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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Well said<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Wilkin and Ofelia<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Adlersruhe.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> western-bounces@lists.ansteorra.org
[mailto:western-bounces@lists.ansteorra.org] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On
Behalf Of </span></b>Chris England<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:39
AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Western Region of Ansteorra -
SCA, Inc.<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [Western] Our Situation -
it's long.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I haven't commented on this out in a public forum yet so
here's my two cents on it.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>When I was told about this I was taken outside and told from
a range of ten feet and reluctantly. With good reason. I
raged. I screamed. I cried. I cursed my enemies (real and
imagined), total strangers, and dear friends with the same vile tongue. I
composed an elaborate conspiriracy theory involving crowns, great officers,
blackmail, revenge, cowardice, and cast of hundreds. A little to much
bureacracy for Shakespeare but a compelling plot nonetheless, best told at
night with dramatic lighting(hot cocoa optional). Like all such theories
it was compelling, lined up with all known facts, made sense with the
personalities involved, and couldn't be proved or disproved either way.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>So other than some emotional catharsis and a basis for a
bard piece what did I accomplish? Nothing. Nothing wasn't going to
do anyone any good. I may have felt better but was that going to fix
anything? Was pointing at whoever I blamed this week and calling them a
Son of a Bit** going to save Blacklake, the other groups, the west?
No.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>No one feels good about this. No one should. No
one that I have met, talked to, corresponded with, or discussed with likes what
is happening. No One. That is the fact of the matter. I won't
say that someone somewhere isn't doing a happy dance. Human nature allows
for serial killers and child molesters so there may be someone who is happy
about whats going on, but if there is I dont know them. So stop the blame
game please. It's not accomplishing a damn thing but making everyone more
angry and bitter. When bad things happen those that survive it feel
guilty. Ask a shrink and they will tell you all about it. They will
also tell you about the tendency of those that are victims to lash out at those
that are not. 'What makes you better than me? Why me? You
must be part of it!' I believe it's called Transference. In period
we would be burning people at the stake or hanging them for being witches and
making a pact with the devil so that evil things wouldn't happen them but to
everyone else. Instead we spread rumor and write nasty emails.
Flame them on the internet instead of at the stake. A fine distinction
worthy of the SCA, modern materials for a period activity.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Pug isn't the devil. Nor is Ulsted, Aaron, Julia,
Chaing, Kainin, Gavin, the shire of Trelac, the Barony of Bonwicke, the Great
Officers of State, prominent members of other shires in the west, or
anyone that wants the money from Gothic. Or me. I'm sweet, cuddly,
and generally well loved.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>So where does that leave us? Well it leaves me without
a villain for my bardic, but besides that it leaves all of us in the same
place. Work the problem. </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Everyone involved screwed up to some extent and now we need
to fix those mistakes. Everyone get up and move. If one of the
problems is how we are doing the paperwork call the regional/kingdom officers
and get a time you can sit down in person or over the phone and go over every line.
You may think they are putting to much emphasis on that but get real.
This is a kingdom that covers more inhabited landmass than almost any other(I
believe it's the third) and has about 5000 people playing at any given
time. Those reports are all they have to go on in some cases. To
think that they can run it in the same casual way we run our local groups is
wrong, bordering on stupid. Go hold a kingdom office if you don't believe
me. That difficulty goes up by an order of magnitude at the corporate
level. The paperwork isn't more important than the people. At that
level it almost IS the people. Thats unfortunate but it's what has to
be. Don't like it? Join the BoD and then go get to know every single
person in the SCA. I'll wait.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Let me also say this. I-20 is a two way street.
There's some construction around Eastland but it's not bad. No more
complaining about none of them coming out here till we get out there
more. BTW I'm going to Squires and Cadets and Steppes Warlord in May if
someone wants a ride.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Do some demos. Population is a big concern and one
demo a year isn't going to cut it. We should also talk to everyone that
comes up and call those who are interested, dont wait for them to call you.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>In April the BoD is meeting in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Dallas</st1:place></st1:City>. We are on the agenda and will
have time to speak with them. Show up. Show up in hope. Show
up willing to roll up your sleeves and work for what you love. Show up in
humility knowing that we did make mistakes (and we did, deal with it).
Show up proud in that no matter what happens we will continue to be who we are
and can overcome whatever comes our way. Show up and be counted as one
people willing to do whatever is needed to convince them that we should
exist. Again, I'll be there, let me know if you need a ride. Oh and
if you're going to rant, rave and call people names, do us all a favor and stay
home. Makes torches to run through the streets and wave in the
air. It's period and at least we'll have some torches.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Gerrold Von Drachenhohle</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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