[MR] raising and lowering expectations

[Laurence Todd]

Hello All,

I debated on whether or not to weigh in on this discussion, but passion got
the better of common sense.  I am an outsider to societal goings-on, even
though I have been a member.  I have been to events and drifted about,
unseen and unknown.  The new Middle ages is not my primary timeframe, as I
am primarily an American Colonial period reenactor.  As I see it, our
greatest strength is also our greatest liability since it says that you have
to make an attempt at period clothing, which means as a newbie you can have
latitude to come in, but even as an old hand you can be as slack as you want
to.  Someone was saying that 'I'm too broke/poor to be period all the way'
is not entirely true.  When I was in college and was too poor to buy
clothing, I either made it myself or found someone in the group who was
willing to trade what I had, even offering to cut grass and do landscaping
work in exchange for sewing.  Folks buying modern tents could get a simple
canvas tent in a wedge style for what you would pay for a nylon cabin tent
and the canvas will outlast the nylon hands down.  If you can't give up your
folding nylon chair make a cover for it.  If you can't build a chest to put
your stuff in, and you are using a Rubbermaid box, cover it with a blanket
or some brocade fabric (which I got at JoAnn's on the discount table)

The problem with the slackness issue is that if you say anything about it,
someone gets mad and offers an excuse.  If you try to set standards, a hue
and cry would be raised and the messenger would be crucified.  If change is
to come it must come from the leadership, by influence and effort, and by
instilling a desire to try harder rather than the cut corners when you can
mentality.

No one is saying this should be a hard-core only thing, but that some modern
things are more obvious than others, and that folks should raise the bar a
bit at events.

Standing to, decks cleared for action, awaiting broadsides

Lochlainn