[Elfsea] Big Blue

Richard Threlkeld rjt at softwareinnovation.com
Wed May 14 09:03:18 PDT 2008


IMHO it is a combination of a difficult setup and a material that is not
handling UV radiation very well. The material is getting more fragile and
prone to rip. And the setup makes it easy to cause rips if you don't do it
just right. It takes a handful of people to put it up right and we often
don't have that many available. 

 

I really like the tent, but maintenance is getting to be a problem. The
manufacturer of the tent is no longer in business and I understand the
material is hard to find currently. I have not yet done an exhaustive look
at alternatives out there. Has anybody else done so recently?

 

In service,

Caelin on Andrede

 

From: elfsea-bounces at lists.ansteorra.org
[mailto:elfsea-bounces at lists.ansteorra.org] On Behalf Of Brandon McDermott
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 10:44 AM
To: Barony of Elfsea
Subject: Re: [Elfsea] Big Blue

 

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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