No subject

As a peer of this kingdom sometimes people come to me with problems. Many
times these problems have recurred over and over again. In my 30+ years
in the SCA one very sad problem has happened over and over again. People
eating the feast when they did not pay for it. Most of the time when this
happens it is because people just didn't think or didn't know better.
They are sitting at a table and didn't plan to get the feast and someone
who has gotten the feast offers them some food off the big platter. With
the style of serving we are doing now this is a very easy thing to
happen. Sometimes Newcomers don't understand that site fee is not the
same as feast fee. Also entourage will often expect free food when the
group can only afford to comp the Crown.   Our groups depend on the
profits that they make from events. Small groups usually are on the edge.
Big groups can absorb some lost. Profits come from buying only what you
need. If you have to over buy to take in account people who do not pay
you lose both the cost of that food and the profits. This  can make a
great difference in the finances of a group.

What can we do to help? First try to set a good example. I know most of
us are doing the right and proper thing but make sure that newcomers next
to you knows what you are doing and why. Talk to people about the
economics of the SCA. Don't pass the food platter to people who have not
paid for the feast. Get to know the people at your table. While they are
very rare there are people in this club who do cheat. Social Scientists
have discovered that if people think you know their name they less
lightly to do something wrong. Officers need to stand up for the group's
rights. Tell the entourage that you can not afford to comp them. Most of
the time they understand.

When people think that a goodly number of the populace are cheating the
whole dream of the SCA is lost. I remember a year when a feastocrat
thought about 100 people had eaten without paying. There were 250 people
there if 100 didn't pay that is about 40% of the people being cheaters.
Everybody got mad and started blaming each other. In the end it came to
light that one person had stolen pages of the feast list and had pocketed
the money. Another time the feastocrat  was counting people by the number
of pies that went out. Everyone was supposed to get one pie but they were
very good so people got seconds. No one cheated. It was a miscount but
some people lost their dream and left the SCA. I think one of saddest
time was when the Crown had about 20 people in their entourage and the
group lost money. The Crown just forgot to pay. When it was brought to
their attention they paid at once but a few people left the group because
of it. Most of time these problems are just mistakes not acts of
dishonorable behavior but these misunderstanding lose us good people. We
need to avoid looking like there is a problem  and of us, not just the
nobles, peers and officials, need to keep these problem from happening.

Duchess Willow de Wisp

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