Newbie Meetings: any ideas?
Deny thyself the spoils of personal licentiousness.
any of you kind gentles floating on the electronic sea might have
suggestions or ideas about newbie meetings. Our business meetings
are the hub of our social activity as our fighter practices are a
wee bit difficult to reach for the newest of members and usually
reserved for fighter stuff. Unfortunately, these meeting get a
tad dry and the attrition rate is getting unsightly. Does anyone
have any suggestions? Experiences? Ideas?
Any missive is appreciated,
Gwenfrewi, Afonlyn Pursuivant***
*** my request is made on my behalf only, this does not necessarily
represent the views, desires, or beliefs of the shire as a whole.
Meadhbhni
one night i and a number of our baronial cooks (this was years ago)
brought samples of period dishes over to a newcomer's meeting. we also
dressed in our garb. the newcomers really enjoyed it. its difficult,
some things work others don't. if space allows, you could have a small
fighting demo.
one thing we do here (stargate, ansteorra) is have "tiny tourneys". they
usually take the place of a fighter practice. we all garb up and have a
small event. Its fun, low key and great for the newcomers groups to
attend. we usually have fighting, a & s, etc.
meadhbh
Tricia Currier
>I'm from the Shire of Afonlyn, Muncie, IN, and I was wondering if
>any of you kind gentles floating on the electronic sea might have
>suggestions or ideas about newbie meetings. Our business meetings
>are the hub of our social activity as our fighter practices are a
>wee bit difficult to reach for the newest of members and usually
>reserved for fighter stuff. Unfortunately, these meeting get a
>tad dry and the attrition rate is getting unsightly. Does anyone
>have any suggestions? Experiences? Ideas?
In my shire, we have pot-luck feasts. This month we will be having one
for Samhain. Last January we had a day-long workshop where we all made
wooden camp chairs, then we had a feast that we had all brought dishes
for, and after the feast we had the business meeting.
When you are a small shire, it is hard to keep new members interested. What
I try to do is take the new members to an event as soon as possible after they
express interest in the SCA. I give them the "Forward into the Past" booklet,
and I arrange to teach basic garbmaking. Beyond that, we don't really
babysit our newbies. I've found that for the people who are really interested,
this is sufficient. The people who need to be entertained all the time
are better off joining another shire group anyway.
Eleanor fitzPatrick
Chatelaine of the Shire of Quintavia
Arval d'Espas Nord
Greetings from Arval! Gwenfrewi Afonlyn asked:
> I'm from the Shire of Afonlyn, Muncie, IN, and I was wondering if
> any of you kind gentles floating on the electronic sea might have
> suggestions or ideas about newbie meetings.
To start with, don't call them "newbie meetings". "Newbie" is a cacaphonic
word, and can be off-putting. And it is neither medieval nor
medieval-sounding. Try "newcomer".
The best way to get people interested in the Society is to get them doing
something interesting. At every meeting, your shire should do something
real: a workshop, a dance practice, a bardic circle. Hold a class at every
meeting, and invite in the best artisans from neighboring groups to teach.
Make something at the meeting: Get your local brewer to come lead a
workshop that actually ends up with a five-gallon batch of beer.
This approach will show newcomers what we really do, expose everyone to
more arts and activities, encourage people to meet one another and work
together, and create an incentive to finish the bloody business meeting
quickly. Start the meeting at 7:00 and schedule the class for 8:00. If
the meeting isn't done at 8:00, remind the officers that the Society is for
_doing_ stuff, not talking about it.
===========================================================================
Arval d'Espas Nord mit...@panix.com
Susan Carroll-Clark
Greetings!
More than any other one factor, what will get newcomers to stay
is one-on-one contact. As it's commonly said, we're
all deputy chatelaines. When I first joined, many people went out
of the way to say "hello" and make me feel comfortable. They found
out what I was interested in and introduced me to contact people.
The seneschal loaned me a Known World Handbook, which I (keener that I was)
read cover to cover one evening. Another thing that
is useful this time of year is where we go around the room, introduce
ourselves, and say what we're interested in or working on--sometimes
with show and tell items. Finally, rather than a meeting, IxD suggest
getting the new folks to their first event ASAP. If it is next week,
loan them gear. If it is next month, help them sew their first gab.
If someone takes each newcomer as their charge at the
first event, being there to explain what court is and to answer other
such questions.
Cheers!
Nicolaa/Susan
Canton of Eoforwic
scl...@epas.utoronto.ca
Corun MacAnndra
Deny thyself the spoils of personal licentiousness. <00ee...@bsuvc.bsu.edu> wrote:
[snip]
>tad dry and the attrition rate is getting unsightly. Does anyone
>have any suggestions? Experiences? Ideas?
In the Greater Storvik/Ponte Alto area, we hold what is known as the
Sumposion Oikomenikon. Don't ask me who thought up the name, but it's
loosely referred to as Y'all Come To The Party. I took over hosting
these in my home in Storvik after the previous host was stricken by
a serious bout of Mundanitis, and the meetings lapsed. In short, there
are two meetings held each month for newcomers, and I have been working
with the folks in Ponte Alto (we used to be one Big Barony, but the
DC, Suburban Maryland, and Norhtern Virginia area is sooooo big, that
a split was necessary), and we discuss the same topic on both sides
of the river (that's the Potomac), so that if anyone misses one meeting,
they can go to the next one.
What follows is a list of the subjects we've covered in the last year
or so:
Beginning Garb and Accessories
Camping in the SCA
Martial Arts in the SCA: Archery, Duello and Heavy
Household Structure, Awards, and What to do in Court
Choosing a Personal Device, and Other SCA Heraldry
Arts and Sciences: What are They
How to Get Involved in the Society and What to do at Events
History and Geography of the Society
Choosing a Name and Persona
We ask various of the oldtimers who are well versed in these topics
to come in and talk about them and answer questions. Our newcomers
go away with a sense of accomplishment and enthusiasm for new projects.
The pizza people make a bundle, and everyone's happy.
You might want to bandy this idea about at your next business meeting,
but be forwarned, you'll probably end up taking on the task by default.
You know how these things work ("What a great idea. Why don't you organize
it"). ;-) Just remember, have fun with it.
In service,
Corun
--
===============================================================================
Corun MacAnndra |
Dark Horde by birth | Marion Barry....a mayor with conviction.
Moritu by choice | seen on a bumper sticker in DC
Jerry Norris
>
>
>Greetings from Arval!
/* lots of neat advice on holding meetings that _help_ newcomers deleted */
Excellent advice, Arval!
Jerry Norris | Most people want to be wealthy. I just want to
Known to tens of people | be published.
as Vermithrax. If you're |
one of them, send a note. |
Stephanie
as the fighter practices. The newcomers can watch and learn about the
fighting. There is a hospitler who introduces them to various people and
introduces them to what the SCA is all about. There is usually a class
going on each week that a newcomer can attend.
Announcements are made before the class or fighting begins. Those not
involved with either of these are invited to play games provided by the
hospitler, look over the books that our local seller brings out, gossip
about goings ons, work on arts & sciences projects, etc. Rather than
having a fighter practice, a newcomer meeting, a baronial meeting, etc, it
is all done in one.
This way a newcomer can sample several aspects in one place rather than
seeing only one part of the SCA, not liking it, and promptly disappearing
into the mists.
Isabel d'Estella
Baronial Scribe
Barony of Twin Moons
--
Stephanie Valencia
NTT
s...@mchr.nteltec.com
Orilee Ireland-Delfs
meetings a month - the first meeting is our social meeting
where the A&S officers of the Barony schedule workshops, demos,
or discussions on various topics of interest, sometimes seasonal
(how to survive your first Pennsic or period Yule celebrations)
and sometimes of general interest. We also have occasional
"work nights", usually the August meeting just before Pennsic
where everyone brings something they are trying to finish for
War and we all get to see and talk about various projects.
These are generally attended in garb. Our other monthly meeting
is the business meeting, attended in mundanes, where we discuss
upcoming events, have officers reports, etc.
We also have newcomers nights (or afternoons - this Sunday I'm
hosting on at my house), where newcomers are invited to stop in
and visit, ask any questions, get newcomer packets, and generally
get to meet and talk with a few of the "oldcomers" in the Barony.
We talk about what the SCa is, what activites are available, how
to make reservations for an event, what to take or wear, all that
kind of stuff.
I have also heard about groups that run monthly newcomer meetings
where each meeting is a theme - one month is heraldry, the next
cooking, the next garb, etc.
Orianna
Ken Reed
: The Barony of Thescorre (AEthelmearc, East) has two types of
: We also have newcomers nights (or afternoons - this Sunday I'm
(delitia)
: I have also heard about groups that run monthly newcomer meetings
: cooking, the next garb, etc.
: Orianna
We have been having newcomers meetings (separate from business meetings and
other meetings) for many years. The Barony of Storvik (Washington D.C. and
Maryland suburbs) and the Barony of Ponte Alto (Virginia suburbs) have
the newcomers meetings, called "Sumposiun Oikomenikon", once a month on
different firday nights, 2nd for Ponte Alto and 3rd for Storvik. Each
meeting has a theme, such as SCA fighting, arts and sciences, heraldry,
SCA basics, etc., and the north and south meetings have the same theme each
month so we can coordinate resources. The northern meeting is held at a
single location (the house of the chronicler of Storvik) while the southern
meeting moves around to the homes of different people in Ponte Alto. The
meeting are informal with garb optional. These meeting seem to be a
reasonable and sucessful way to help newcomers get use to the SCA and
incomers get used to our Atlantian ways. A recent meeting at our house
had 35 people show up, with 1/4 real newcomers (first meeting), 1/4 active
less than one year and 1/4 active less than 3 years. Not bad for a Barony
that won't see its first birthday for another year and a half. :)
Niall McKennett
Baron Ponte Alto
AFPOPA
Suze Hammond
Dtts> From: 00ee...@bsuvc.bsu.edu (Deny thyself the spoils of personal
Dtts> licentiousness.) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Dtts> I'm from the Shire of Afonlyn, Muncie, IN, and I was wondering if
Dtts> any of you kind gentles floating on the electronic sea might have
Dtts> suggestions or ideas about newbie meetings. Our business meetings
Dtts> are the hub of our social activity as our fighter practices are a
Dtts> wee bit difficult to reach for the newest of members and usually
Dtts> reserved for fighter stuff. Unfortunately, these meeting get a
Dtts> tad dry and the attrition rate is getting unsightly. Does anyone
Dtts> have any suggestions? Experiences? Ideas?
Dtts> Gwenfrewi, Afonlyn Pursuivant***
I'd have a shire revel, soon! If the shire is really small, you can hold a
shire-only potluck at some member's home, in garb or not as you all
prefer, period food or not, as you desire.
Our shire was small for many years, and we used to do this regularly,
often after every second shire meeting. It kept us together until we got
big enough to throw lots of popular events, and even so, we still throw a
couple a year, even though it means hiring a hall, these days.
Get together somebody to sing or play music, or if you can't, bring some
tapes of period music. Once, we even rented a tape of Monte Python's "Holy
Grail"!
This should be a free or nearly free event of an unofficial sort... That's
the easiest way to do it.
Have fun!
... "You meet a lot of interesting people when you own artillery."
Give me Theatre or give me Death!
> Dtts> From: 00ee...@bsuvc.bsu.edu (Deny thyself the spoils of personal
> Dtts> licentiousness.) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
>
> Dtts> I'm from the Shire of Afonlyn, Muncie, IN, and I was wondering if
> Dtts> any of you kind gentles floating on the electronic sea might have
> Dtts> suggestions or ideas about newbie meetings. Our business meetings
> Dtts> are the hub of our social activity as our fighter practices are a
> Dtts> wee bit difficult to reach for the newest of members and usually
> Dtts> reserved for fighter stuff. Unfortunately, these meeting get a
> Dtts> tad dry and the attrition rate is getting unsightly. Does anyone
> Dtts> have any suggestions? Experiences? Ideas?
>
> Dtts> Gwenfrewi, Afonlyn Pursuivant***
>
In my own experience with helping to found two groups (one of them now a
Duchy), i have found that the key is to make sure everyone feels like they're
part of "the team." Try to make sure that everyone knows everyone else--
provide a directory or something similar. Schedule outings, both mundane or
otherwise, as frequently as possible, and organize carpools so that as many
people as can get to these will.
"Business meetings as the hub of social activity?" No wonder you're attrition
rate is getting high. Newcomers want to see camaraderie, roleplaying, the
magic of the Dream--not sit around discussing business. Introduce that part to
them later.
You want to build a core group of friends dedicated to each other and the
group. Don't worry about the size of the group at first, and certainly don't
sacrifice quality just for quantity.
Athas Agat!
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|Knight of the Flame Middle-Aged Coot of Amtgard :) |
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Editor: Amtgard Book of Etiquette, an Interkingdom Scribes Guild Publication
Vlad the Purple
> In my own experience..., i have found that the key is to make sure everyone
feels like they're part of "the team.".
> "Business meetings as the hub of social activity?" No wonder you're attrition
>rate is getting high. Newcomers want to see camaraderie, roleplaying, the
>magic of the Dream--not sit around discussing business. Introduce that part to
>them later.
I definitely agree on the first point, but your second point is valid only to
the extent that business excludes other stuff going on at said meetings.
Myrkfaelinn tries to limit business-type discussions to a few minutes at the
start of its arts meetings, and then the remainder of the evening alternates
between dancing and hands-on arts/crafts or talks on topics - and the
scheduled newcomers' session at the beginning of each semester is devoted
entirely to getting-to-know-us & you stuff. Mynydd Seren also makes certain
that every other week is as much dance-only as possible.
If a group is mostly students living in dorm-rooms or otherwise unable to get
out to someone's house for activities, it's very difficult to do other than
have the business meeting become Group Social Central. The key is not to let
the bureaucracy expand to fill everything, as it always is...
-purple
Artie Samplaski Vlad the Purple
Indiana U. School of Music Myrkfaelinn Midrealm Accounts Rep.
asam...@indiana.edu