[Ansteorra] ideas was Presentation at Round Table

Alan Rich alanrich at generich.com
Tue Jan 29 08:49:53 PST 2013


Greetings from Baron Armand Dragonetti,

First, I applaud the crowns effort to acknowledge and highlight this problem and to take a systematic approach to try and address it. It is a serious problem without a simple solution. (Otherwise it would have already been corrected.)

IMHO, declining attendance is the result of numerous contributing factors. Tight finances in a poor economy. Too much modern familiarity diminishes the experience for many as well. Some have indicated lack of recognition after many years of effort. Others simply burn out after too much "drama" or too much "work". Personally, I suspect the "aging" of the SCA plays a large role. 

As a new player, I was excited about the "magic", the potential for honor and chivalry that I found lacking in modern life. When the organization was relatively young, the vast majority of players were new. Over time, veteran players who achieved some manner of recognition tended to stay active. Those who did not, tended to move on to other things. So over time, you see a room full of "hats" and fewer and fewer without "hats". A very different "look" than those nostalgic early days. The new participant simply sees a "long road ahead" to ever attain similar stature, since a peerage or a hat tends to come after a long period of time. By definition such a player is now older; a veteran with many experiences on their resume.

Naturally, these folks tend to be chosen to lead local groups and autocrat large events, so as not to waste resources with an unseasoned leader's ideas/plans that may have proven unsuccessful in the "early days", ironically, by those same veterans. 

The fun in the good-ole-days of the early SCA was produced by a much less experienced crew of younger leaders, pioneering the game for us. Not to be discriminatory, but what do you suppose was the average age of a Baron/Baroness in the 1970's or 1980's as compared to the average age of today's leaders?

I would suggest that older folks, with kids, mortgages, etc, tend to be a little less "silly" than they were before acquiring those responsibilities. Silly often equates to fun.

It also occurs to me that it is much easier to stay in persona with a stranger or newcomer than with your friend of 15+ years. As a long time friend, I'm likely to be more interested in what's going on with you in your modern life. How's your job? Your kids? etc. For a stranger or newcomer, I'm interested in your impression of the SCA and am excited to talk about all it has to offer and to impart whatever medieval education I feel knowledgeable on.

The creep of the modern-world that diminishes our game is very much the result of aging participants. It will take a conscious, extra effort to thwart this effect. And may require purposely choosing some younger, less experienced leaders, if nothing more than to give a little "hope" to the newcomers that do manage to find us.

Just a few random thoughts off the top of me noggin,
Bloody Baron Armand Dragonetti



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