[Steppes] Warlord site

[Michelle Dodd]

I have been reading the various remarks regarding the Warlord site. I very much agree with Master Robin's pros & cons lists. However there were some other remarks that I felt the need to respond to. My responses are in bold & I have tried to make sure that each copied remark is credited to the author of the message they were taken from.
 
>So when do you plan to hold the other championships of the Steppes; Archery and Equestrian? Do they not deserve Crown presence, too, or is that just for, as you called them, "stick jocks?" 
I would like a serious look at the number of participants in all of these Championships and competitions and maybe cull some down or move them to other events. Yes. I know, how horrible of me. But do we really need to have competitions and championships for every activity that goes on? I hate to harp on equestrian because it sounds like I don't like it but that isn't the case. But what I am saying is that equestrian often takes a lot of space and resources to accommodate a very small number of participants. If we have the space for them I love having them. But should that be a requirement for a site? I would like to see numbers supporting the reason. 
Gunthar
 
I am SO Sorry but I haven't found anywhere that says we have to have a certain number or even a percentage in order to hold an activity at an event. Personally, I don't go to Artisan because I'm not one & I don't feel, haven't heard, that it has anything to offer me. Warlord on the other hand has a Lot to offer me. As I grow and my interests change, I know that there is a major event where I will be able to experience & learn my new interests, no matter what they are. I may even develop an interest in something I see at Warlord. 
 
Now with tongue firmly in cheek & being ready to duck & run;If you want to cut things from Warlord how about cutting A&S, since we have Artisan for that or cut Bardic since we have the Eisteddfod at 12th Night for that. Of course if we did that it would take a lot of the 'magic' from the Dream. Or we could cut the heavy fighting & use the list field area for part of the archery or equestrian field. But then it wouldn't be much of a "Warlord" would it?  
 
>but we still manage to have a large event going for another day. The large majority stick around to enjoy the second day of the event. That used to be. But the past few years I've noticed Sunday to be rather sparse. I think part of the reason is that older population you mentioned. We have things we want to do now. When we were 20 it was about getting away from everything, fighting, partying, flirting and all. But a lot of us want to pack up on Sunday and head home to take care of other duties. The population is considerably smaller on Sunday. 
Gunthar
 
Warlord is a four, not two, day event. Some may not realize that it goes from Friday thru Saturday & Sunday to Monday. Many people leave on Saturday evening, not even waiting till Sunday. Most are heavy fighters and their families. They come for the one or two fighters in the family to do their thing & once that is done the whole family leaves. While it is great that they want to support their family members, Something is not happening that would cause them to want to stay. I can't really believe that it is possible that 'stick jocks' are so self involved, they can't spend the time to support another family member that is involved in something such as Bardic, normally held Sunday night. 
 
The biggest reason that we require a site that allows archery, equestrian,and thrown weapons along with Chivalric and Rapier fighting and Bardic, A&S,Youth, and other competitions is that a) titles are decided for them, too,and b)we don't have another site that allows all disciplines in one place(at present).Sometimes it's just nice to all be together in one place.However - your comment about one voice having more power than one hundred is right on target.  If Warlord has to move and I cannot manage at the new site, I simply will not attend.
Gerita   (used with permission.)
 
I have to disagree with part of Gerita's message. I think the reason that we require a site that allows all those activities is because we have people that are so interested in them that they are willing to put in the time and effort to set them up, run them at the event, tear down whatever &  make reports for what happened at the event. If we didn't have such wonderful people willing to put in the work it wouldn't matter whether there were titles involved or not. I have seen other events where an activity normally held there would be canceled for that year due to no one being willing or able to do the work at that event.
I agree sometimes it's just nice to all be together in one place.
 
But it is an unreasonable expectation that we find a site that can accommodate all of the activities. I think that people should be open to a new site. If we try a new site and hate it BIG DEAL! We can always go back to Canton or try something new the next year.
HL Isabeau
 
Oh really? You don't think that if we decide to just skip a year at Canton that they won't have someone else in there the next year? Or won't charge even more for us to come back to it since they can no longer rely on us? If we are looking for a new site, Like we have been doing for several years, we should look for ones that can include ALL of the activities that are normally held at whatever event we are wanting to move. 
Being open to new sites does not mean that we only look for site for one activity like fighting. If it did there is a park right down the street from me we could use. But it doesn't have room for anything else so it isn't a good site. 
Personally I am one of the 'few hundred' who camps on site at Warlord. I have done so for the all of the years that I have been playing & I always stay till Monday. It is my anniversary event & I have yet to have a "bad" time. I can even laugh about the time I tried to merchant. That was the year of the Bad flood, with cars floating down the creek. I have pictures of my tent that looks like I had a wild party in there, but I missed the fun by sleeping in my truck during the storm.  Then there was the year of the tornado, when I got hit in the head by a flying table while clearing the equestrian field. I doubt that I will forget that. 
Other than the hall & the flooding I have found Nothing exceedingly Wrong with the Canton site that won't be matched by something wrong at any other site. Personally I don't like sites near water as it normally means more bugs, especially mosquitoes. Nor do I care for the really primitive sites for camping since I usually end up falling over something in the dark, often tree roots. 
I am sorry that you feel that it is  "something we haven't enjoyed for years", because I certainly have. I like the site, especially using the layout like last year.  As someone who is there during the night, I like having the paved roads to walk on to the lighted facilities with the hot and cold running water. While the hot water can run out for a while, in the early evening, most any other time there is plenty of it & considering the heat that is the norm at Warlord, hot water is not a major requirement.
I don't care for the hall. I don't think anybody does. The only things it has going for it are air conditioning and being dry during a storm.  
As for the Hawkins site, I haven't seen it but the messages I have read don't sound promising as far as size.
Gunthar has said several times how there are so many people who "hate" the Canton site & won't come because of that. I don't know who these people are but I'm sure they will continue to be missed. If they don't like that site & aren't willing to put in the effort to make it appear less mundane, then they probably will find something wrong with whatever other site we use. Also if someone is getting bored then they might want to offer their assistance to someone else, make a new friend, learn something new.
These are my opinions and only my opinions. I have tried not to be snippy or to patronize & have edited out some of my first responses due to the knee jerk reaction I could see in them. 
 
Ly Gabriele