[Steppes] Attendance increase suggestions?

[Elaine Crittenden]

>From what you say, we can encourage attendees by the following:

1. Call and invite those we haven't seen in a while. (Self-explanatory)

2. Express appreciation those who feel underappreciated. (Suggestions?)

3. Protect those who over-volunteer to the point of brownout. (More ideas?)

Anyone care to offer helpful suggestions?
...............................
Lete's--
As for #1: Why not go back into old membership directories and Domesday
books to see who actually dropped out and are still in the area? Those could
be sources.

I think of this because I did that a few years ago, looking for those who
were in my ZIP code, thinking it might be nice to have a party for the
"locals" in my ZIP, just to get us acquainted and aware of each other's
proximity. (Due to a non-playing husband, that idea went down the tube,
unfortunately.) Maybe someone else might do that? What about a specific date
for ZIP parties to take place all over the area? Start small, work big....

Myself, I have been preaching #2 for a long time. I still think that Thank
You Cards could serve a great purpose, even if only one person gets a sense
of satisfaction out of many cards given/mailed out. Official awards and Word
Fame announcements are not the only avenues to make someone feel
appreciated. Sometimes, the Official things are too few and too far apart to
keep volunteers and attendance up. Right?

#3 is *wonderful*!!!
Personal experience:
Nuala (God bless her magnanimous soul!) has vowed to give me the gift (at
this Warlord) of being able to do something I have never been able to do--to
have the time to *casually* wander through the merchant and competition
displays areas, to actually be able to sit down and watch all aur wonderful
fighters in the lists and other venues, explore all the other good stuff
available, and to just hang out with the other gentles. Normally, I am
stressed out to the max, frantically trying to correctly spell award
winners' names in the most beautiful lettering I can manage in the time
frame and work area circumstances, usually in a corner somewhere (sometimes
with guards sent to protect my isolation) so the many awardees over those
three days can actually get a certificate when they win one! (The fact that
they need one, and should get it *then* in order to feel appreciated, is
part of my philosophy about helping with #2.)

If we could clone those caring people who protect others from themselves,
like Nuala (who also just possibly has an over-volunteer demon of her own?),
I think a lot of our "same group of doers" might not brownout so often.
There's a lot to be said for an "enforced" sabbatical...For myself, I loudly
proclaim, "Vivat Nuala!" and am humbly grateful with bewildered
anticipation.

My two florins...

Lete

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>From: Steppes Seneschal <steppes.seneschal at gmail.com>
>To: "Barony of Steppes - SCA, Inc." <steppes at ansteorra.org>
>Subject: [Steppes] Populace Friday, 2-25-05
>Date: Mon THJan 31,2005,11:19 PM
>
>(snip)
 in this case it's just a good simple solution to the problem of
> falling local membership.
>
> People in the SCA go through brown out periods from time to time,  I
> think I have gone through about 3.  Usually they have been either
> under appreciated or over volunteered, usually both.  But all it takes
> is for one person to tell them how much they are missed to get things
> rolling again.  It's not really that hard to do, just make the call.
> --
> Jon Rolfsson
> Steppes Seneschal
> _______________________________________________