[MR] How to Lose Volunteers and Members

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

At the risk of losing friends or getting a reputation as a curmudgeon, I
want to raise an issue that really bothers me, and is a potential turn-off
for members. And no, I am not going to embarrass anyone by being too
specific, but some of you might recognize yourselves in this post. I am not
here to shake my finger at anybody, only encourage us all to do better.

In the last two years or so, too many of my email requests for
clarification with Kingdom or SCA policy questions, offers to assist, teach
classes, and several other matters, have been ignored or initially
acknowledged and then the contact was dropped. This seems to have happened
with about half of my contacts. It has occured at the inter-group level,
with Kingdom officers, and even with Corpra. In two of these cases, I was
interested in filling an open office in our shire, and my inquiries to
Kingdom ministerial-level officers about warranting or certain
responsibilities were ignored. One officer, who I still greatly admire as a
friend, has burned me three times. In the case of the shire offices, and
with two virtual classes I had prepared for University, I simply gave up.
Any knowledge or expertise I could offer was lost to the SCA.

I am well aware that the SCA is a voluntary organization, and also that
real-life situations can impact what is essentially a hobby activity.  But
there is an old saying, "If you don't take care of your volunteers, you may
not have them later when you need them." That certainly applies in my case.

Yes, I am still here, and I keep trying to do the offices and tasks to
which I agreed, but participation becomes harder and less satisfying when I
don't get support from others, particularly upline officers.

I hope this screed reminds at least a few of us to do a better job
supporting one another in this wonderful hobby.

Yours in service,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Shire of Isenfir, Senior TA Marshal and Castellan