[Steppes] Fighter Practice Location

[Mike & Crystal Lemming]

Greetings my good brothers and sisters,

Thank you for your voices (electronic though they may be). I want you to
know that I am reading and considering every post. I am not speaking
(electronically) now to sway anyone in any direction, however, some few of
you good folk asked a few questions and made some statements that I would
like to address.

Who wants the practice moved?

I do.


Who started this topic?

I did.


Why?

I (and my lady) don't like fighting in the sun. Others (fighters and
non-fighters) have stated that they would like some shade. We moved the
practice to Mary Head Park so that it would be larger, and it isn't nearly
as large as I would like to see it.


Has there been some plan to move practice back to the Hill?

No. As the temperature has climbed and practice remained low, I've been
considering a move to somewhere with shade.


Could we alleviate the shade issue with pavilions?

To a small degree, yes, and thank you for the offers of pavilions. I have
been using mine for the last couple of weeks, but it doesn't help while
fighting.


Is fighter practice for fighters, or for everyone?

That's a tricky question. The simple answer would be to say the fighters, of
course. But fighters do not live in a vacuum. Often they are married to
non-fighters who can drag them out, not to mention names (Sir Tho...) My
lady, Conal, is now coming out because we have some light fighters attending
who she is training. Now, I'm an exception (since I'm supposed to be at
practice anyway), but generally speaking, I have a great deal more incentive
to go when my lady wants to go.


How many fighters and others have been going to practice?

Between four and (rarely) ten fighters have been attending. A typical
fighter practice has six fighters and four other people (not counting
Hosie's young ones). Last week's practice had closer to ten fighters and ten
others, but that included some non-SCA friends of mine who came out to
watch.


Is it important to leave it in the same place, so that people can find it
and that it becomes established?

Yes, but it's been here a year and still few people come.


Have times changed and therefore are large and festive practices gone for
good?

I hope not. Sure, we're older, but we have some new members too, just as it
was when I started playing in the Steppes fourteen years ago.

Here are some questions of my own:

Would anyone be interested in combining some of the other guild meetings and
incorporating Sunday into one big gathering? Obviously some of the guilds
(brewers, cooking, etc.) can't really meet at a park for their activity, but
some of the others could.

Would the fighters like to move the practice to Monday night?

Would more fighters come if we could get more knights out?

Would more fighters come if their friends, mates, etc. had more people with
which to socialize?

Are the fencers looking to practice on Sunday?

Do the fighters want specific critiques on their fighting (with the
different styles)?

Do the fighters want to really train or just socialize and swing sticks?



In conclusion:

I took the job as knight's marshal to: not just fill a position and provide
a place for fighters to gather; but to attempt to increase the number of
fighters and others at practice; increase the level of fighting in the
Barony; and increase the level of baronial and SCA spirit.

I don't feel like I have done any of these things. I'm the one to blame. I
want to move it now in an attempt to fulfill my original goals. Is moving it
alone going to help? Yes, I think so, but I also need to do more to bring
about the changes. I don't want people to do what they don't want to do.  It
is my impression that many of the people of this barony (fighters and not)
do not want to go to fighter practice at Mary Head Park, but might go if
practice were held elsewhere.


Yours,

Sir/Don Miguel
Warlord and Knight Marshal