[MR] 5%

[Oddny]

hear hear!

After these past two years of bad health, surgery, and recuperation, I'm in
agreement with Rhiannon. Sometimes, the most some of us can do to help the
dream is show up. But even then, a lot of us have helped. I'm an A&S person,
and I've had a few people in the past year or so ask why I never do things
at events. Usually, it's because I've been working myself sick trying to get
other things ready for said event, whether it's baking huge amounts of food
for hospitality tables or vigil tents, making umpteen million favors for my
baroness to give out, or quickly turning out gift basket items to fill in
last-minute gaps... I usually end up at events with little or no sleep,
because I've been up for the three days prior, making things for folks.

There are an awful lot of people who can tote benches, pick up garbage
(which I've done my share of in 7 years!), clean bathrooms, wash dishes,
etc. There are an awful lot of us, however, who are unable to sit, stand,
bend, hike, or whatever, due to physical limitations. Sometimes, it's all we
can do to GET to the event and get set up. Those people should NOT be made
to feel guilty because they're not physically helping. And you might stick
around them for a bit... even if they're not doing 'something useful', those
same people can usually be counted on to give impromptu lessons in their
craft, sit and do last minute stitching, scrolls, stringing site tokens,
etc.

I concur with a lot of folks who say that 5% is too little a number. I don't
know anyone who simply goes to an event and doesn't help out in some form.
They might not be helping the autocrat with site clean up, but that doesn't
mean that they're not serving The Dream.

Oddny
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For those that believe no explanation is necessary.
For those who do not, none will suffice.
Joseph Dunninger
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Tell me and I forget.
Teach me and I remember.
Involve me and I learn.
~Benjamin Franklin
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http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/craftydoni
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lady Rhiannon of Berra" <ladyrhi at gmail.com>
To: <atlantia at atlantia.sca.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2005 1:57 PM
Subject: Re: [MR] 5%


> > Median is -not- average, but the middle of a distribution of values.
Sometimes it is close, but I doubt this time it is.  I simply cannot believe
that the average American makes $17 an hour, especially when minimum is a
5.25.  $17 could be the average wage, but Trump is in there and so is Julia
Roberts' $20M a picture.  I certainly doubt the average SCA participant
makes that much.  Everyone keeps asking where the abundance of college
students are that used to be a part when we were younger.  I believe this is
chief among the causes that changed our demographics and raised our
expectations.
>
> Wow..where can I sign up to make $17 an hour???? I seriously doubt
> I'll ever see that figure per hour in my lifetime.. but I have spent
> countless hours behind the scenes doing what I can to make the events
> I was involved with as special and fun as possible, so much so, that
> I'm still rather toasty, not to mention a tad testy when someone says
> I'm not doing my share.
>
> There have been very few events over the past 7 years that I haven't
> been actively doing something to promote the SCA in one way or
> another.  There have been countless events when I've shown up on site
> and missed the days events because my "SCA jobs" have determined that
> I need to be somewhere off the beaten path or in meetings.
>
> Just because you don't see me in the kitchen washing dishes or picking
> up trash or mopping floors doesn't mean I've spent the event sitting
> on my behind while other people work to make the society a nice place
> for ME.  I know there are others like me, who do the same thing.  I've
> actually been one of those people who were the last to leave site
> (usually a local one).  I've cooked lunch for an Unevent (by myself)
> only a few days after abdominal surgery, only to be ordered from the
> kitchen while other people served and did cleanup for me; all without
> a word from me.... folks saw a need (I was exhausted and ready to
> drop, but I was there to support my group and the Autocrat) and they
> stepped in and it all went well). I see people coming to site and
> pitching in with set up and tear down.  I've seen people show up on
> site ready to fight only to marshal because other folks want to fight
> but they need a marshal.
>
> To give a percentage doesn't do justice to those who work behind the
> scenes.  We all do what we can to make the SCA work.  Right now.. I'm
> incapcitated.  I can't get up and do anything other than soak in the
> ambiance that is the SCA, enjoy my friends who happen to walk by me
> and give water to those who need it and share what food I bring.
>
> Since I'm not able to do a lot of the work that is needed at an SCA
> event right now, should I not come to events because I can't
> "contribute" the way other people would have me to?
>
> Lady Rhiannon of Berra, CP
> Kingdom of Atlantia