[SCA-AE] From YOUR Grand Council Representative

[Ruth Morrisson]

Greetings from Myfanwy!
I haven't responded yet simply because I haven't had time -- including having to 
do two extra loads of laundry this morning when some cat hacked up a furball 
on the bed and it soaked through both the sheet and the mattress pad. :-( 
Plus, I want to think about the questions some before I answer them.
When exactly are responses due back, again?

---- Original message ----
>Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 07:55:49 -0800 (PST)
>From: Clare Jackson <thecoribird at yahoo.com>  
>Subject: Re: [SCA-AE] From YOUR Grand Council Representative  
>To: discussion at aethelmearc.org
>
>I don't see anyone else answering publicly yet but I'd be interested in what 
folks have to say so here are my answers.
>cori
>
>What keeps you coming back to the SCA ? 
>Friends and family
>
>What would you like [the Organization] to know about the things you do?
>I work for the State of New York.  
>I deal with bureaucracy every single day.
>I don't like bureaucracy.
>I find that it interferes with the simple enjoyment of the activities in the SCA.  
>It truly is a matter of "less is more" when you are setting up the rules to play 
by.
>The things that remain the most fun are the things the fewest rules have been 
made for.
>
>When have you felt most acknowledged in, and really part of, [Aethelmearc & 
the SCA]?
>If you are talking about when I felt the most appreciated, that is an easy one 
and it's happened a number of times.  There is nothing as wonderful as the look 
you get when you walk into the kitchen and start doing the dishes.  The people 
who have worked there all day may not know your name but they know they love 
you.  Some of my most enduring relationships in the SCA were built in the 
kitchen at the end of the event.
> 
>What would make your life in the SCA and your local group easier and keep 
you coming back? 
>Stream-line, simplify and make it easier for a new person to get involved in all 
the activities.  Many people try very hard to do this and their efforts are 
apparent but I think there needs to be more.  As it stands, we figure to keep 
one-in-ten new peolpe who try fighting.  The percentages are a little better for 
other activities but not by much.
>
>If you are currently not participating in the SCA, what could help bring you 
back?
>I am not "not participating" but I am definitely not as active as I once was.  
>Part of that is the simple fact of aging - I don't have the energy I had when I 
was 20 years old. 
>My priorities have changed. 
>This is after all a hobby and at some point it becomes more important to do 
maintenance on the house/put in extra hours at work to build up your 
retirement/attend the kids' baseball games.  
>Not to mention all day on your feet in the kitchen is a younger person's 
bailiwick.  
>We may need to look at how we do events, at least in AEthelmearc, to 
accomadate people who have more on their plates.
>It's harder to daytrip from Buffalo to Pittsburgh, and it's harder to be away 
from home for a whole weekend so people seem to be traveling less.
>It's harder to put together all the people you need to run the multi-activity 
events that we've grown to have but trying to do  smaller ones is economically 
insecure, especially for smaller groups.  If we could get groups to cooperate on 
fewer events, it might be a better use of our limited manpower - many are 
already looking outside for support.  I think if we could encourage this, it will 
make it easier for autocrats to get the knowledgable and experienced help they 
need as well as allow for spreading that knowledge between groups and getting 
more people trained.
>There needs to be a better integration of families - one activity for an hour or 
two is not enough and they tend to segregate the kids.  We'd be better off 
incorporating our kids more into the adult activities - with parental supervison 
and permission, of course.
>
>This has become very long-winded - sorry
>cori
>
>
>      
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Lady Myfanwy ferch Rhiannon
Ruth Morrisson
myfanwy at consolidated.net