ST - Fighting in Steppes

[Morgan Buchanan]

I must respectfully disagree.

If you want to do something with non-comms to attract new members, I would 
think that sitting around a public park doing non-fighting activities would 
be more than sufficient.

Fighter practice must FIRST be about the fighters we have.  How do we get 
the fighters we have to attend the practice?  Where would this practice best 
be to serve the fighters we have.  Second, how can this fighter practice 
attract new fighters.  Third, if possible, it's great if this fighter 
practice can attract new non-fighters as well.

Simply put, a low attendance fighter practice, which we have currently, will 
attract very little.  A well attended practice, regardless of its location, 
assuming it's a public location, will attract more interest.

However, I do agree with your statement that this is not a decision for just 
one person.  And I don't believe our knight's marshall is trying to make 
this decision on his own.  He's come up with a solid plan to implement a 
change and give that change a lengthy discussion period prior to the change 
and a trial period during which even more discussion will occur.  If it 
proves unfruitful in that trial period, it can be changed back easily.

>From what I've seen of the few practices I've attended, this change will 
impact a very small number of individuals.  It seems that most of those 
affected individuals have spoken in favor of the change.

I've never heard of anyone suggesting that the dancers meet at a park so the 
fighters can fight.  I've never heard of anyone suggesting that the cooking 
guild meet at a park so the fighters can fight.

Frankly, I can't see any reason that it's unreasonable to go forward with a 
1 month trial period at the new park.

Morgan Buchanan


From: Hrldsmn at aol.com
Reply-To: steppes at ansteorra.org
To: steppes at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: ST - Fighting in Steppes
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 19:00:18 EDT

In a message dated 4/20/01 4:26:09 PM Central Daylight Time,
mordockvonrugen at hotmail.com writes:

<< With respect - to serve the fighting community, I have to consider
primarily
  the needs and desires of those who fight.  Without meaning any disrespect 
to
  any others, that means that I cannot give as much weight to the opinions 
of
  those who may attend at some future time, or to the opinions of those who
  have attended in the past and have no plans to attend in the future.
Fighting in the barony must not be held hostage to memory, speculation, or
apathy.  To do the duty of the office I signed up for, I must give greatest
weight to the fighters who regularly attend fighter practice.  Following
them in precedence are fighters who attend ocassionally, potential future
fighters from our populace, and fighters who might attend if something that
keeps them from currently attending changes, finally followed by opinions
voiced by the general populace.>>

Let me begin by saying that, in theory, I understand there are some valid
points to moving our practice. I will admit that I might have attended more
than five times in the six and a half years I was Baron if the site had been
a great deal move conveniently located and pleasant to be at. If it is made
more convenient I may even attend now periodically.

At this point however, I fear I must disagree with your statements above. 
No,
not disagree, I need to actually tell you that you. are. wrong.

'Fighter Practice' is not just about the people who are swinging their 
sticks
on a regular basis. Every person who lives in this Barony has as much right
to an equal voice as any other. A major part of this on going discussion has
been about getting more non-coms to practice and using it to attract new
members and as good PR. You will not achieve that by putting merely putting
more armored bodies on the field. It will take the good will of every 
non-com
in this group. Without them you. will. fail.

This is not a decision that any one individual, be they an office holder or
noble of any rank and position has the right to make. It will be made by the
constituency of this Barony, fighter and non-fighter alike. It is our
decision to make. This discussion, online and in person, is the only way 
that
we can decide what we will officially do as a Barony.

Edwin, not just as former Baron, but as a member of the Steppes
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