SR - Gang-stewarding in the age of instantaneous matter(please give me one when available) transportation

[Donal & Sosha]

Greetings,

> *sigh*  My signature, including the correct spelling of my name, was only a
> dozen lines away. Not an auspicious beginning to a letter proclaiming 

For this I do apologize.  Eventually I am sure to spell your name
correctly.
 
> According to whom?  More cohesion for what?  I believe the practice of
> holding regional events will aid us in the process of determining our
> regional identity (if such an identity we are to have).  I am not aware of
> any deficiency in cohesion.

There are more than a few in various area's of our region, that I have
stopped to talk with in eventing, who do see a lack of cohesion.  Bryn
Gwlad is certainly an area with lots of cohesion to itself.  Yet there
is a lack noted, and not just by the SR people.  I suggest you look a
little out side of the Barony.  Regional events indeed will help us
gain a far better sense of identity. 

> Such an attitude would indeed be less than helpful.  I made no such claims.
>  I claimed that a single group can do a more efficient job of stewarding an
> event than a committee from three or more groups.  I listed a few such
> events that I have run only by way of example.  If it sounded too much like
> bragging, fine:  
  
I will disagree.  I think a group should be able to encompass more
than a fifty mile radius.  We are after all a Region.  A group that is
not the size of Texas, but was the size of some of the original
principalities and in one case, I believe, the size of one barony. 
When Stargate was first formed all zip codes not assigned to a group
were assigned to it.  A braggart is only one who continuously uses
their past achievement to further inflate a wilted ego.  
 
> I was trying to offer you some useful advice, Sosha.  I used my own
> experiences (in a region that ran regular regional and later principality
> events)as examples, not to brag about past accomplishments.

Your help is ALWAYS appreciated, if you wish to give it to me, I will
be more than happy to sit down, e-mail, telephone, and hash out any
differences or perceived problems.  In a compromise, not every one
goes away happy.  Unfortunately that IS where we are at in this stage
of policy setting.
 
> >If working with another group
> >in this age of instantaneous information and dialogue, consists of a
> >logistics nightmare, than [sic] something is not working right.

I have so far have not had a problem, communicating to or with some
one miles and baronies away.
 
> As your response demonstrates, instantaneous communication and dialogue are
> fraught with complexities.  I, however, am more concerned with the
> complexities of actual physical movement of materials (chairs, tables,
> food, decorations) and people.  I did not realize someone had developed an
> instantaneous matter transport mechanism to solve all our logistic problems.

We could wish that this were true.  However the age of e-mail,
telephones, and cars do wondrous things over what we used to use, i.e.
hand carried letters and midnight dashes over hill and dale on a
horse. 

> Organizing and running a complex event within your own group, where you
> know the idiosyncrasies of the individuals; where you know the
> idiosyncrasies of the town, of the suppliers, and of the law enforcement
> agencies; where you can easily bop over to see the site, check out the
> feast preparations, see the decorations, and examine the chairs, can be a
> trying experience all by itself.  Trying to do the same thing a hundred
> miles away with the help of people you see less frequently and where you
> are relying heavily on verbal communications is a nightmare I would not
> wish on any steward.

Delegation to some one you trust and know to be competent is something
you would have to do even in a small group.
 

> I have already expressed my opinion.  An event run by co-stewards from
> three areas will present unnecessary difficulties to the stewards.  I'm not
> saying it can't be done--I'm saying it's inefficient and accomplishes nothing.

I thank you for your opinion, but I still politely disagree. 
Efficiency is  what an autocrat makes of it.  If they choose to sit
and dither around they will be inefficient, however if they dig right
they can accomplish much in a very short period of time.
 
> --I've *never* stewarded an event without help.  That, too, would be
> inefficient.

You were unclear as to how much help you had.  Was it family,
household, Baronial.  Each one varies.  They all have certain benefits
and inherent draw backs.  All that is needed to be added to this
melting pot of help is regional people.  Surely a small thing. 
 

> Sir Lyonel Oliver Grace

Now that your name is spelled better this time....:)  Give me a call
for any further problems, suggestions, or anything else you feel would
be helpful to this new elephant we are tap dancing with and trying not
to get squashed by.

Sosha Lyon's O'Rourke
SRS
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