[Ansteorra] ideas was Presentation at Round Table

[David Brown]

I have to agree with her. Maybe more events both large and small will get people out and playing again/more!

David Brown

There is no better therapy than a dogs love.

Kristi Johnson <kristi_johnson1972 at att.net> wrote:

>I left for a couple of years a while back and have been easing my way back in.  
>I recently went surfing the calendar to look for events I might like to attend, 
>wallet able.   Something I noticed is the dearth of events on the calendar.  
>Back in the very late 1990's and early 00's there were lots of events to go to.  
>There were big ones and there were small ones.  There were events near and far.  
>Now there are pretty much 4 or 5 events a month.  1 perhaps 2 per weekend....in 
>the whole kingdom!   
>
>"Hey neighbor that's a really cool helmet you're polishing; what's it for?" 
>"Well this weekend how about we drive from Houston to Oklahoma City so I can 
>show you!"   It's nuts.  
>
>
>We need to get over the idea that "Oooo we can't put our event up against XYZ 
>big baronial event(that is not happening in our barony)".  The big events are 
>great.  Don't get me wrong.  I love 'em. They're a blast.  But small events can 
>be great too.  The ones that are really good are going to become big events and 
>big ones that may be getting stale will fade.  That's life.  (I don't know that 
>any big ones are getting stale but the chances are, there are or there will be.) 
>
>
>Back when we had as many events as our groups could put on there wasn't such a 
>desperate need for every event to be a blockbuster.   Now a small group has to 
>pour all their resources into one "big" event and pray that it pays off.  Open 
>the calendar back up to the smaller events with official recognition in the 
>Black Star and I think you will see more people attending events.  
>
>
>I for one would love to attend a smaller local event that I can afford to get 
>to, rather that sit at home and wish that I could afford to go to the big one a 
>tank of gas away; just when I go look at the calendar those events just aren't 
>there anymore.
>
>Thora O.
>
>
>
>
>
>________________________________
>From: "willowdewisp at juno.com" <willowdewisp at juno.com>
>To: ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org
>Sent: Tue, January 29, 2013 4:37:55 AM
>Subject: [Ansteorra] ideas was Presentation at Round Table
>
>Greetings from Duchess Willow de Wisp, OP OR OL, Lion of Ansteorra and a member 
>since AS III<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = 
>"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
>Our King has said “there trouble right here in Ansteorra”, but he failed to 
>describe the problem. Our problem is our events are not attracting people.  
>
>While the people putting on the Events are happy with what they are doing many 
>members are no happy and feel it is a waste of time to attend events outside of 
>their Area.
>In the last year I have attending event after event that was based on people 
>talking to their friends. I did not know many people so I walked around feeling 
>lonely. This isn’t the SCA I joined and stayed in for so many years.
>I go to SCA events for escape and atmosphere. I like pretty so I go for the 
>banners and flags. I like the courtesy so I go to be able to interact with 
>people in a courtly manner. I also like to do things in persona and tell stories 
>and when I was younger dancing. Now I like to watch the dancing. I love the 
>Magic. 
>
>I don’t like events that make you feel like an outsider. I don’t like feast when 
>they don’t light candles. I don’t like tourneys that are run so fast you cannot 
>tell who won. I don’t like 3 or 4 or more list fields going at the same time. I 
>hate it when fighters don’t fall down and die. I don’t like Court that ruin the 
>evening party and I hate these made up courts that do not reflect our study 
>eras. I am really bored with parties that consist of everyone just getting drunk 
>.I hate events that have no venue for me to entertain. I despise events where 
>behaving in a medieval fashion seems to be discouraged.
>I realize that the people putting on the events expect us to entertain ourselves 
>and they are comfortable with the current style of event. I also realize that 
>they are doing a lot and these limited events are what they have the workers to 
>do. If they’re going to be more at our events then those people currently not 
>working on the events will have to pitch in and make them these things happen.
>Here are a few simple things that will spice up our event and make people 
>willing to attend out of group event. 
>
>First let’s look at Ansteorra events that use to pull people. What did they have 
>that we are not doing now? 
>
>Decoration: In the past there was a lot of effort to decorate and make things 
>look period. I enjoy events that have period decoration and wall hangings and 
>candles. I spent my first years just enjoying the candlelight. It was so 
>romantic. Candle light brings out the romantic in all of us.
>I believe that pageantry and beauty is a major attraction of the SCA so we need 
>to dress up our sites. So please make one room sort of medieval. I would be 
>willing to help people make wall hangings. Most of the Wall Hangings used at 
>events where made by people working independently and did not use SCA money and 
>where kept by the artist that made them. Often they were made to fit into a 
>theme of an event at the request of the Autocrat. Sometimes the event was 
>created to show off the decoration. 
>
>As individuals we can add to the beauty and pageantry of an event by decoration 
>our personal space and if we are really trying to make Magic make our own Mini 
>event at our area and invite the wandering souls in. Many of the people we 
>attract are isolates by nature and need the game we play to be comfortable at 
>events. If you allow people to bask in the Magic at you campsite you will be 
>serving a great service to the kingdom.  
>
>Entertainment not contests” We arranged entertainment. Not only the Bard telling 
>us the tales of Anstoerran Heroes, but also persona play. The King would declare 
>that the food would not be served until a marvel appear and message for Pester 
>John could come in and set everyone on a quest. Or the peacock in it plumage 
>would be bought in and the Knights would swear oaths. All of this didn’t just 
>happen. It was planned and arranged so it looked like it was just natural. 
>
>We need some entertainment. I would like a kingdom office of Master of Revels 
>and I would like to see every event have a Master of Revels. This office would 
>be used to arrange some entertainment at events. Just enough to make the Magic. 
>The Office would search out "good" talent and arrange places from them to 
>entertain that didn't interfere with the people who just want to talk to their 
>friends. The Master of Revels might organize some open areas where anyone could 
>perform. That would allow the performers to show what they could do and allow 
>the Master of Revel a place to find new performer. 
>
>We used to do Courtly dancing. This was often on the Green .The Master or 
>Mistress of the Revel would organize that and coordinate it with other 
>activities. 
>
>We used to have Taverns with persona play and Coffee Housed and entertainment 
>area all over a site. These were places that people who new, or just didn’t know 
>a lot of people or just don’t like everyday conversation could go. They were 
>like pools of enchantment.  
>
>There was Courtly conversation among the populace. Gentlemen would address the 
>Ladies and kiss their hands and Ladies, even old ladies like me, would flirt 
>with the gentlemen. The behavior of the populace can make or break the ‘Magic” 
>of an event. We need to increase the Courtesies. Many a Lady and Gentleman were 
>drawn to the SCA for the chance to do those old fashion Courtesies. When we make 
>our events so everyday people really do not know how to act so in doubt they 
>fall back on the everyday. In the everyday world the lady carries her own load 
>and is proud to do so. If a Lord is trying to be Courtly.to a lady who is being 
>everyday then the Lord often gets rebuffed and the event is somewhat ruined for 
>him. 
>
>These kinds of Courtesies are better learned in a group situation through 
>Modeling.  We need to open our personal space to new people and show them the 
>courtesies by doing them. We also need to arrange more classes on the subject. 
>In today’s world young people learn to be very quiet until they have mastered a 
>skill so our current recruits will be slow to do any courtly interaction until 
>they are conformable with doing them. 
>
>If we looked more medieval and acted more medieval and if we made sure that we, 
>(that everybody who can,) welcome people to our events. I believe that we would 
>go a long way to increasing people going to out of group events and increasing 
>our membership
>
>____________________________________________________________
>Woman is 57 But Looks 27
>57-Year-Old Mom has a simple facelift trick that angered doctors...
>http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/5107a636603ba26364d5cst04vuc
>_______________________________________________
>Ansteorra mailing list
>Ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org
>In order to make changes and manage your account please go to:
>http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/ansteorra-ansteorra.org
>_______________________________________________
>Ansteorra mailing list
>Ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org
>In order to make changes and manage your account please go to:
>http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/ansteorra-ansteorra.org