[Ansteorra] Brevity & Newbies

Teresa O'Brien teratpeaks at yahoo.com
Mon Feb 4 14:34:12 PST 2013


First I would like to thank M. Jalail (Patricia Schmidt) for writing what I had been thinking:
"Please folks, let's remember to cut & paste our messages. It is not necessary 
to repost an entire series of commentary on a subject each time. By doing so, 
it makes our list cumbersome and difficult to read or follow.

It's a small thing, but small things DO matter.

Just my 2 Sheckel's worth,"

Second, I would like to give my view on being a Newbie to this area. We moved here from NC at the beginning of last summer.

We, my family - husband, son & 2 daughters, have been involved in the SCA for a little more than 3 years, I think. My son is the one who really plays and when he was younger he needed a parent with him, who was usually dad, but sometimes me. I enjoy SCA, but with 2 other younger kids, I was not able to fully engage. I'm more willing and able now to get involved, but that is proving a little more difficult here in Texas than I thought it would be. It has also been difficult for my son to get involved.
There are several reasons for this, most of which have been mentioned by other posters, but one that has not. 
One of the biggest differences we've noticed is that populace meetings are just once a month here, instead of every week. The advantage of every week is that there is so many more opportunities for meeting and getting to know everyone. The other advantage of weekly meetings is that if one has to miss a meeting, it's 2 weeks between seeing everyone again, not 2 months.
While the eating out after can get expensive :( we tried to eat cheap and some would just drink ;) to save $. The last year the meetings alternated being business meetings on the 1st and 3rd of the month and A&S meetings on the 2nd & 4th, while the occasional 5th, was usually a pot-luck dinner. For the A&S meetings, a member would volunteer to teach something, anything to the rest of the group. It was not a big deal, but gave everyone a taste of all the aspects of SCA. 
This format is just a suggestion from experience of something that worked well where we were. The important point I'm trying to make is the weekly, not monthly meetings.
One of the posts that I would agree with are that there needs to be more small local events. We are not going to drive to Oklahoma for a weekend event, or even Dallas unless it's really special or a long weekend. Also, there needs to be more to do at the events. We attended Lochtoberfest and were so bored that we left before feast. When we first arrived at the event and they found out we were new, we were taken in hand and introduced to a few people, but then we went off to do things and found there wasn't much to do. One of the reasons that there wasn't much to do was that there was no loaner equipment. And though the archers did say they might lend us their bows, nobody was willing to let us use their arrows! Now, I understand that arrows get easily broken and lost, but it's not a lot of fun to just sit and look at an archery field. Everyone else had already shot and was finished.
Which brings me to another point - every event seems to be competition! The archers had shot for the competition, so there was no point in shooting more! And, had we been able to shoot, we would have had to do the competition and then quit. I can barely fire a bow, let alone make any points and I won't get any better if I can't practice. Maybe I'm supposed to practice between events, but what if I can't? Why can't I just shoot a bunch and have fun at an event?
BAM was better, but, as someone else posted, everyone else knew what they were doing in the evenings and we were left to our own devices and weren't sure what to so. My son and I did watch a Bardic competition (again), but nobody made room for us in the circle; we kind of sat behind everyone.
Finally, information about events is hard to come by. People will post that they need help at an event without mentioning when, where or what it is! Yes, I know I can look it up on the Kingdom calendar and, hopefully, there will be a link to the website for the event. But why can't all the info be offered each time it's mentioned? I've noticed that on group websites and in group newsletters, too. Populace meetings 2nd Tuesday or 3rd Wednesday or whenever, but where and what time? That info is on the website, but not in the newsletter or on a different page than the calendar on the website. And sometimes people are asking for help before the event info is even up on a website.
I find this lack and searching for information frustrating.
We will stay in the SCA. Can't get rid of us! ;) We will figure out things and ask questions and drive 30-60 minutes to go to local guild activities and meetings, and 2-3 hours to go to events when we can. It just would be nice if we could see y'all more often to get to know you, and you us, better. It would be nice to be able to do more at the events we attend. It would be nice to have fun and not just compete at events. It would be nice to be invited to specific activities at events and included when we join one without knowing others there. And it would be really nice to have info readily available, even if it has to be repeated in a bunch of places so that it can't be missed.
No offense to anyone intended. Those we have met and gotten to know a bit are really nice! 
Maeve of Muddlety



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