[MR] Unevent and other Kingdom Events

[Michael Beedy]

Vivats Rozsa.  I have been thinking what you have said in your post since this thread started.  Vivats Raven's Cove for putting on this important event.
  
"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is to try to please everyone." (Bill Cosby).
   
  The only way that I can see for this to be "fair" (regarding drive distance) is for every Kingdom Event to be held by The Barony of Caer Mear and the Barony of Windmaster's Hill (which is as close to center North and South as you can get...more or less).  Sound good?  Not to those two Baronies or any other group that wants to host a Kingdom Event.  All of us at one time or another in our SCA experience have been or will be inconvenienced with a long drive distance to an event.  That is just the way it is 
   
  I have been in the Kingdom for about 3 years and this is the third time this topic has come up regarding Unevent.  I will echo the other sentiments of many others by saying, if you want it closer, host it!  If it is important to you to attend (whether personally or because of your office in the SCA) plan ahead for it.  A wise person once told me "people have the money for the things they want to have money for."  I know without a doubt that is not always the case, but in a lot of cases it is.  
   
  It is my humble opinion that if anyone wants a particular event close to home, then put in a bid and host it.  Front the money for the site, do the planning, do the work, and have it close to home.  Otherwise, commend those who did rather than condemning the drive distance.  
   
  Either that, or split the Kingdom in two and make either NC/SC or VA/MD a Principality and work toward forming a new Kingdom.  I don't imagine there would be a lot of support for that idea either (myself included).  No matter what we do, whether there are two Unevents, cancel a University, have a permanent site in the middle of the Kingdom, form a Principality, etc. etc. etc. there is no way everyone is going to be happy.  There is still going to be someone that has to drive 5+ hours through some major metropolitan city in order to get to Kingdom level events, whether they are from Beaufort SC, Baltimore MD, Augusta GA, or anywhere else.  If you play the game long enough, eventually you will have to make a long drive, or simply decide not to go.  
   
  I commend Raven's Cove for hosting this Unevent and suggest to everyone else to put in a bid for next year so the road wont be so long!
   
  In my humble opinion,
  Lord Sebastien de Valmont
  And for the record, I am in eastern/central SC, 30 miles +/- to the nearest interstate.
  

  Rachel/Rozsa <qchell at earthlink.net> wrote:
  I have been watching this thread the last few days and I would like to pass 
on a few thoughts.

Unevent is an 'event' that is held every single year on the exact same 
date - even says so right in our Kingdom Laws and Policies. The event bid 
policy is also listed right on our website with all the events your branch 
can submit bids for, what facilities are desired for the event, and how to 
go about submitting those bids. There are no requirements for locations or 
years that certain areas can submit bids. It's an open forum for any branch 
to submit a bid for any of those events every year.

The last two years branches in the southern portion of our Kingdom have 
decided to serve our Kingdom by hosting Unevent. Keep in mind this isn't an 
event that they can make any money off of for the continued support of thier 
branch, there aren't going to be any fancy awards given out, no tourneys and 
competitions or parties and bardic circles, it's a day full of business 
meetings. And as far as the grapevine has it, they were the only branches 
in our Kingdom to offer to host this much needed 'event'.

Yet both years people have posted to the Merry Rose disappointed in the 
location of the event and the fact that they have to travel some great 
distance.

Instead of making these groups feel bad because they decided to serve their 
Kingdom by hosting Unevent and aren't in a centrally located portion of the 
Kingdom, we should be thanking them, especially if they were the only ones 
to offer to do so.

Instead of suggesting that the Royalty, Kingdom Officers, and Order 
Principals work that much harder and attend two Unevents each year, why 
don't those who would like it closer to them get with their branches and 
offer to host it next year.

In a perfect world it would be wonderful if Unevent, and all the Kingdom 
events could rotate throughout the Kingdom. However, this is not a perfect 
world and the Kingdom can only choose from the bids received.

If this has come across as 'catty' or 'un-pc', my apologies. However there 
are many people in our Kingdom who work very hard and spend an exorbitant 
amount of their free time making sure that everyone can have fun in the SCA. 
When I see conversations like this where the populace are the ones who can 
influence where an event is held simply by submitting bids and giving the 
Kingdom options, doesn't, and then are vocally disappointed because they 
have to drive further than they feel they should have to greatly disappoints 
me. Especially when I know how far the Royalty and Kingdom Officers travel 
every other weekend for 1-4 years to be able to meet with you in person or 
present you with an award thanking you for all the work you did for the 
Kingdom in the comfort of your living room or 30 min from your house... and 
they do so with a smile.

It's once a year folks and you know when it is going to be, be prepared for 
it. If you want it closer, put in a bid. If you don't want to be the one 
to autocrat it, then thank the person who does so that this important event 
can occur.

YIS,
Rozsa 


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