SC - Profit was Opinions?

[Philip & Susan Troy]

micaylah wrote:
> 
> > micaylah wrote:
> >
> > > I totally agree with this but I doubt "lean times" could actually
> occur.
> >
> > Don't count on it.  Our barony has been around for over 10 years.
> We've had the
> > occasional money-loser, but nothing really spectacular until last
> fall.  We had
> > an event that everyone we talked to said they were coming to.
> Unfortunately,
> > all it was was talk....We bought food for a little less then the
> number we were
> > expecting because we know that some are just talk.  However, as it
> turned out,
> > most of the people who had promised to come (some very good friends
> who had
> > pushed us to have this event again) didn't come.  We lost a bunch of
> money.  To
> > the point now that we would be strapped to front the money for an
> event!  We are
> > co-sponsoring Atlantia's XXth Year celebration in the hope that the
> profits will
> > be enough to put is comfortably in the black again...by which I mean
> that we
> > have money to front our next event...and to cover baronial expenses
> like the
> > newsletter, etc.
> >
> > So....don't get too comfortable!
> 
> Having been a Barony ourselves for nigh in 20 years we have experience
> with what you are saying and have learnt quite a while ago that "talk"
> doesnt pay the Piper. Solving this problem was quite easy....reserve
> with payment. Period. Don't know about other Cantons but this has been
> the norm here in Ealdormere for as long as I can remember. If in fact
> this is what you qualify as "lean times" then we have slogged thru this
> one, as Im sure every area has, a few times. I dont really see this as
> the lean times but rather a unique setback that doesnt occur often.
> 
> Micaylah

I believe the Eastern Crown Tourney where the nearly universal tradition
of "the only reservation is a paid reservation" was born was in A.S. IX.
In Ostgardr, with regard to the bank account "cushion", in my various
times as exchequer I always tried to have enough money in the bank to
hold a completely free event, including feast. Now that people usually
_do_ reserve with payment, it's generally pretty easy to get what you
need for a given event without actually having to lay out any of the
group's money, except perhaps for site fee and allowing for
cancellations. It's rarely been necessary to adjust an event's budget
much to expend only what we have taken in a week or so before an event.
We rarely lose a penny, even though we sometimes don't make a profit. 

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com