SR - Southern Regional Festival

[Michael Scofield]

Pendaran wrote:
<snip>
>From my perspective, putting this event
>together looked like someone trying to herd cats, and Isobel did a great 
>job
>of wrangling.

Yes she did. I kind of stood around in the back creating as much trouble as 
possible, and watching a marvelous cat herder at work.

>
>I do have one question, and I'd like people's opinions. While there was a
>core group of people who worked to make the event happen, there seemed to 
>be
>a great deal of apathy from a large portion of the regional population. Did
>other people see this, or was it just me? Am I on target or way off base?
>I'd be very interested in hear what other people have to say.

I totally agree with you. However, I have thought about the whole seemingly 
apathetic support of the majority of the SR populace and have come to the 
conclusion that the biggest problem may have been in the timing of the 
event. A large number of the populace have had, in one months time three 
large things to deal with, the last Lyonesse, Gulf War (a remarkable tie at 
9-1), and then the first SRF. While a reasonably large number of people did 
quite a bit of work to pull this event off (especially Isobel and Lord 
Niklas, seneschal of Ravens Fort) the populace as a whole did very little. 
And very few of the populace attended the event. Most likely the reasons 
were, in order, too tired from Gulf Wars, too broke after GW, and lastly, it 
is going to get real wet and I don't want to put up with that.

All of these reasons are valid. Some people may not think they are 
legitimate, but a reason is a reason. I will never fault anyone for not 
doing something in the SCA, this is a volunteer organization, no one can be 
forced to do anything. (well, they CAN be guilted into it)

I feel that the two week break after GW was just too short. On the other 
hand, the some apathy was noticed well before GW, Lyonesse, or anything else 
that might be viewed as in the way. It may be that there just isn't a strong 
feeling about an identity for the SR among the populace at large. 
Fortunately, that feeling was never noticed in the preceding year at the 
meetings held to discuss an identity for the region, as well as the possible 
formation of a principality based on the region. While there was a lot of 
debate about the principality issue, there was always a strong regional 
feeling. Where did it go?

Maybe we just need to try to get people to think on a larger scale. Don't 
think of what you can be doing for your (fill in the appropriate barony, 
shire, canton, etc) but what can you do for the region. If we had some sort 
of heraldry, we could have a banner to fight under at the next GW. But right 
now we can't even seem to agree on a name for the region. I can't think of 
anyone in the entire region who is so opinionated that they think that 
everyone else is wrong about the name...wait a minute, yea maybe there are a 
couple, a few? a bunch? okay almost everybody. So what, we got together 
(well some of us) and had a good time. Champions of the SR were determined 
in several activities and a real short and entertaining court was had. Let's 
do it again.

>
>Now, just in case people misread that question, I in no way think that the
>event failed. Quite the contrary; I think that the event went off very well
>especially considering the weather forcast and I'm looking forward to an SR
>event next year.

>
>Pendaran

Me too. Who wants to be the autocrat? The groundwork is done, the format has 
been developed, all you need to do is tweak it a little and it is done.

Ivar

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