[MR] comps

[Terri Morgan]

> i have heard, over and over, that "events have to make
> profit so that the group can put on the next event" and
> also "we need a safety net in case the next event is a
> total loss".  ok, i buy the second one although that
> reality is very very rare (hurricanes, snow storms,
> flooding).  the first one would make sense only if the
> group threw every fourth event for free, which doesnt
> really happen.

I believe that we are talking about totally different groups... to use some
examples from our past: The Barony of Marinus has to have a minimum of $3000
upfront to host Kingdom Arts & Sciences - and that money has to be available
over and above our annual operating costs (other events, equipment
replacement, storage unit rental). That means that we have to generate a
minimum of (roughly) $2000 a year to cover those costs and not dig into our
"Kingdom event fund". We have had, to my knowledge, 4 baronial birthdays
rained/flooded/hurricaned out. In a year when we might host only three
events, the loss of that one is catastrophic. It may mean the difference
between a Kingdom-event bid or not. And we are lucky - the sites that we use
are relatively inexpensive compared to those of other groups.

<snip of good stuff you already read>

> so no, i dont think you can anticipate that persons
> contribution to that event.  its different than the
> person we, or at least i, were/was discussing.  the
> head cook is shackled to the kitchen and does not
> attend the event.  same with the event steward.  they
> should always be comped in my opinion.  or is their
> $20 really that important?  

I have to admit, even thought they don't get to see much of the event and
are wrung dry exhausted by the end of the day, I still believe that cooks
are in attendance at the event itself. Which is why I wear garb while in the
kitchen. Granted, the chickens and roasts won't care a hill o'beans about
what I wear, but still... I was taught when I first joined the SCA and began
to host events that we should work a $2 profit per person into our event bid
calculations. I don't see that as an exceptional amount of money, especially
since that lesson was given about 20 years ago and inflation would put that
$2 into, what, $8 now? It is the only thing that generates our operating
costs through the year. Along with that calculation was, "comp these folks:
autocrat, cook, hosting Baron & Baroness, royalty and one retainer". I
believe that is reasonable. (It is in our baronial policy. Other group's
policies are different and suit them.)

Folks who work in the kitchen under the cook are the same as folks who work
at the troll table, the marshals, the hall steward, the MoL, the ground
keeper. At least in my book.

I can tell you this, if you need a basis of comparison... there are people
who are working their hinnies off, right now, at Cooper's Lake, prepping the
site for Pennsic and will continue to work nearly sun-up to sun-down until a
week after the event folds, and *they* pay the site fee without
compensation. If they didn't want to do that - they surely couldn't be
forced to. We do this because we love the organisation and the joy that we
see on people's faces.

The trick is to hook more members/attendees into giving that joy to others.


Hrothny