[Stargate] The Elephant in the Room

[Mike Wyvill]

I think that attracting younger people is certainly one of the biggest 
concerns we (the SCA) should have as a group. I see the list of dormant or 
dead colleges listed on the Kingdom website and know each of those 
represents lost opportunties. I have also seen what the Boy Scouts called 
Explorer Posts and now call Venturing Crews (male and female, aged 14-21) in 
other areas that are dedicated to re-enacting or even LARP!

Those could be things to explore.

2 pence from Gates Edge
Engenulf


>From: "John Hirling" <jhirling at gmail.com>
>Reply-To: Barony of Stargate <stargate at lists.ansteorra.org>
>To: "Barony of Stargate" <stargate at lists.ansteorra.org>
>Subject: Re: [Stargate] The Elephant in the Room
>Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2007 10:57:24 -0600
>
>not an "either/or" but a "both/and
>
>Whether we are talking about recruiting, how to have more fun and make our
>activities more fun for others, or where is the best place (and what is the
>best time) to gather for Populace, the more information, opinions, and
>angles the better.  Even what might be deemed by some as a 'bad idea' can 
>be
>helpful.
>
>ihon
>Baron of Stargate
>
>On 1/11/07, Michael Silverhands <silverhands at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> >
> > On Jan 11, 2007, at 9:01 PM, Thomas atte Woode (Tom Smith) wrote:
> > > ...  Let's start a conversation.
> > >
> >
> > Ok, I'll bite.
> >
> > > I have been thinking about our recruiting problems.  It seems to me
> > > that in the early days, the SCA was pretty much the only game in
> > > town for those interested in "having fun in a medieval manner".  We
> > > were the original.  Since then, the number of choices have
> > > multiplied:  Ren Faires, Amtgard, Live Action Roleplaying (LARP)
> > > groups.  All of these groups put a different spin on things, but I
> > > think we are all tapping in to the same general ethos - creating a
> > > pretend world of chivalry and adventure.  As a result, we are
> > > competing with each other for the same resource - new people that
> > > might be interested in our games.
> > >
> > > In this kind of situation, it is worthwhile to ask what these
> > > groups do that we don't.  Is there some way of making the game more
> > > fun and attractive to prospective young members that we can learn
> > > from them?
> > >
> > > I'm not saying there is.  Just that there might be.  It may be that
> > > the best we can do is maintain our own distinct identity, and
> > > accept that we will attract a certain share of the population for
> > > which we are the right "fit", and other will go elsewhere.
> >
> > You're right that each of those groups offers something different,
> > and to somewhat the same pool of potential members. But it might be
> > more worthwhile to ask what *we* offer that *they* don't, and figure
> > out how to promote *that*.
> >
> > In business, it's attractive -- sometimes fatally so -- to focus on
> > what the competition's doing, and try to "one up" them at their own
> > game. This can work when you're selling a commodity head-to-head
> > against others who are selling essentially the same thing (e.g. fast
> > food).
> >
> > But it can be a disaster when you sell a specialty product.
> >
> > There's a saying in business: "Compete or innovate." We don't really
> > want to compete head-to-head against Ren Faires, Amtgard, LARP, etc.
> > -- nor do I think we need to. In terms of that saying, we "innovate"
> > -- i.e., we offer something(s) that they don't.
> >
> > So... let's figure out what stands us apart (and hopefully above, in
> > the eyes of our potential new members) and "sell" that when we do our
> > demos.
> >
> > *passing the cup* Somebody else's turn to play. :-)
> >
> > Michael
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
>
>
>
>--
>Rev. John F. Hirling
>Interim Pastor
>First Presbyterian Church
>Angleton, TX 77515
>(979) 849-5722
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