ARCH - Thoughts about events

[Scott Powers]

At 6:39 PM -0500 10/20/00, Bob Dewart wrote:
>All good and worth thinking about suggestions.
>
>I too was at that event  in Wisenfeuar.  I got the feeling we (the archers)
>were more or less swollowed up by the other activities.  Now don't get me
>wrong, I had a  great  time.

I agree.  The archers were greatly outnumbered by the Rapier folks.  That
is why combining with them is a good idea.



>One problem with combining AoB with almost any other event is the space
>requirement if you are going to have the ranges.  A lot of sites that are
>suitable for colligiums or the AoR  just won't support archery ranges.
>Kings College for example is almost always in an air conditioned building
>with very little if anything going on outside.  I'm not saying it couldn't
>work; however, the other event folks may be reluctant to change their
>location for one that would support the archery.

Agreed.  Not all events would work with this.  But some might.  I have
looked at the 3 scheduled events that Wiesenfeuer does each year.  One is a
mini-war (Mead Bee War - House Wolfstar vs. Barony of Vatavia in
Caolontir).  Obviously NOT a good place for an Academy.  Then we do
Wiesenfeuer Baronial.  This would be the logical event, but we have so many
things planned during the weekend that there is no way to squeeze in one
more function.  Finally we do Yule Revel, an indoor event without
facilities even for a heavy or light list.  Archery is right out.  So
Wiesenfeuer is not the group to host this.  But another group might be in a
better position.  We have around 44 groups in this Kingdom.  I would think
that at least a few of the smaller ones would love to bring up their
attendance at one of their events by pulling archers from around the
Kingdom.



>When you say *books*, were you referring to procedings of the AoB or of the
>AoR or something totally differant?

Yes, both sets.  I meant the Proceeding.  I could not think of the word at
the time.  I was not privy to why so many books were made, so will not
comment on it.



>I'm not sure where you're getting the 3 - 4 dozen attendance figure for the
>event.  All the stand alone  AoB that we (Middleford) have done have had
>right at 100 people.  Now, I do think that the Kingdom Calendar could give a
>little support to ALL Kingdom level event.  Yeah, yeah, I know that there
>are only 4 protected events during the year.  Still if you let three other
>events get scheduled the same time, the turn out isn't going to be very
>good.   Perhaps only one event at the other end of the Kingdom.

I speak from inexperience.  If you say there were 100 or so, then let that
number stand.



>Say, how's that period shootin' coming?

Sadly, my ulcer has been giving me a lot of trouble for a couple of months
now, and I have not felt much like shooting or eventing.  I have gone to a
couple of things, but I will have to take it easy for a bit longer.



>Anyway, I know that Academy of the Bow can stand on it's own.  I think  it
>needs to stand on it's own.  We (archers) get lumped in with other folks on,
>IMHO, enough things now.  But , then that's just me.

Last year we hosted the Kingdom Eisteddfodd at Yule Revel.  There were only
a handful of contestants (6 or 8).  Talk about a function that needs to be
combined with another event, that was sure one.  And yet, the Kingdom Bard
is highly esteemed in this Kingdom.  I can't imagine that having an Archery
Academy combined with other events would diminish the stature of archers.
Frankly, I tend to think that the stature of a group of people is defined
by the people associated with it, not by the rank, titles, or other
accoutraments.  It could be argued that combining this event with another
would actually raise the visibility of archers, since there would be more
people there to see it.

One point I have not made is the issue of money.  Most folks can't afford
to go to events every weekend.  Many more would not if they could.  They
simply don't have time.  So when people are picking and choosing which
events they will attend, they go to those which have functions that
interest them.

Consider (a hypothetical) Lord John Doe.  He is fairly new (less than 3
years), likes to watch the heavy list, attend feast, party a little, hang
out with his friends.  He looks at a couple of ads.  The first has a heavy
list and a feast.  The second has a heavy list, a feast, and an Academy of
the Bow.  He picks the second because it offers him one more thing to do.
He shows up with his $40 bow and his cheap arrows that came with it and
signs up for the Academy.  He learns some useful things and likes it.  Now
we have a new archer.

But consider that same guy looking at these two ads:  The first one has a
heavy list and a feast.  The second one has an Academy of the Bow and a
pot-luck dinner.  Which do you think he is going to attend?  For a
stand-alone Academy, I predict that only the hard-core archers will be
interested in attending.  Am I right?  Maybe.  I don't know.  But I think
you see my point.

Rumil
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