<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2479.6" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My first contact with the SCA was actually through
Duke Logan's Demo, as I was a senior in high school and my jazz band was
performing at the festival, my first thought was that the entire society focused
around heavy combat (until I noticed the group of minstrels in the corner and
the assembled arts and sciences) </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I had picked up the information, and probably would
have joined then, however I had not gotten up the courage to talk to anyone and
thought that the local group was only in Charlotte... it wasn't until 3
years later when I was digging on the internet for some Historic Heraldry
information for an AD&D character's coat of arms that I found a link for the
main website and found out there was a group in the Hickory / Statesville
area. Fighter Practices are VERY good, they draw the
attention, but we need to have something else quickly visible there or
remind them that there's more than fighting... (Though I've never gotten
good at anything outside of combat myself *LOL*) and often the people who
pause and watch won't say anything, they are intimidated (how would you feel if
someone walked up to you in full combat gear and you where in street clothes w/o
a sword *L*) </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>I've often found taking off
some of the gear and showing it to them or letting them wear it is a great ice
breaker!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Demos with schools and around kids are great, they
often won't build membership, but they will build interest and curry favor with
the local officials. Festivals are the best places, especially when you
get up and out there getting out to the people is the major key! I
was with a group that did a bowling party in garb... often we are asked
when we hit restaurants after practice *in garb* who we are and what we
do. Going out in public in garb is a good pickup to get them to talk
to you! Just remember follow-up... When someone talks to you, keep talking
to them until you get them involved, make yourself available to them, mentor
them into the society, get then involved in your projects ("Hey, we are going to
be making some armor this weekend...") I was very lucky to have been
"picked up" by a couple who mentored me and taught me the ropes in my first few
months... Politics where unkind in some of those situations, but
much of what they taught me is important stuff that no one else made
available. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Be they SCA or Mundane, dispense with advice
and ideas freely (but not condescendingly) and get them involved!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I've often talked with people who would not be
"into that sort of thing" but then we talk about antiques, art, history... and I
wind up working it into something that's here... be it heraldry, military
history, philosophy... </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Find that which you enjoy, and share it with
others... you shall find them gathering with you in abundance in your new
pursuit.</FONT></DIV></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I know this weekend at Golden Moon I had a team
whom was not greatly experienced in melee fighting. I gave them what
advice I could and encouraged them to fight their best and made a point of
emphasizing that we may well lose every fight, but we came to
have fun, not to win. It was my first time captaining a team,
"Maggie's Marauders*." Yes we may have only come away with a handful of
chickens, but those chickens where worth more
than gold. I met two fighters I'd never before seen
and encouraged them to use have fun and welcomed them to extra equipment I
brought. Victory or no, I would not trade the smiles and merriment we
shared that day for all the silver in King John's Coffers. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Just adding my two shillings ;)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Lord Iain Menzies</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>*No sheep where actually injured in any
combats *wicked grin*</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=Thorgrimm@aol.com
href="mailto:Thorgrimm@aol.com">Thorgrimm@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=atlantia@atlantia.sca.org
href="mailto:atlantia@atlantia.sca.org">atlantia@atlantia.sca.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, September 16, 2001 9:24
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [MR] demos and
recruitment</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR></DIV><FONT
face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=2>In a message dated 09/16/2001 7:04:17 PM
Eastern Daylight Time, <A
href="mailto:dukelogan@directvinternet.com">dukelogan@directvinternet.com</A>
writes: <BR><BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"
TYPE="CITE">ps fighter practices held in public view seem to work very
well. anyone <BR>else find that to be true and, if so, how do you
capitalize on that? <BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#000000 size=3
FAMILY="SANSSERIF"></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial
color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"><BR> Public fighter
practices are without a doubt one of our best recruiting tools. You just have
to remember to be aware of new people coming up to watch and be friendly and
informative towards them. I can't imagine a better time for a highly
motivated, friendly, informative chatelaine to be around to do their stuff.
The one problem I have seen in the past is that we as fighters tend to be
involved with the practice itself and generally talk to each other. I think we
need to keep in mind that we might be just a wee bit intimidating to someone
who is seeing us for the first time and they might be reluctant to walk up and
say "hi". I rarely see a fighter be impolite or nonreceptive toward someone
with questions, but often we don't take the time to initiate conversation. A
HUGE key to recruitment I have found is to keep loaner armor available. Once
folks have the opportunity to strap on some armor and give fighting a shot we
have usually found a convert... <BR><BR>Hrothgar</FONT>
</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>