[Ansteorra] Participation vs. Recruitment (long)

[Cionaodh O'Hosey]

On Jan 25, 2012, at 3:29 PM, Tina Michael wrote:
>  Just because I can't attend every kingdom event does not diminish  
> my contribution.

There is no desire to diminish any one's contribution when I say that  
those that do the most to attend calendar events and help others  
attend calendar events make a greater contribution than those that do  
not. My wife makes a much greater contribution to the SCA than I do,  
that does not diminish my contribution, it just means she makes a  
greater contribution. While I am talking on this list giving my  
opinion about what we could do better, she is painting an original  
scroll to be given out to one of our most active members for his  
success in accomplishing one of the greatest challenges in our  
society, so who's doing more for the SCA at this moment? I think she  
is. That does not diminish my "contribution", but to claim that the  
time i spend in this discussion, especially in this forum, is a  
"contribution to our society" that is equal to the contribution she  
is making by making that scroll does diminish her contribution. When  
some one hosts a revel at their house for people who cannot go to a  
calendar event, that is a contribution our society, but to say it is  
just as big of a contribution to our society as the one made by a  
person that drove for eight hours to be at a calendar event does  
diminish the contribution of the person that went to the calendar event.

But all of that is a bit off point so let me try again, To have 200  
people on average at each event we only need 400 people if every one  
of those people goes to two events a month, we need 9600 people if  
every one of those people only go to a calendar event once a year, so  
that said, why is it so controversial to say it might be more  
efficient if  we narrowed our focus on finding and developing a core  
group of 400 people that will go to two events a month than it is to  
find 9600 people who will go to one event a year?  It is the  
difference of 1 to 24, is it really easier to find and develop 24  
people who will go to a calendar event once a year than it is to find  
1 who will go twice a month or even 2 who will go once a month?

Cionaodh O'Hosey