[MR] From a SCA Cook

[Becky McEllistrem]

 Not charging High
> Table is automatic. The 
> Royals spend a huge amount of money BEING Royals,
> and not charging them is 
> more than just a courtesy. The people They invite to
> High Table are Their 
> guests, which by definition means that they are they
> are OUR guest, and 
> proud we should be to have them.

It is an honor to have royals at your event. It does
encourage attendance but freebies have never been
automatic.  You and your lady typically do very large
feasts.  I think it's very possible that it's easier
to arrange for freebies for a large feast with a large
budget than a small feast.

As a side tangent: I obviously don't believe anyone
has a right to assume freebies as this is stealing. 
There are many people who come to an event as X or Y's
guest and don't troll in assuming they have the right
to be free.  Not trolling without checking with event
staff first to determine whether or not you're free is
stealing.  This is actually not what we're discussing
here.

On the other hand if you believe you should be free
but are not then individuals do have the right to
express their opinions by not attending the event.

Do royals have the right to revoke their attendance
based on special priveleges?  I don't know.  I haven't
studied law enough to know.  For a large barony that's
always solvent I think the freebies are most likely
understood.  For a small canton that's just getting
started the freebies are pretty hard to manage when
you don't know what the attendance is going to be.

However if a royal says "I'm not attending your event
if I don't get X freebie" then I wonder about your
motivation to be royal.  Are you interested in being
Crown to be in service or are you interested in being
Crown for the perks and to be the center of attention?
 

When gas prices fluctuate attendance is always going
to be a huge question mark event at a royal progress
event.  Last minute daytrippers are a big help to the
budget actually.  When gas prices are high it's the
impulse to be the last minute daytripper that gets
cancelled.


Rebecca