[Elfsea] Big Blue

[Brandon McDermott]

My 2 pence....
   
  The per use cost is less important in my mind than the ease of use and the comfort factor ( the shade and ambiance ). If the time and headache involved in its constant upkeep detracts from our families and our weekend fun....we should replace it and get back to enjoying our families, our friends, and ourselves whatever the cost. On a more tangible note, is the design of Blue the major contributing factor in it's constant need for upkeep? Is it Poor craftsmanship? Is it poor maintenance? Improper set up and tear down?
    If it is a poor design or craftsmanship, we can simply replace the damaged portion with a properly designed and constructed top. If it is a maintenance and/or a setup/tear-down issue,we can teach and learn a better way. If it is a general pain in the rear all the way a round sell it and get an easier ( what period pavilion is easy?) to set up and maintain pavilion so we can get back to the enjoyment part... :-)
     If any one person spends more time worrying about Blue than enjoying her.... We all lose.
   
  Lochlan
   
  

Dragonetti <dragonetti at generich.com> wrote:
      Greetings!
   
  Well to get the ball rolling, these are the first things that popped into my pea brain....I'm not advocating anything in particular though.
   
  1. What did we originally pay for it (approximately) and how much (approximately) have we spent repairing it so far? Roughly speaking, how many times have we used it? 
   
  With those questions answered, what has it cost us per use? Have we gotten our money's worth, and if not, is it reasonable to think we ever will? Especially if we continue to need repairs after each use?
   
  (I suggest also considering the less tangible costs of dealing with Big Blue, it takes time from "someone's" schedule to either do minor repairs or transport it to a place that can do them, the hassle of setup/teardown, loading and unloading, etc. some of which will exist with any pavilion, but the size sometimes makes it onerous if there are too few folks to help.)
   
  2. What are the benefits that might justify the "costs"?  It may be a source of pride for some, as it is fairly impressive looking. Does it help attract prospects and other folks at demos and events? Does it help us appear more credible at say "Highland Games" than a series of small pavilions would?
   
  3. With cost per use established, we have a benchmark to compare the cost/benefit or return-on-investment of any proposed replacement.
   
  4. If we choose to retire it, what will replace it? And what is our budget for such? Does it "need" to be replaced?
   
  5. If retired, could we make use of it for other purposes? (ie, cut up into banners, signage, mundanity covers for use by the populace, maybe use the walls to mask/hide parking areas at events, etc.)
   
  6. Would it be more cost effective to simply try and sell it "as-is"?
   
  I'm sure there are lots of ways to approach this, but that's all I've got time for at the moment. I'm very pleased to see the leadership in addressing the situation. EVERYONE should be able to contribute to some degree and be part of this process. NOW is the time to help out by speaking up.
   
  Just my initial thoughts.
   
  -=Armand=-
   

    
---------------------------------
  From: Jhan Knebel

Greetings Friends,

At Springfaire, due to the condition of Big Blue the autocrat staff decided not to take it to the event and set it up. This turned out to be a good idea, as Big Blue in it's current condition would not have survived the event and the 55 mph wind gusts.

So, here is my question to the Barony:

We have a pavilion that is not functional, and it appears may be too much to repair, as we have learned that it will continue to rip. What ideas do you have for fixing this situation?

In Service and the spirit of discussion,

Rixende

-- 
Honorable Lady Rixende de Rouen, CIM, CSM
Central Region Rapier Marshal
Quidam audit valde, facit valde 
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