[MR] Do you agree with this?

[Becky McEllistrem]

I think your ideas are nearly perfect but they bring up questions.  For instance who decides what is an issue and what is whining?  Is that always obvious?  I think many complaints are simply whining by people with too much time on their hands but does that make me always right?  Who decides what should be listened to and what should be ignored?  Is that the individual choice?  How is it that a person is "put down"?  Is it by someone who simply decides to take it upon themselves to arrangly inform someone taht they aren't "doing it right"?  If a member of a polling order is discussing a certain candidate's inclusion and has complaints is that "putting them down" or is that following what we've described as the given process for a polling order?  If I think a movement someone is trying to start is simply the speaker's fear of change does that automatically make it so? 

There's always the need for the positive attitude.  But I think there's also the need to be cautious about calling someone negative just because they don't take my approach to playing.

I vaguely recall eons ago that we used to study up to 1650 and then decided we're 500 - 1600.  I think these changes happen a lot by those with good intentions.  Then the changes show some flaw and they get adjusted to the needs of the many.

Rebecca

--- On Wed, 1/23/08, David Wendelken <David_Wendelken at nc.rr.com> wrote:

> From: David Wendelken <David_Wendelken at nc.rr.com>
> Subject: Re: [MR] Do you agree with this?
> To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
> Date: Wednesday, January 23, 2008, 7:59 PM
> Milord Donal Mac Ruiseart,
> 
> First of all, I would like to thank you for encouraging our
> fellow members
> to make their wishes known to the Board of Directors. 
> That's good advice to
> follow in any club.
> 
> I joined this organization thirty-three years ago and have
> watched SCA
> groups rise to greatness and others fall into oblivion,
> never allowed to
> form again.
> 
> All the groups that achieved great things had the same
> traits in common, and
> all those that fell by the wayside also had traits in
> common.
> 
> Here are the common traits of highly unsuccessful SCA
> groups:
> 
> 1. People are only welcome if they are
> "important" or "cool". Otherwise,
> they are ignored or snubbed.
> 
> 2. People are put down if their level of participation does
> not measure up
> to some "self-appointed guardian of SCA purity". 
> 
> 
> 3. Finding fault is more important than finding the good in
> someone's
> efforts and helping them grow into even more talent.
> 
> 4. New ideas are never allowed because "it's
> against the rules" or because
> "you can't do that".  That's despite the
> fact that it probably isn't against
> the rules and with a few small modifications it would be a
> great and
> workable idea.
> 
> 5. Who has time to help others learn in a fun way, what
> with all the
> nit-picking and fault-finding to do?  Work, work, work!
> 
> 6. Being an officer makes you powerful and important, and
> able to "get back"
> at others.  
> 
> 7. Group politics and a group of piranhas thrown a piece of
> bloody meat have
> something in common.  
> 
> Here are the common traits of highly successful SCA groups:
> 
> 1. Everyone is welcome until they wear out their welcome
> several times over.
> 
> 2. Everyone is welcome to participate as fully as they wish
> to and/or are
> able to.  Beginners and those trying to grow are protected
> from
> self-appointed guardians of SCA purity.
> 
> 3. Everyone's achievements are a matter of joy to the
> other members of the
> group.
> 
> 4. Everyone's ideas are welcome, and if it sounds like
> fun, we try to find
> ways to make it happen within the rules.
> 
> 5. Everyone shares what they know and helps others to
> learn. 
> 
> 6. Good Officers are viewed as an asset to be treasured and
> cosseted. Bad
> officers are ignored when they are foolish until they learn
> better.  One SCA
> group had such a problem with bad officers they got
> together and picked
> someone's dog as the Seneschal, then took turns writing
> the monthly reports.
> The group thrived and the dog got an Award of Arms.
> 
> 7. There is too much fun going on to listen to that
> nincompoop who wants to
> bad-mouth someone.  Let's invite them to have fun with
> us and who knows,
> maybe they'll change into a neat person!   Fun, fun,
> fun!
> 
> So, in the grand scheme of things, I can honestly say that
> running across a
> Japanese, a Chinese, an Aztec, a Minoan lady, a Roman an
> ancient Gaul, or an
> Indian (either hemisphere) has never harmed me.  I have
> found joy in all
> their company and quite often learned something of value in
> my Medieval
> studies as well.
> 
> In fact, it has been my experience that people who pick
> "way out" ideas
> often fall into one of two categories: either the very new
> member who is a
> bit of a goober; or an awesome, really fun person with
> solid persona, craft
> and historical knowledge they freely share.  People in the
> first category do
> no harm and with love and encouragement cease being
> goobers.  People in the
> latter category, by their example and tutelage, help others
> to excel in all
> fields of knowledge and should be viewed as a treasure, not
> driven out.  
> 
> I can say the non-inclusiveness of the viewpoint you
> expressed has harmed
> those I have known, and it has often been an early sign of
> the other bad
> traits to come.  
> 
> There are a host of small reenactment groups out there that
> picked too small
> a slice of time and earth.  The SCA has grown to what it is
> because it chose
> to do the opposite.  
> 
> And, I might add, that Europeans had circumnavigated the
> world well before
> the beginning of the 17th century.  Even with a post-550 CE
> starting point
> that still opens up much of the world for our group to
> explore.
> 
> My advice to you would be this:
> 
> 1. Be so much fun to be around that people will want to
> emulate you.
> 
> 2. Lead by example and help others as they stumble upon the
> path you set.
> 
> 3. Be joyful if they excel in the virtues we all hold dear,
> for that means
> they have become "Good People".  
> 
> Yours in service and friendship,
> 
> Sir Andras Salamandra
> 
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