[Sca-cooks] A & S question

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

I can't help AEllin, but i thought i'd add my thoughts to the conversation...

It appears to me that there are vast differences among kingdoms. 
Things have been rather sleepy A&S-wise where i am, both the 
Principality (Mists) and the Kingdom (West).

We have people around doing stuff and some even good stuff. But 
people don't seem to enter A&S competitions much. I don't care for 
'em myself - heck, i lost a lot of sleep for 3 weeks before the one i 
entered 2 weekends ago. On top of that, i am the Arts Minister for 
The Principality of the Mists. Puts me in something of a quandary.

My Sciences co-officer and i spent a lot of time brain storming to 
come up with other ways to get people's work "exposed" to more 
people. Sure, i hear some folks say, "I just do it and wear/use it." 
But that makes for rather random and patchy notice, and i think if 
someone is doing good work, it deserves notice.

So the goal is to find a way to allow people who are doing "stuff" to 
have a way for folks to see their "stuff".

COMPETITIONS
We have inherited pre-planned competitions in our first year in 
office - now half over. We're considering doing away with them, 
however, in our second year. We have made a change in the 
competitions: Previously if there were not a minimum of three 
entries, the competition didn't happen. Now we are judging all 
entries, even if there are only one or two (if only one, it must get 
a minimum of 2/3 of all possible points or there's no winner), which 
seems to have encouraged folks to enter - so many had the experience 
of working hard to produce "stuff" and documentation for a 
competition, then have their work not get judged because there 
weren't enough entries. And frankly, although i hear there are a few 
rather "difficult" judges (and i know who they are), most folks 
really do want feedback on their work.

DISPLAYS
We have added Displays along with the competitions - we encourage but 
do not require documentation, and we offer optional comment cards so 
folks can get feedback

BRANCH SPONSORSHIP
We've been having a particular sub-branch - such as shires and 
cantons - sponsor the A&S pavilion at the two Principality camping 
events - that branch presents a display of their stuff and provides a 
teacher for a class, and a Laurel for "Ask-a-Laurel" (during which 
anyone can come by to talk to the Laurel about the stuff the Laurel 
knows - a way to disseminate specific info and help people get over 
"peer fear". (So far we aren't asking Baronies, since they often 
sponsor their own A&S weekends)

CLASSES
We also offer a class related to an upcoming competition. If we 
decide to do away with competitions, we will probably still have a 
class at each event.

NEXT YEAR
Next year, we'll have more displays, and we're considering sponsoring 
things like "tastings" (there's a separate group that does cooking 
competitions, but only the judges get to eat), "tours" of camp sites 
to see people's wood carving, tent making, etc. skills...

And, we're still open to more ideas, so if anyone has any...

Anahita
Principality of the Mists Minister of Arts
Principality of the Mists Gold Key (i hope i'll be passing this along 
at 12th Night and taking up the mantle of Kingdom Gold Key)
Province of the Mists Exchequer