A Wandering Elf
  • A Wandering Elf
  • Blog: My Journey
  • Iron Age Celtic Studies
  • A Wandering Elf in the Woods
  • Classes
  • Resources: Sheep & Wool
  • Resources: Costume and Textiles
  • Resources: Migration Era
  • Resources: Historic Glass Beads

Another Pennsic War Reposted-Post

2/20/2013

0 Comments

 
It saddens me that the staff even had to take the time to post this, but here it is:


One more thing to say about the "one day shorter". . . If you went to a regular SCA event, one that was held every year at the same place, an event of which you were very fond, and the autocrat said: "This year, folks, instead of shutting down at 10 pm, we need to clear the hall at 9 pm," would you ask for a refund percentage of your gate fee back because it was not what you got for your dollar last year (despite the fact that they haven't raise rates for years even though the event costs went up)? Would you complain that the event staff opened the doors at 9 am when they should have given you your extra hour by opening at 8 am? Would you complain that you were being ripped off by the event staff, the site owners, or some ubiquitous "They"?

Pennsic, like every other annually recurring event in the SCA changes. Sometime the changes are more noticeable than others. We are fortunate in that we have many returning staff on an annual basis. We remember what we did last year, over the last 10 years, and even 2-3 decades ago. We always end up changing something every year to cope with the needs of the site, the needs of the attendees, and the needs of the staff. We consider all needs. We discuss them. And then we make decisions. Perhaps, if you are really concerned you should begin working regularly on Pennsic staff and see it from the inside.

It may be that a future Mayor will add that extra day back in down the road, but that will only happen if we do not find (on August 4th of this year) a huge mess. What can you do to help? Carry your trash to an appropriate dumpster, do not leave it piled on the corners of roads (no matter what your neighbors do). Make sure your tent/furniture rental people are going to pick up that cushy stuff you ordered. And it you bought it at the local Goodwill, don't abandon it, take it home; if you aren't prepared to take it home, don't buy it in the first place. But not just your site needs to be clean when you leave.

Will you be you on the Battlefield/Rapier list/Archery range for that last War Point? Will you be on the Battlefield for for Closing Court? Carry a few haybales to the hay bale pile on the edge of the field. Even if you are not able to do heavy lifting, you can pick up some empty water jugs and walk them to the recycling bins. Don't leave your own trash lying on the ground, and clean up litter and help strike your kingdom, baronial, household pavilions leaving those spots as clean as you found them. Give us an hour or two of your time to move tables and chairs from the A&S tents to stacks in the Great Hall. If you are not able to do physical labor at the end of War, do some time earlier in the War sitting at a Point as a volunteer. Encourage your more physically capable friends to help as well.

The SCA runs on the chivalric virtues, the courtesy, and honor of all of us--lets remember that. The good of the group, not the good of any one small segment of the group. Pennsic runs on the goodwill of about 100 Pennsic staffers who work year round to make it so. Rather than complain about why it is not what you want it to be, come work with us to make it better each year than it was the year before.

If every single person did just one hour of public area clean up at Pennsic, we wouldn't have enough work to go around. Consider that.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    About Me

    I am mother to a billion cats and am on journey to recreate the past via costume, textiles, culture and food.

    A Wandering Elf participates in the Amazon Associates program and a small commission is earned on qualifying purchases. 
    ​

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    March 2021
    February 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012

    Categories

    All
    12th Night
    14th Century
    AEthelmearc
    Aprondress
    Awards
    Bog Dress
    Bronze Age
    Dance
    Dance Name
    Distaff
    Dyeing
    Embroidery
    Fiber Arts
    Flax Growing
    Food
    Glass
    Haberci
    Headcoverings
    Inspirations
    In The News
    Library
    List Of Links
    Machine Embroidery
    Metal Clay
    Mid Month Inspiration
    Migration Era/Iron Age
    My Documents
    Ottoman
    Ottoman Fabrics
    Pennsic
    Publications
    Research
    Rigid Heddle
    Sca
    SCA Camping
    SCA Forestry
    Sca Name
    Sca Newcomer
    Sewing
    Sheep
    Spinning
    Textile Charts
    Tips
    Totally Not SCA
    Viking
    Viking Bead Research
    Viking Costume: Beyond The Myth
    Viking Swatch Book
    Viking Textiles Looking Deeper
    Weaving
    Wool


      Email Updates

    Subscribe to Newsletter

    Blogroll of SCA & Costume Bloggers

    Below is a collection of some of my favorite places online to look for SCA and historic costuming information.

    More Amie Sparrow - 16th Century German Costuming


    Gianetta Veronese - SCA and Costuming Blog

    Grazia Morgano - 16th Century A&S

    Mistress Sahra -Dress From Medieval Turku 

    Hibernaatiopesäke

    Loose Threads: Cathy's Costume Blog

    Mistress Mathilde Bourrette - By My Measure: 14th and 15th Century Costuming

    More than Cod: Exploring Medieval Norway

    RSS Feed


Proudly powered by Weebly