[Loch-soilleir] a missive to the populace

[Rebecca Cook]

Lady Hedwig,
  My mundane name is Rebecca McGlothlin.  I have chatted with you and the Loch's hospitaler recently, and have voiced (okay, typed) an interest in the group.
  I was active in the Shire of Crystal Mynes in Calontir, and have not had the chance to participate since moving to Texas a couple of years ago.
  Please, allow me to brag on one of your family members.  Lady Wyllow, (or Wylloc, if you are to believe the written) has been very kind, very forthcoming with information, and very patient with this very uninformed woman.
  Even though I participated in Calontir, I was very new to the SCA, and did not get to learn much before having to leave the Shire.  
  Lady Wyllow has offered her time, and her knowledge in getting me started with the Loch, and has even offered to teach me to make garb.  Her efforts have been appreciated, and not ignored.  Unfortunately, the responsibilities of the mundane have kept me from attending one of her Sheep to Shawl meetings, and the populace meeting as well.
  I reside in Surfside Beach, and realize that yours is the nearest group to me.  Gas prices be damned, I intend to become active in the group, and to learn all that I can in order to be a positive member.  The idea of small classes after populace is brilliant!
  I can learn some, if not most of what I need to know in order not to embarrass myself or the group, and can get to know you all at the same time.
  Thank you for indulging my rambling.
  I look forward to meeting the members of the Loch!
  Until then,
  Happiness and Health to You All
  In Service,
  Muirgheal MacLoclainn (I have Finally decided on a name!)

Hedwig/Melissa <honeyfrog at gmail.com> wrote:
  Greetings unto the Populace,

We had an unusually small turn out for populace meeting this
last week. Many of our officers were away on modern business or had
personal issues to attend to and could not make the meeting. I hope that
everyone is now well, and their business is booming!

We did have a small contingent of newcomers at the meeting and I
took that opportunity to find out what drew them to us and prompted them to
seek out our good barony. Naturally there were diverse interests and
motivations. Without fail however there was this one common thread. There
is so much distance between the guilds and where we all live. It makes it
very hard to attend things and try to make it to events. We even have a few
who are more interested in the guilds and could really care less about
events.

The sad fact is that with gas prices still on the rise and the
cost of events being what they are, there are many of us who are looking at
cutting back on making it to anywhere more than a few miles from home. It
is a given that our hobby is an expensive one in the first place (when
you're looking at duplicating your life and making it medieval as well it
can really sap your budget) but when you add trying to drive to and
sometimes hotel an event then it has become prohibitive for a great many
people.

Here is the one thing that our newcomers have emphatically
stated. They understand that business meetings are a necessary evil but
they do not represent what they are looking for from this group. It would
be wonderful if they could come to populace and be introduced to the people
they've been hearing about but can't make it to their homes for guilds
or
they don't even know we have these people so expert in their fields of
interest in our barony. If just one hour could be set aside or even once a
quarter be designated for a newcomer's college or classes at populace that
would be awesome. They've even volunteered to help set up etc.

I have to tell everyone now that this very idea has been on my
mind since I took over the office of seneschal. We've had newcomers who've
come and gone and we can not keep them because they are not being included
or they do not feel welcome and cannot find a place to get involved. We can
all sit and read this and say, "Well they should find a way to participate."
Or "There are guilds they should show up." That may be true enough, however
when you live in Galveston and armor guild is in Pearland and you know
enough about Ansteorra to know that the man running it is Sir Alexis (you
can sort of piss your pants just thinking about calling to set up a time) it
can be intimidating to even go at all!

A few people have mentioned that we've tried this
"before"
that's nice I'm glad we've tried it before. I've been playing in
the Loch for four years so it's been longer ago than that since we tried it
last. I've also heard the argument that people are coming from work so that
makes it difficult. Really? Well I'd like to point out that we all
routinely get ready for an event and pack our cars and get our garb and all
our important things together and still go to work daily. This is a weekly
thing for many of us. Planning for one night in garb (not even court
garb
kitchen garb works for this) and perhaps teaching a one hour or 30
minute class or just being available for questions really shouldn't put too
much of a clinch on people's time. There is a restroom to change in at
populace so it isn't like you have to change at work and freak the mundane
just to be at a newcomer's college once in a while. Yes, I'm getting
preachy here. Think back to your first few months in the SCA. What did you
expect from populace meetings? Did you really wish you had a mentor to walk
you through things? How about having someone to sit with at an event and
explain why someone was getting part of a bay tree branch shoved on top of
their head (yeah it can seems strange if you don't know)? Would you have
liked the chance to sit down with someone and ask the awkward questions but
it was too intimidating at an event or even in someone's home (because no
one had on their garb and you didn't recognize who was who when everyone was
wearing flip flops and shorts
OMG I just asked the Queen a stupid question
I'll never live that down!) Case in point one of my very first posts on the
Loch list was to ask "which" Ulsted had just won crown and then I was told
there "could be only one"
(OK no one has ever accused me of being shy or
unwilling to ask!)

So, having said all of that I have decided that July populace
will have a 10 to 20 minute business meeting (I've done that already don't
scoff) and the rest of the night will consist of a few classes or small
groups to answer some questions and lead our newcomers in the direction they
seek to walk. I will be looking for people to teach these classes (a great
place to try out a class your working on for a "real" event) or just to
answer questions. I also ask that everyone bring garb to change into or
show up in garb. I would like to include a short session on court and some
of the customs and manners that are encompassed in that subject.

If anyone has questions please email me at
honeyfrog at gmail.comor contact the hospitlar Gunthar (who is working
with me on this) at
hello.loch at gmail.com. If we want to grow as a group and if we want our
dream to continue on then we have to nurture the newcomer and work with the
situations we've been dealt. We may all love history but that doesn't mean
our habits can't evolve into something new and different.



Stepping on toes to step up our game,

Hedwig, seneschal
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When I stand before God
  at the end of my life,
  I would hope that I had
  not one bit of talent left,
  and could say,
  "I used everything You gave me"
  (Erma Bombeck)
   
  Happiness and Health to You
  Rebecca McGlothlin