[Ansteorra] maybe an answer to recruitment problems

[Jeffrey Clark]

Greetings all,

I'm going to jump back a few discussions (sorry, classes just started and
it has been a *very* busy week).

I disagree that the first thing a newcomer should do is attend an event; I
was lucky in that when I first came to an event I had the advantages of
being A) a very social person, and B) possessed of a mundane life that
causes me to practice the viola da gamba and the recorder 3+ hours a day.
It's quite easy to fit in when you already have a period knowledge or skill
from the get-go.

On the other hand, most people are not quite so fortunate. My wife has been
to a couple of events, but never has gotten that involved because she both
works weekends, and cannot really find any local activities that she is
interested in and that fit her schedule.

I think that an event should be a newcomer's goal, not the starting point.
Get someone in, get them invested in the local groups, get them settled in
SCAdian culture and knowledgeable about our ways and traditions, and get
them to where they have friends in the SCA beyond just 1 or 2 people, and
then get them to an event.

I still maintain that the focus should be on local groups and local
activities rather than the ONE BIG EVENT, especially for newcomers. Younger
people -- especially in this economy -- just can't afford trips to events,
and all of the associated costs. Being local gives people time to build up
their skills, hobbies, wardrobe, circle of friends, and knowledge before
being "thrown to the wolves".

--Alessandro Zorzi