynamics can't be fixed from outside the group. EXAMPLE You can't TELL people how to best recruit in their area but you can GIVE suggestions. The people actually in the area will have to figureout what works for them at that time. 

>We need a heads up marker and code that is
> taught to every new local officer that tells them that they
> need to fix something and there is no doubt about it. 

Sounds like more rules and regulations. If you hardcode such things then there leaves little room for indivuality or adjustment.

> Also to make a group really work everyone needs to be
> invested in the group. 

Amen... it's a hard thing to do... that sounds like an excellent topic though... how to get people to become invested in the group...

>Sometime individuals get busy with
> their own projects but if a group is having serious problem
> that threaten their existence then I think the whole group
> should be told so individuals could step up and help.

Everytime there was a problem with a group I was in... there were discussions at populace and officers meetings and at just about every other gathering people in the group held... whether it was official SCA or not...

> Yes there are people who do think and people that would
> just get in the way but their are also a lot of capable
> people who can help.

Yes there are... but there are more people who just-kinda-think and end up missing the mark entirely.

It takes a lot of effort to get clued in and alot of effort to really give a clue. Above all - both sets of people have to actually want (not just say they want) and expend the effort to do so.
 
> willow
>

Lorraine DeerSlayer