SC - period ovens

[Wajdi]

In a message dated 6/15/00 9:41:07 PM US Mountain Standard Time, 
LrdRas at aol.com writes:

> the SCA has increased from 2000 members when I joined 18 years ago to over 
>  20000 now. I don;t think we need fear  that membership is slipping.
>  
>  Ras
>  

According to published membership guidelines which were quoted at an officers 
meeting, and were reflected by SCA Minutes, it is considered that 8 out of 
every 10 people who play, do not become members. That 3 out of every 8 who 
are not members will never join and will leave the ranks of playing for some 
reason or other within their first two years of involvement. Yes, I'm sure it 
is not based on treatment to them by others alone, but I'm sure **some** of 
them will fail to join and continue to play because of that reaction. I 
myself did it. I can't believe that I'm a unique situation. We were told that 
although membership grows, renewals have fallen off. Some of the kingdoms 
overseas have members on a transitory basis; ie, military men, etc., and so 
you expect them to lapse in renewals. Some people drop out for years on end. 
Some lapse the membership but continue to play. At this same time we were 
told, the officers who were present, that membership and continuing to 
encourage membership and new players is one of the priorities for the BOD. If 
the BOD is making it a priority, then it follows that if they are not 
concerned about membership slipping, then they are concerned that it is not 
what it **could** be and they desire to improve that situation. Membership 
supports the organization financially, after all. I just believe that if the 
BOD are concerned about it, then we should be as well on a local level. 

Lars