[Northkeep] the next event will be better

[Chris Graue]

I think that is why I enjoyed this, my first event... I have attended
several local groups (needleworker's guild where I brought home a
project... remember, i have never met these people at this point), then I
attended the shoemaker's class (granted, it was mostly the same people,
but that helped)... then I sat and watched a Saturday fight practice and
then attended the Northkeep Populace meeting where I signed up to help in
as many ways as I felt I would be useful (unfortunately, due to owning a
33 year old car, I was unable to make it Friday night to help set-up, and
then didn't know where to find the children's tent, so I wasn't able to
help there, either)... when I arrived, i found everyone a little
preoccupied, so I found the water-tent where I had signed up myself and
my 2 children to help and asked what we could do. they handed us water
bottles, explained about the vinegar water and off we went! EVERYONE was
so sweet to my 4 year old and accepted her lemonade even if they weren't
really thirsty, many accepted my 8 year old son's water, and a few of the
fighters (and other bravely curious or insane gentlemen) accepted the
vinegar water I offered... but not many... the lemonade was MUCH more
popular! after the fights were over, I went to the kitchen to offer my
help serving and they gladly accepted my help. they even TRIED to make it
easy on me, but I was having NONE of it! lol. I volunteered to HELP, not
stand back and watch... who cared if it was my first event? I wanted to
HELP! so I did... and I nearly beat a couple of people that kept trying
to work my ONE table (which consisted of 3 people). LOL, it was fun,
really.

anyway, had I not attended these other meetings, I wouldn't have known
ANYONE and I probably would have felt the same way Trish did... but I
have taken the initiative to get involved as opposed to just observing. I
can't wait til I get to attend another event, and this time, I am certain
it will be more social and less stressful. The nature of THIS event (and
even I figured this one out) was a serious competition, not a social
scene. I accepted that and enjoyed being able to help in ANY way
possible.

Still very happy (and still trying to reassure their excellencies and my
fellow northkeep members) having had a wonderful time at my first SCA
event, Crown...
VIVAT NORTHKEEP!!!
Chris (of Northkeep)

On Mon, 5 May 2003 17:54:22 -0500 Derek Wilson <Derek.Wilson at DTAG.Com>
writes:
... Meeting people at an event hosted by your local group is often very
> hard and even futile, as the group is busy trying to get feast
together,
> keeping things running smooth and just plain working their arses off to
make
> it all come together. It wasn't until my lady and I started to
participate
> that we began to feel like we were making friends and feeling a
camaraderie
> with the group.


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