[Steppes] Info on Steppes Land Allocation for Gulf Wars

[Lisa Duke]

Greetings Your Excellancy Borek,

Before I begin, let me say that these are my opinions, if anyone has 
issue with my opinion, please don't hesitate to say something to me in 
private. 

How about some Ansteorran land history for Gulf War.  Let me first 
prefice this by saying until this last year, 2004. I had been on the 
Gulf War staff, both Ansteorra and Meridies for 4 years and know alot 
about this subject. 

 From the time that Sir Pendaran was the Ansteorran Land Coordinator, 
Elfsea/Steppes has had that space on Queen's highway.  Do you know why?

First Sir Pendaran was the first of our Ansteoran Land Coordinators to 
try to assign land for groups.  The whole permanant land option was 
revamped under Sir Simon of Meridies the year before Pendaran was chosen 
as our Land Coordinator.  That was my first year to work Meridies Land 
Staff under Sir Simon. 

I promise I am not tooting a horn here but.... These are the facts. 

We were awarded that piece of property for the hard wark and dedication 
and the HUGE number of volunteer hours Elfsea put into the War.  Because 
I had arrived on site before Pendaran, figured out what land I wanted 
for my barony, and told him so when he said it was time to lay out the 
land.  He asked me why we should have this prime land. I told him that 
because Elfsea out performed all other Ansteorran groups in Volunteer 
hours.  We out performed all groups in the known world and among 
kingdoms.  Pendaran agreed with me. The year before Elfsea had worked so 
many hours that we had the most volunteer hours of any group be it 
Canton, Shire, Barony, or even other Kingdom's.

I'm not familiar with last years numbers but I do know that the event 
Chirurgeon and the set up Marshall for Chivalric Activities live in 
Elfsea and are part of the Main Event Staff as of last year and their 
hours don't count any more.  Elfsea earned that land.  We have and will 
continue to be a barony focused on service. 

I'm not sure what is happening now, but it might have something to do 
with "COMMUNICATION" and the way the communication is carried out.

Another issue could also be one of being rewarded for the amount of work 
a group volunteers and registers with the volunteer Coordinators at Gulf 
War.  Preferential treatment unfortunately does go to those who put in 
volunteer time and who is on the staff. The last War I attended I put in 
40 hours of Volunteer time over the 10 days I was there.  And none of 
that was deep nights, all during the day, working for both Meridies and 
Ansteorra, in land department, security, and equestrian. I'm not the 
only person, there were many others, but each person does their part for 
the Gulf War Community.  People who put in the work are rewarded for 
their efforts. 

******************************
It has nothing to do with being the oldest barony Borek.  I am 
personally offended by the comment, "pushed around the corner, hidden 
behind and surrounded by Elfsea as was forced upon us last year."  If 
you think you/the Barony of the Steppes are, "low man on the totem 
pole," then you can do something about that.  You can volunteer your 
time.  You can personally do something you are interested in and log 
your volunteer hours , which goes towards our Volunteer War Point. 

Borek said, "We are not being given a choice, nor given the courtesy of 
giving the land location to Elfsea if their need and thereby the needs 
of Ansteorra would be better served. "  The land was not given to the 
Steppes it was awarded to Elfsea and we have tried to accomodate Steppes 
to be good neighbors. 

Just FYI - We share that plot of land between Queen's Highway, Ricardo 
Di Pisa, and oh think it's Princes Highway, with Bryn Gwlad and the line 
between us does change from year to year.  It has everything to do with 
the number of people we try to pack into that small space.  We have, 
since it's being granted to us, tried to put more people in that land 
than we have room for.  It's crowded and is a terrific challenge to 
accomodate everyones needs. 

Please before you complain about the situation please research and get 
the facts straight. 

Honourable Lady Arabella de Montacute




Brent Ryder wrote:

> It seems the area that Steppes normally camps in is not only not going 
> to be across from the gates as it has been in years pas, nor is it 
> even going to be pushed around the corner, hidden behind and 
> surrounded by Elfsea as was forced upon us last year.
>
> We are going to be put elsewhere.
>
> Seems the people laying out the land allocation are from Elfsea and we 
> are now low man on the totem pole instead of the second oldest Barony 
> in the Kingdom. We are not being given a choice, nor given the 
> courtesy of giving the land location to Elfsea if their need and 
> thereby the needs of Ansteorra would be better served.
>
> To say this makes me a bit peevish would be a grand understatement....
>
> If this has been discussed with Their Excellencies and the Kingdom 
> Landcrat or regional Landcrat and I am in the wrong here, I do 
> apologize. We were not given a choice last year and I do not want to 
> see the Steppes get the short end of things again, intentionally or not.
>
> Borek
>