[Ansteorra] maybe an answer to recruitment problems

[Morgan White]

I wholeheartedly agree with the local demos approach. I'm a full time
student at UT, and I alternate my weekend with work and SCA events, which
would be impossible financially if not for my friends helping me get there.
As a student at UT, I have struggled to find two more UT students to form
the required signature for an on-campus SCA chapter. I'm aware we have
several faculty members involved but with UT regulations on campus, I would
still need more students involved and I don't have the resources to set up
a demo on campus. Would it be possible to get something like that arranged?
-Morgan

On Sun, Jan 15, 2012 at 10:20 AM, Cait O'Hara
<moc at seneschal.ansteorra.org>wrote:

> Back in the 90's, I was heavily involved with the Collegium Turris
> Animarum at UT Austin. We had many meetings and revels and mini-demos. It
> was a lot of fun. So, I agree that more local activities are essential to
> gaining new members. Here is one possible idea that I will be doing with
> the teens at Gulf Wars this year:
>
> Persona Night
> Come in garb and in persona. I will have quiz sheets and ice breakers for
> participants. If they don't have their persona created, it will help them
> with that process. I thought it would be a good way for teens to get into
> the Dream and forget about the mundane world. I think this might work well
> for a populace meeting. There could be a 30 minute mingling session. I know
> so many members but I know nothing about their personae. I would love to
> know more about their Medieval selves.
>
> I know for us, it is very difficult to make events and even some meetings.
> Times are tough, and even tougher for college students. Maybe we could do
> more demos on college campuses? Maybe have a May Day event on a campus or
> just locally? Steppes has mini-events where they have fighter practice,
> court, and classes all in one place. The event is free (like a fighter
> practice) but has all the amenities of an actual event. Plus, it is more
> lax. If non-SCAdians want to pop by and see what is going on, all the
> better.
>
> I have also been guilty of giving too much too soon. I get so excited
> about what we do that I want to share everything right now. I am trying to
> fix that. Instead, I ask about the newcomer's life. What mundane activities
> are they interested in? Then, I take that interest and try to think of an
> SCA equivalent. That gets them interested. Then, I find someone who shares
> that interest and I introduce them. I know people can get scared off if
> they are inundated with so much period stuff. So, I try to show them that
> the SCA isn't irreproachable. Mundane equivalents can be found.
>
> Cait
>
>
> On 1/15/2012 2:14 AM, willowdewisp at juno.com wrote:
>
>> Hi everyone this is Willow
>> I am speaking as a simple member of the SCA. We have all been talking
>> about why we are not recruiting as many young people as we did in the past.
>> I have some observations
>> First we have a lot of people who have been in for a while.
>> second we have people who have just come in.
>> Third we don't have a lot of people in the middle.
>> For a long time now about 20 year people have been taking new people away
>> from me and telling me I was giving them to much to soon.  I made people
>> think that they had to have all these things and knowledge right now and I
>> was not explaining to people that I had been working on stuff for 40 years.
>> I am not sure we all aren't doing that to our new people. Many of us have
>> been working on our SCA presence for over 5 years  and I want to tell you
>> by that time you have a lot of stuff together and you know a lot. For new
>> people they see the costumes and finery and the tents and skills and they
>> think they need to get that all together in the next 6 months before we
>> will think of them as real members.
>> If they are in their early 20's they know they will probably move in the
>> next 5 years and if they are in college they know that for a fact. The
>> thought of trying to get all that together just so they can have a creative
>>  impute in the group is to much. Many times they look at us and past us
>> over for another kind  of activity that will them "live a Dream" now, not
>> in 6 years.
>> When I was young and yes once I was young we were more rough  and tumble.
>> We dressed in early styles and we often just slept on the green. I remember
>> doing Courtly dancing to a beat played on a pot and young girl singing. We
>> learned as we did and it was great fun.
>> I know I am not up to that  but we need to see if we can create some
>> rustic places where there is atmosphere and  it has the dream but people
>> won't feel that everything has to be perfect.
>> We need to play persona and model behavior so people can learn in a human
>> interactive way.
>> To achieve that goal I would like to ask like minded people to do the
>> following.
>> Try to arrange a gathering area at events that does some period
>> activities and fosters period  behavior like the "the green Dragon" at Gulf
>> war.
>> Take someone under your wing and share people and places that you found
>> entertaining and interesting
>> And find out something that you would do for fun during your period .
>> learn it and teach it and do it.
>> Make your area a part of the "the Dream" . Look  at the world  through
>> the eyes of someone from your time period and open a window to the time for
>> other. What makes us different than other groups  is we teach by doing.
>> Try to bridge the gaps between the oldbies and the newbies. Please act as
>> the translator.
>> Let us work together to bring people back into the kingdom and help
>> people stay in.
>> I tell you that the more people we have enjoying themselves the more joy
>> each and every one of us will have.
>> Please write and tell me what you are doing. I don't get out as much as I
>> used to do but I really enjoy hearing about what you are doing.
>> Right now I am making plans the Spring. As of this moment I will not be
>> going to the War. I was wondering if any of you are planning on something
>> that we could do here at the home front.
>> willow.
>>
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