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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>The selection process under past leaders was not so straight
forward as explained. If you want to really know how the spot are given out,
just ask me. It will turn your stomach as it did mine, almost to the point of
not wanting to be involved with it. All we can hope is that the new folks don’t
follow suit….<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
archers-bounces@seahorse.atlantia.sca.org
[mailto:archers-bounces@seahorse.atlantia.sca.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>fenrisulven@comcast.net<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, October 28, 2010 4:03 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Garth G. Groff<br>
<b>Cc:</b> Archers@seahorse.atlantia.sca.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Archers] Pennsic Teams<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>I can speak to
this. I shouldn't, as I have been trying to stay away because I
feel so strongly about it, but: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Its not a grudge.
The current method of selecting the Champions Team is based in nepotism and
cronyism, not skill. Newcomers who are top shooters are being robbed of
the "Pennsic experience" by a good-old-boy network. I do not think
its intentional. But I can say that, after weighing everything
fun at Pennsic VS financial expense, getting vacation leave,
etc.. cronyism on the archery field is the deciding factor
in why you did not see me at Pennsic this year and why you will not
see me there the next.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>My own experience
as a Newcomer follows:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><u><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>First Pennsic</span></u><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> - Of the 30 spots on the
team, 24 are taken by Legacy Slots, ie. people who do not have to compete
to make the team. I'm not on the list, even though I though I
had a good first year - I had risen from beginner to Bowman Elite in
just 4 months, made the Final Eight at Kingdom Archery my first year, and
had just started racking up wins at events around Atlantia. So I thought
I would at least be "known". <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>I shot well at
tryouts, aced the Friend/Foe. Could have had a better clout. But archers
who shot worse than me made the team. And then, in a shoot-off
between a handful of finalists for the last spot, I watched as an archer quit
the line after hitting too many Friend targets. That archer was selected for
the team... I could not understand how an archer that
quits in the middle of a bad round could be chosen over the
others competing in a shoot-off... <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Now, as a
Newcomer, I know that I don't know anything - Squirrel has a right to determine
teams however he wants to, but if he says its determined by selecting the best
archers, I take him at face value. I've heard a great many good
things about him, and I'm sure that if I were in his shoes running things, I
would appreciate many things I am ignorant of, and my perception
would be much different. But as a Newcomer, I can't help but have the
impression that something more than skill and rep was in play that
year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><u><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Second Pennsic</span></u><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> - Same scenario. I don't
recall the exact numbers, but they were very close to 24 Legacy
slots VS 6 in play for competition. Legacy names are called and I'm not in the
mix. Puzzling to me because I had just finished an outstanding
year in Atlatia - highest ranked handbow in the Kingdom for 2
years straight with 97.7 average, with some 20 Bowman Elite Bracket wins
and 12 overall event wins, and against top guns like Seamus and Mors.
Then we are called us into a circle on the field and it is explained
that there would be only a handful of slots up for competition that year. We
were given an ultimatum: it was his show and if we didn't like it,
don't participate. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>So I chose not to
participate. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Note that I
didn't go sour grapes about it - I stayed to cheer on my
teammates and then served as MIC for one of the Champion stations the next
day. But I am no longer willing to spend over $1k, use up a weeks leave,
and drive 6 hours to compete for 4 slots that are
awarded more because of politics than skill . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>And I'm not the
only one. I know several archers who were so demoralized by the way teams
were chosen that they needed to be talked down from quitting the SCA
altogether - this was their last straw. I also know of others
who have simply chosen to attend Pennsic but stay away from Target Archery -
not out of spite, but simply because they don't want the rest of their Pennsic
experience to be ruined by it. And then there are some
like me who have chosen to vote with their feet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>And again: I
know its their game, we are just guests who have to go along no matter how
badly we are treated. Its the East that plans the shoot, designs the targets,
sets up the range, runs the range, does all the work that we don't see, etc.
Its THEIR event. Just don't tell us tryouts are based on skill or rep when I
routinely outshoot half the people who make the team.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>[...]<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>So, having
explained my somewhat jaded background on the matter, here is how I would run
it if it were up to me:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>1) NO
LEGACY. If you have what it takes to make the team, prove it. Don't
rob new archers of the Pennsic experience by resting on your laurels. And
regardless of what the East decides to do next year, I would like to see
Atlantians respectfully decline any Legacy Slot offered to them, along the
lines of "thank you but I would prefer my slot was thrown in with the
others, I'd rather compete for it along with everyone
else". <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>2) Open The Teams
Up. If we are truly selecting the "best of the best", then why
does the East get 20+ slots? Open the team to everyone. If the
East wants to field 20 archers, let them compete honestly like everyone else
does.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>3)
Transparency. It would prevent ill-will if everyone understood how teams
are formed. The way its done now is too secretive. Which leads
to much rumor-mongering and baseless speculation, resulting in
the growing perception that its not your rep or how well you shoot at
tryouts that day, its who you know. And of all the reasons why
people drop out of the SCA, perceived Cronyism is at the top of the
list.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Anyways, thanks
for the opportunity to get that one off my chest. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Cheers<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Fen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><br>
----- Original Message -----<br>
From: "Garth G. Groff" <ggg9y@virginia.edu><br>
To: Archers@seahorse.atlantia.sca.org<br>
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 7:19:23 AM<br>
Subject: Re: [Archers] Pennsic<br>
<br>
<em><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>M'lady Nuala,</span></em><i><br>
<br>
<em><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I can appreciate that you
want a chance for our best archers to compete against the best from other
kingdoms. With respect, do we just want to host a shoot for a small group of
elite archers who have been snubbed by the system? This sounds like a grudge match,
which is o.k. in its place, but benefits only a small group of people.</span></em></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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