[MR] census conclusions

[Anne]

SO, you see new members..but how many stay after that first blush?  I think
that is more telling than any

Another peerage.. oh joy...  one more group to lord it over the lesser
beings...

I think half the problem of the SCA is this peerage and award stuff.   As
you said, your grace, some leave becaues they did not get an award.  I think
that goes directly to the type of person who joins for the most part.  Also
it might, perhaps, be generational.   You know, that generation that expect
awards for merely showing up because that is how they were reared.   No
child left behind, instead of us some of us will win, some will lose and
some will fall in the middle of life.  The previous being highly subjective
to definition.

I will go to my grave being appalled having read a comment by a current
sitting queen that anyone without an AoA is less than her spit.  It is solid
proof that we need to reconsider some of the stuff we do... when, not only a
peer, but current royalty act that way..but then it's Trimaris what can one
expect..


On Tue, Jul 26, 2011 at 1:21 AM, Logan <Logan at ebonwoulfe.com> wrote:

> but our membership is not declining.  it is, in fact, up over 7000 members
> in the last decade.  thats pretty substantial with a membership now
> hovering
> around 50,000 (almost a 15% increase).  also this census was brought about
> to test the desire for a fourth (sic) "peerage" which showed little
> support.
> as such less than 1/5th of the membership (paid or otherwise) bothered with
> it.
>
> it is indeed troubling that politics and melodrama was enough to drive 36%
> of the 20% of the membership to leave.  but the question asked wasnt
> specific enough to really tell much.  some folks, for example, left because
> there wasnt enough partying.  more left because they didnt get an award
> (have you ever actually received award recommendations?  they are scarce
> and, even so, the number of awards given out on a kingdom level has
> dramatically increased over the years partially because so many awards have
> been created in the last few).  but how upset are folks that a small
> percentage left because they felt discrimination because of their
> sexuality?
> i am far more bothered that someone who is gay, black, transgendered, or
> whatever left because they felt they were treated poorly than any cat who
> was upset because he/she didnt get the cookie they felt they deserved.
> awards?  really?  if your real life isnt awarding you enough then, perhaps,
> you should look at that.  treating someone like less of a person based on
> who they sleep with or how they present themselves, or the color of their
> skin is far more of a shame than that.
>
> "force someone to bow to the king"?  really?  first i doubt there was any
> "force".  second, in our little make believe world of nobility and all that
> shouldnt someone bow when the king walks by?  i mean if we talk about the
> middle ages and we suggest that chivalry and honor are important in that
> portrayal why would we be upset about someone being educated?  there have
> been a king or two that i have no respect for as a person but, in the game,
> they were my decided king and i bowed.  of course if a knight grabbed this
> person and threw them upon the ground to grovel that would unacceptable.
> but i doubt that happened.  i would ask why this person wasnt educated
> about
> the customs by those who brought them to the event before i would chastise
> someone for trying to correct them.  now if the whole thrown to the ground
> and grovel thing happened then the knight in question should be thrown on
> his head in the parking lot on his way out.
>
> the sca is healthy.  the sca is a pretty cool place to be.  the sca would
> be
> better if there was never an answer on such a census as "i was looking for
> something less authentic" since there are plenty of places for that.  at
> the
> same time the answer "i wanted something more authentic" has to be
> considered especially since there were some percentage of "i was looking
> for
> a place just to party" answers.  goodness, you cant find a part to go to
> with fewer requirements?
>
> be nice to others.  talk to folks.  ask questions.  stop looking for
> handouts.  quit being negative.  treat others with respect even if you
> disagree with who they are.  punish those that harm, truly harm.  have fun.
>
> regards
> logan
>
> "I never did give them hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was
> hell."
> Harry S Truman
> "If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his
> vengeance need not be feared"
> Niccolo Machiavelli
> For your SCA combat needs please visit:
> www.ebonwoulfe.com/armory.htm
>
> www.ebonwoulfe.com
>
> For worldwide listings of fighter practices please visit:
> www.fighterpractice.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: atlantia-bounces at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org
> [mailto:atlantia-bounces at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org] On Behalf Of Beau
> Meredith
> Sent: Monday, July 25, 2011 9:58 PM
> To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
> Subject: [MR] census conclusions
>
> Hello (MR)
>
>   Here are a few observations from reviewing the data in the census or"my 2
> cents worth".
>
>    The first thing that i can conclude with certainty is that we are in
> fact rapidly declining in membership. This is best illustrated by graf Q7
> (how long have you been a participant). The greatest percentage of members
> are in the 20-29 year bracket, 21%. Everything 5 years or less is a flat
> 4%.
> That is an abysmal number, when you factor in the "how you got into the
> sca?" with 51% responding told by a friend, the numbers of years 1-4 should
> make up the bulk of membership numbers. This trend clearly indicates that
> we
> are not for whatever reasons succeeding in recruitment and retention. Now
> let's look at the reasons sited by those who have left.Q4 why did you stop
> participating? 55% number 1 answer real life takes priority. Well I think
> we
> can all understand that and there is little the sca can do to change that,
> however the 2nd highest reason given 36% bad experiences=0Awith people in
> the sca, 3rd highest 35% burn out, more work than fun, 5th highest  27%
> issues with local group and 6th highest 22% did not feel appreciated for
> effort given and 8th 20% did not feel welcomed. one can not view these
> stats
> without seeing a glaring truth about the culture of the current SCA. The
> group has become hostile to newcomers and the bar has been raised to an
> almost unattainable level for most newcomers. I have noticed that today
> most
> peers feel that they can "rest on their laurels" and put much of the work
> off on the newcomers because they have "earned" the right to be served.
> When
> i joined all the peers I knew felt that the greater the rank the greater
> the
> responsibility to the SCA and especially the newcomer. Today many peers
> feel
> that they have "ownership" of the SCA. Many only try to increase their own
> house's and not the SCA as a whole. Some have even created their own
> reputations that follow them from Kingdom to Kingdom because their bad
> behavior on and off the field has been epic. When someone new comes  along
> and they see those who hold high office behave in a manner that is off
> putting to them they are much more likely to quit the SCA than to bring
> issue to the things that are turning them off to the SCA. The numbers bear
> this out,keep in mind that the survey only represents those who bothered to
> fill it out. For every negative response given you can bet that it
> represents 3 more who did not bother to fill out the survey. Currently our
> crowns are more concerned with how visible their tin hats are than the
> overall enjoyment of the SCA experience to the newcomer. They may soon find
> themselves wearing them for no one but each other if the trend continues.
>
>
>  Solutions,
>
>   first thing that comes to mind,as a figher,is to keep all fighter
> practices in a public place and not a private homes. This is not to say
> that
> one shouldn't have one at your house but that a canton or shire, barony
> ect.
> should have a regular practice in a public venue where no one can take
> "ownership" of that official function. Let's face it not every one is going
> to get along and that is fine, but if there is a place of neutral ground
> where people can meet for practice it solves many of the problems of
> personal conflicts. Also being visible is the SCA's greatest recruitment
> tool. Fighting creates a spectacle that people remember and if it is
> regular
> mundanes will come to watch and ask questions.
>
>     Second thing,
>
>     newcomers need know that they do not have to scrape and bow to someone
> because they are "outranked".One of my people had a knight grab hold of him
> and try to force him to bow to the king as he passed, had this individual
> been a newcomer I am sure that would have been his last event. Not only was
> that act completely out of line for the SCA it was a crime we call assault.
> I give respect to those who have earned it,and wining a crown tourney or
> two
> does not necessarily make you worthy of respect as a person. Your actions
> and deeds show the quality of your charter therefore the amount of respect
> that you receive. A newcomer should not feel that they will be punished for
> not addressing a peer with the correct term of address.
>
>    Third,
>      those who are in charge need to do their best to give recognition
> those who are new even if it is merely asking "are you having a good
> time?",
> "Is there anything I can help you with?" awards are not the only ways to
> let
> people know that you are concerned about them.
>   Forth,
>
>      we should take a look at how high the bar of achievement has been
> raised over the years. Many times far more is expected of the newcomers
> that
> was of those who hold belts and other peerages from years ago. Many people
> work for years without recognition because they are not in the "right"
> household. Perhaps that is because they have not been recommended but that
> is where the leadership comes in by seeking out those who have gone
> unnoticed and thanking them for all of the membership with an award.
>
>    In conclusion we need to do a much better job of helping newcomers live
> out their "rock
> n roll fantasy" with in the SCA if we hope to grow and even survive. When I
> was in service we were told repeatedly when abroad that we are all
> ambassadors of the US and we should conduct ourselves accordingly. This
> lesson can be taken to heart by all members from the highest rank to the
> lowest, ask yourself at the next event "Am I being a good ambassador for
> the
> SCA?".
>
> Thank you for reading
> Beau
>
>
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