[Gatesedge] Introduction

[Mike Wyvill]

Just to put in my two cents. Commitments and other things have kept me from 
becoming involved (although I tried to call the evening of the newcomers 
meeting and was told I had the wrong number!) but any organization is going 
to have people who may have been there a while an therefore think that it 
belongs to them (Lord knows I've seen that in the Boy Scouts where I am a 
Scoutmaster) or are so anal that they have forgotten when they were new! 
Everyone was new at sometime!

So just jump in, I would say. Don't let others decide your first 
impressions, or second, or third for you.

Guillame de Vienville

MKA Mike


>From: Michael Tucker <mtucker at airmail.net>
>Reply-To: "Shire of Gate's Edge - SCA, Inc." <gatesedge at ansteorra.org>
>To: "Shire of Gate's Edge - SCA, Inc." <gatesedge at ansteorra.org>
>Subject: Re: [Gatesedge] Introduction
>Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 10:12:26 -0600
>
>
>On Tuesday, January 13, 2004, at 08:42  AM, Jennifer Guest wrote:
>
>>...  For the past several years I've
>>been trying to get involved in the SCA, but have been
>>intimidated (I'm not a huge history buff either), too
>>far away, scared away (it's a common opinion up here
>>that Stargate and Westgate people can be not-so-nice),
>>or have given in to my obsessive shyness.  ...
>>
>>=====
>>Blessed Be,
>>~Jennifer(RL)/Heruthane(Wicca)/Qulajin(SCA)/Lossefalme(AMTguard)
>>
>
>On Tuesday, January 13, 2004, at 08:44  AM, Jennifer Guest wrote:
>
>>Ech, that was supposed to be off-list.  :-/
>
>Milady Qulajin,
>
>I realize that your post was an accident. But I'm glad, in a way, that you 
>posted it. Those are the sort of opinions I would much rather see in the 
>light of day, than hidden away in the dark somewhere.
>
>I know that, in every group, there are always a couple of malcontents who 
>will *never* be happy, and will *always* find something nasty to say about 
>other groups. It's how they make themselves feel bigger and better and more 
>important than they are. Sadly, these folks have a knack for seeking out 
>the newcomers to the group and "poisoning the well" before they've ever had 
>a chance to drink from it.
>
>There are also, sadly, always a few folks in every group who are "bad 
>examples" of behavior in their group. I.e., they are irritating to be 
>around (for whatever reason), and make their whole group look bad.
>
>(I'm sure you've seen this exact sort of thing in Amtguard, school, your 
>job, wherever... it's just human nature.)
>
>But... allowing for a couple of malcontents in one group, or a couple of 
>"bad examples" in another group... do you think this is this really a 
>commonly held opinion in Gate's Edge, about the folks in Stargate and 
>Westgate?
>
>Or is the opinion held by just one or two people (or *about* just one or 
>two people), as far as you know?
>
>If the former, then I, personally, would like to do whatever I can to 
>convince you otherwise. Not by browbeating you into "changing your story", 
>but by demonstrating that we really do get along well together, and - for 
>the most part - we really are a bunch of nice folks (in Stargate, Westgate, 
>Gate's Edge, Loch Soilleir... pretty much this whole area of groups who 
>tend to work and play together).
>
>When I was Baron of Stargate with Baroness Neassa we heard the same concern 
>that you have voiced, and tried hard to fix any problems we could find 
>between our groups. So have others, on both sides of the fence, including 
>your own Baron Talmon, Baroness Signy, HL Annes and HL Caitlin, among 
>others. We *did* find some problems, and hopefully we fixed them. But, 
>mostly what we found out was what I described above: a couple of 
>dissatisfied people (who would *never* be satisfied) and a couple of "bad 
>examples" they could point to and make an issue over.
>
>I would point instead to our past cooperations - all the events that we 
>have put on, together. When I was event steward of Stargate's 25th 
>Baronial, it was mostly folks from Gate's Edge who came out on Friday and 
>early on Saturday to clear the site and set up for the event. It was 
>largely those same people who were there at the bitter end on Sunday, 
>helping with takedown and cleanup. If you look at a Gate's Edge event, you 
>will find many folks from Stargate and Westgate there, helping out in equal 
>share. The same is true of Loch Soilleir events and Westgate events. We 
>really are friends who help each other, and have fun doing so.
>
>I would also point to our future cooperations. Rather than let someone's 
>poisonous (or honeyed) words sway you, please come to a few events and form 
>your own opinion, based on your own observations. If you have already done 
>so, and your opinion *is* based on personal observations, I welcome you to 
>share them with me - publicly or privately. Maybe you see something that 
>the rest of us have overlooked; and maybe something can be done to fix 
>whatever it is that you see as "broken".
>
>I attend almost every Gate's Edge, Stargate and Westgate event. If you are 
>at one, please ask someone to point me out (if you don't already know me). 
>I'd be happy to listen to your story.
>
>Yours in service,
>Michael Silverhands
>(old retired Baron, Pelican, etc.)
>
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