[Steppes] Part 1 <Longish> Autocratting/Stewarding Events--Thoughts on Change

[Aaron Robb]

--- Patrick Cuccurello <pat at adtelusa.com> wrote:
  I think the
> best way for that is by building excitement in our events.  Excitement
> can
> best be generated by giving people new or unique experiences.  Things
> they
> haven't done before, things they haven't seen before, events we haven't
> thought of before because the path we are on is safe and well traveled.
> We
> have over a millennium of History to play with, I cannot believe we've
> run
> out of ideas in thirty.

I agree, but pardon me while I point out the elephant in the parlor: There
is a vocal minority who make life extremely unpleasant for event staff if
things are different. "This isn't the spot we had last year", "But
High-fnord so-and-so *always* sits here", "My announcement is more
important than your schedule, so let me shout down your hearld", etc.,
etc.

I was going to say that there are some people who feel that they have
earned special treatment and some who just feel that they're entitled for
no good reason, but let me just address this point together. There are
some people for whom the word "No" has no meaning. They behave like 3 year
olds when told they can't do things the way they want, and when they
finally hear "No, not this event, not this way, no" after the 4th and 5th
repetition will then try to side step the person telling them no and take
another route (approaching the crown, different officers, etc.).

The numbers of these kind of people - each of whom thinks they are the
exception to the rule - naturally grows as the Society grows. It's not
that the path we're on is necessarily well traveled, it's that you get hit
with a stick when you try to leave it.

I think that there are a lot of great, positive people in the SCA who do
wonderful work. We see lots of wonderful events and excellent fun as a
result, but if you don't address the people that are active impediments to
new ways of doing things you're not just fighting history (pardon the
pun).

Philo

=====
---
Aaron D. Robb, M.Ed., NCC, LPC

Malo periculosan libertaten quan quietun servitium.
Better freedom with danger than peace with slavery.
                                        -Palatine of Posen

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