[Sca-cooks] Feast quantities

[Christine Seelye-King]

> A few of us had the opportunity to take Mistress Christianna's three hour
class yesterday at the Royal University of Meridies (RUM). It was very
informative and gave the best perspective I've ever had on what
> it takes to be a feast planner.  I've been going through the handbook this
afternoon and it is now secure in it's own binder.
> When some of this tonage I drag around comes off and my knees are
> in better shape...I will do a feast.
> Thank you!
> Molli

What Molli's referring to is one of the first things we talk about in the
class, a list of questions you must be able to answer "YES" to before
committing to being in charge of a feast.  One of them is "Can you stand on
your feet for 10 hours or more?".  I know that is one of Molli's "NO"'s ,
and looked pointedly at her when I asked it.  There was a lady who was at
her first event who had taken "Feast Appreciation" (the required course for
a Scholar's Degree) and then stayed to hang out for the Feast Planner's
class.  When we got down the list of questions, she started laughing
hysterically, said she could only answer YES to 2 of them, and left, still
laughing, saying her husband would get a kick out of that.  Well, it's good
to figure that out early, I guess.  I hope I don't have too many people who
leave after that point in the class, but it is a good time to know it, and
know what you'll have to be able to do before considering it in the future.
(Questions posted below.)
	I'll be teaching this at Pennsic.  I am scheduled for two days, but I won't
be arriving on site until after the first one is scheduled, so I'll be
teaching it on Thursday, August 8th, in case anyone is interested.  We will
also (hopefully) have the books ready for sale at our booth (King's Taste
Productions, BZ1), along with the Autocrat's Guide as well.
Christianna

Can I be a Feast Planner?
Think before you commit.  There are many considerations that affect your
ability to be good at Feast Planning.  Unlike an Autocrat, a feast planner
does not need to be a paid member of the SCA, Inc., but you should be an
avid event attendee.  In other words, you need to know what a good feast (or
a bad feast) is.
If you are an experienced SCA Event goer, then ask yourself these questions:

q Am I equipped with good, long-range planning skills?
q Am I organized?
q Can I work very hard for little or no reward?
q Can I say “no”?
q Can I keep my cool?
q Can I delegate?
q Do I know how and when to ask for help?
q Can I get the people in my group to work with me?
q Can I stand on my feet for 10 hours or more?

Hopefully, you answered “YES” to these physical, emotional and character
questions. There are also logistical challenges, too.  You will likely have
to transport and carry hundreds of pounds of food and equipment.  Access to
strong backs and minivans are helpful.  Kitchen experiences can include
construction, scrubbing, digging and minor plumbing issues, and some of it
in the wee hours of the morning.