SC - The High Cost of Feasts/Events

[Kathleen M Hogan]

I have been reading all the various responses to the question of the
falling attendance at feasts and have my own reasons.  

I try to eat feast at every event I attend.  The problem is that I can
rarely afford to attend events these days.  I am partially disabled and
not working (though I just finished up my Associates degree in accounting
and am looking) and my husband's income usually just pays the bills. We
have a family of 6.  

Looking in this month's kingdom newsletter, most events that I COULD
attend (within a reasonable driving distance considering that I have to
cram 6 bodies plus gear into a pontiac sunbird) are running in the $15 to
$25 dollar range.  That means that the event is going to cost me between
$90 and $150 just for the site fee with feast (in my case it's NOT
cheaper to go to McD's).  Then you have to take in the cost of gas to get
there, plus food & drink for the trip (anything over 1-2 hours and the
kids get hungry).  

I have been to maybe 2 -3 events in the last year, and they have all been
local because I  couldn't afford to go anywhere else.  I have been in the
SCA for almost 20 years and can remember when an event didn't cost more
than a trip to the movies. Of course, most of the feasts weren't nearly
as elaborate....one or two courses at most.. usually one meat and one
poultry with a veggie or two, bread, cheese, and fruit, with tea or
lemonade to drink. 

 The feasts were served fairly quickly....dinner lasted maybe an hour or
so.  I have had kids go to sleep in the middle of feast because of how
long they are getting.  I think that if feast is going to be a drawn-out
PERIOD affair that it should be served like they were in
period...starting at lunchtime and being served all day.  Make it the
whole event...a period, all-day feast with dancing and entertainment
between courses.  

I don't mind simpler feasts like we used to have.  As long as the food is
good and plentiful and I don't fall asleep waiting for the next
course...I'm happy.

Caitlin NicFhionghuin
House Oak & Thistle
Shire of Bordervale Keep, Atlantia
Augusta, GA

___________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================