[MR] [Fwd: Re: Site damage]

[Beverly Robinson-Curry]

Thank you, Baroness Gwynwilf, for raising this point.  I had been working on how to approach this myself, as I had just a couple of these "what the!?!?" moments during my last autocratting experience in April.  We had designated parking areas and the cabin/tent camping areas were not "drive-in" friendly, either gated off or without even a roadway.  Neither area was an unreasonable distance from the main road or parking (100 yards or so), yet I walked by Sunday a.m. to find cars parked next to tents down in a little valley.  How they got the cars in there, I don't know.  That they risked breaking an axle to do it, is only slightly less astonishing to me than the fact that they would so blatantly ignore the obvious clues that if there isn't anything but a footpath, you aren't supposed to drive there.
 
In many of the sites we use, they have gas and septic lines running just under the surface and they don't want automobiles crossing those for fear of breaking those pipes.  Just because you don't know the reasoning behind or agree with a site's rule is not excuse to break it.   We shouldn't have to tell people not to drive cars (or park) in areas where the site hasn't provided or allowed a way to do so.  Blatant disregard of obvious or stated site restrictions is irresponsible and discourteous.
 
Rhiannon
 
Mistress Rhiannon ui Neill
Triton Principal Herald
House Corvus/Atlantia

  
> > From: beth roberts <gwynwilf1wolf at yahoo.com>
> > Date: 2007/06/09 Sat AM 09:10:46 EST
> > To: Atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
> > Subject: [MR] Site damage
> > 
> > 
> >    This is an open letter to all of Atlantia. Recently
> > I called the local Boy Scout Council in my Barony and
> > they did not want to rent sites to us anymore.  The
> > Ranger agreed to meet with me and told me that the
> > last 2 times we (the SCA) used boy scout camps in
> > North Carolina, we ”trashed” them. Even more
> > unsettling was that we are the  ONLY group they said
> > they have trouble with.  When I asked what he meant by
> > ”trashed” he said the sites were left dirty, that the
> > kitchens were dirty, that there were beer and wine
> > bottles and cans everywhere, that locked buildings
> > were broken into and that we drove into areas that
> > were gated or chained off. That pots and other kitchen
> > utensils were stolen and the campgrounds and bathrooms
> > were also dirty.  I was dismayed. This is not the SCA
> > I have known for 10+ years. We used to have a sterling
> > reputation, but the last time I autocrated an event at
> > King’s Mountain in South Carolina, someone left
> > candles burning in a cabin and not only nearly caught
> > it on fire, (the wall and window were singed), but
> > tons of wax had to be scraped off the window sill,
> > walls and floor from candles left burning all weekend.
> > Also a toilet seat and tank cover were broken and a
> > fire pit was left unattended. I was working troll at a
> > Boy Scout camp once and was cursed by a man who wanted
> > to bring beer on site, even though it was advertised
> > in the Acorn as a bone dry site, all Boy Scout camps
> > are.
> >  We cannot afford to loose any more sites. For one,
> > there are not that many available to us, and if we
> > have to use more commercial sites, we will have to pay
> > $20-$30 per person to come to an event. New sites are
> > also requiring in the future to have an exact list of
> > who is attending, so there would only be advance
> > registration with no refunds. All merchants would have
> > to have expensive liability insurance.  North Carolina
> > State Parks will not allow selling of anything in the
> > parks, so no feast and no merchants and they lock
> > their gates at night, so you cannot arrive late or
> > leave once the gates close, sometimes as early as 6pm.
> > No later than 9pm, and they also ban alcohol and
> > smoking.
> >  The time has come that we hold people accountable for
> > their actions.  If you willfully damage anything at a
> > site, bring alcohol onto a dry site, or violate any
> > rule that could result in loss of a site, you should
> > be banished.  We need to start policing our own
> > members. Gently, but firmly reminding them that bad
> > behavior is not tolerated and all will be held
> > accountable. It spoils it for everyone when a few
> > people cannot obey simple rules. Many sites ban
> > alcohol, smoking and pets, for their own liability,
> > and if you cannot go without alcohol for a day or so,
> > then stay home or day trip. Several people have
> > complained about this problem, so now we have it out
> > in the open. We pride ourselves on chivalrous and
> > polite behavior, to leave a site better than we found
> > it, and we have to get back on track. 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >        
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