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<div class="MsoNormal" style="">Greetings all,
<br>
<br>
>From reading many of these e-mails concerning <span class="correction"><span id=""><span class="correction" id="">Ponte</span></span></span>
Alto's level and quality of recruitment, I would have believed the barony was
disarr<span class="correction"><span id="">ay</span></span>. That <span id=""><span style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; background-attachment: scroll;"><span id=""><span id=""><span id=""><span id=""><span id=""><span id=""></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="correction" id="">Ponte</span>
Alto was losing its <span class="correction"><span id="">members</span></span>
and failing to <span class="correction"><span id="">recruit</span> new people,
that its officers were not doing their duty. <span id="">Luckily</span> I
know this is not the case at all. In the last 5 years the Barony has
grown by almost 60 people. 5 years ago the baronial polling had less than
150 people. Through the hard work of its officers, the current Baron and
Baroness, and the baronial members at large, the barony has increased its <span id="">membership</span> significantly. By last count the Barony has 205
members. Over the last 5 years the Barony has grown by <span id="">approximately</span>
40%. At the heavy fighting practice, we have grown from 2 to 3
fighters at a practice to regularly having 10 fighters and periodically having more
than 20 fighters. The numbers who fight at<span id=""><span style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; background-attachment: scroll;"><span id=""><span id=""><span id=""><span id=""></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span class="correction" id="">Pennsic</span> under the<span id=""><span style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; background-attachment: scroll;"><span id=""><span id=""><span id=""><span id=""></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span class="correction" id="">Ponte</span> Alto's <span id="">banner</span> have grown from 2-3 to 25+. We have a
rapier practice which is the envy of the kingdom and our archery<span id=""><span style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; background-attachment: scroll;"><span id=""><span id=""><span id=""><span id=""></span></span></span></span></span></span>
has begun to grow and is becoming very competitive. The barony's members excel
in the arts, the sciences, and in its service to the kingdom. The increase in
our barony’s size and its activity level far exceeds the kingdom and the
Society as a whole. For a barony this size, the increase it has experienced in
the past 5 years is something for the whole Barony to be proud of. </span><br>
<br>
<span class="correction">I have provided the above facts to help put <span id=""><span class="correction" id="">Ponte</span></span>
Alto's "problems" in some perspective. This is not to say there are
no problems or room for improvements. Clearly <span id="">opportunities</span>
at <span id="">recruiting</span> new members have been missed. And
clearly SCA members who have <span id="">transferred</span> into the barony
have not always <span id="">experienced</span> as organized a welcome as our barony
would have liked. Recruitment is the group's life blood and based on the comments I have read, there are clearly elements
of our current system that need to be fixed or at least improved so we can
become an even better more welcoming barony. </span><br>
<br>
<span class="correction">I still feel it is important for all the readers of <span style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; background-attachment: scroll;"><span id="">Ponte</span></span> Alto's e-mail list to understand where we were and
how far we have come. This barony is far from perfect, but I believe it has
tried its best to be as welcoming to its new and potential new members as any
group with which I have been associated. I would encourage anyone who is
on this e-mail list, but has not been active with the barony, to seek its
members out at one of our regular activities listed on our web site, or at our
monthly business meetings, or best of all, at our monthly newcomers meetings.</span></div>
<br>
<div class="MsoNormal" style=""><br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="">Thomas of Calais<br>
<span class="correction"></span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div> </div>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: icychaos@msn.com<br>
To: ponte-alto@atlantia.sca.org<br>
Sent: Fri, 4 May 2007 1:10 PM<br>
Subject: Re: [<span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">Ponte</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> Alto] Recruitment<br>
<br>
<div id="AOLMsgPart_0_723ca5ab-376a-48b1-8031-61b7669e7abb" class="AOLPlainTextBody">
<pre><tt>Greetings,
I concur with both of the following notes, really I do. It just seems that
the main point is still being missed........ 'People' are concerned about
recruitment. 'People' ask what can be done to recruit and retain new
members. 'Someone' informs People that <span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">emails</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> are going unanswered. People
then explain that Someone should keep writing because People are aware that
there are known flaws with the Main Contact List out there yet People
<span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">blithly</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> leave the flaws in place. Simply put: then People have no right to
complain about not getting new People when People know there's a flaw in
their system and ignore it, _expecting Someone else to deal with it_!!!
Getting on an email list is a good idea, true, but what if you don't know
enough about the group to even know if you want to be getting their 10+
<span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">emails</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> a day? It can be ve<span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">ry</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> intimidating to write to a list where you
don't know how many people may see your post when you know there is an email
address provided for the exact person who could answer your question
instead.
It just boggles my mind that the bulk of the responses have said, to the
effect, Yeah WE know WE have email troubles so YOU should keep trying. To
get <span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">NYer</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> for a minute, "What the $%@# is the point in having email contacts
listed on the <span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">webpage</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> if they don't work and you know that and don't care
enough to fix it??? Forget about it!!!" *NY mode off*. Seriously, I
promise you that <span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">newbies</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> aren't going to keep trying when they think they've
been dismissed already.
Think back to when you were all <span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">newbies</span></span></span></span></span></span></span>... It takes a lot of guts for
someone to write to people in positions of authority in a group that they
don't know! They did everything they should have: went to the Official
Contact List of Officers. Wrote to said Officers. Waited for a response
and got nothing. Decided to write several more times. Still no response!
They did everything correct in faith and the Barony did nothing to help
them. If you want new members, you have to make certain that you are doing
everything you can to welcome them. You can't wait around for them to give
up on getting responses to <span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">emails</span></span></span></span></span></span></span>, decide to call instead, and then be told
to join an email list of people who have seemingly been ignoring them. I
ran a college group where folks could easily go play with the neighbors and
I can PROMISE that the bulk of the contact effort needs to be on YOUR end,
NOT the new person's end. To greatly paraphrase what Sabine said: you have
to kiss their ass, not the other way around. Otherwise they'll pack up
their toys and play in someone else's <span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">sandbox</span></span></span></span></span></span></span>.
The goal is to fix things to, as Lady <span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">Luce</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> said, put an infrastructure for
retention in place, not to blame the <span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">newbies</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> for being shy <span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">newbies</span></span></span></span></span></span></span>.
Ciao,
~<span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">Bianca</span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
> > I suggest any time you feel ignored you <span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">ry</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> again you
> > never know what is
> > happening on the other end.
> >
> > James de <span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">Biblesworth</span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
> >
>
>Or you can always post your inqui<span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">ry</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> to this list,
>which eve<span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">ry</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> one reads and which, as it has been proven
>by this string of posts, will get you a ve<span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">ry</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> fast
>reply.
>
>Regards,
>
><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">Belphoebe</span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
>
_______________________________________________
<span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">Ponte</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>-Alto mailing list
<a href='javascript:parent.ComposeTo("Ponte-Alto%40atlantia.sca.org", "");'><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id=""><span class="correction" id="">Ponte</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>-Alto@atlantia.sca.org</a>
<a href="http://seahorse.atlantia.sca.org/mailman/listinfo/ponte-alto" target="_blank">http://seahorse.atlantia.sca.org/mailman/listinfo/ponte-alto</a>
</tt></pre>
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