NK - Toy Tourney

Marc Carlson marc-carlson at utulsa.edu
Fri Jul 2 06:33:03 PDT 1999


At 12:29 AM 7/2/99 -0400, you wrote:
><rolls her eyes> How could anyone have a problem with MORE toys for children 
>who need them!? ...

I think that they don't have a problem with MORE toys for children.  I
think the
problem is a perceptual one, and one of realpolitik.

My understanding is that Northkeep not only wins, but there is a perception
that
Northkeep does so because a) we're bigger than a lot of other places in the
north
so we have more money to toss into the pot, and b) we have some people who
actually 
*have* the money to toss around, when -most- of the people in the SCA (at
least 
in Oklahoma) are barely making enough money to pay the rent. Then when we
DO win,
we aren't terribly gracious about it, crowing about it as though it really
meant 
something.  Now, I'm not saying that this IS what's happening, but from
what I hear
from elsewhere, this is how it's seen by many -- we push for a competition
that's an
easy win for us, and then rub everyone else's nose in the fact that we (as
a group)
have more money than they do.

The result of this is that some people in other groups -are- resentful and
pissed 
off, and the net result is that fewer people are willing to participate,
and the 
kids wind up getting fewer toys.

The changes have the possibility of correcting these (mis)perceptions by
keeping
things on a more fair basis overall.

If the truly important to the Barony that the kids get their toys, there's
no reason 
we can't make a separate, anonymous donation of as many toys as we can fit
into a 
warehouse.  That way the kids get the toys, and we don't show up our
neighbors by
behaving inappropriately.

I realize the group's a bit light on Christians, but there's a reason that
the nice
man said:

"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them:
otherwise ye have 
no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest
thine alms, do 
not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and
in the 
streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward. 
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand
doeth: That 
thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself
shall reward 
thee openly." (Matthew 6)

Marc/Diarmaid



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