I rest my case

Judging from photos posted to SCA-West this morning, Beltane was wet. And blurry. And yellow.

If that's not an incentive to be more ruthless about culling what goes into my Flickr albums, I don't know what is.

Yeah, it does read that way.

A lady posted today to the kingdom list: 

"Actually this topic came up at the event, as many "older" members struggled to put up the large and wonderful encampments that we all are getting used to, and expect.

where are the minions?  the serfs? the indentured servants?
 
Maybe we really, really need to think about our recruiting efforts, and why we don't seem to have as many college age, or younger people, showing up, willing to help in exchange for room, board, and introductions.
 
Is it us, or that younger people don't have the interest right now?"

Having more or less successfully achieved self-sufficiency while still being able to set up a comfortable and ambient camp for myself, I boggled at this. Knowing the lady, I'm sure she didn't mean it to come off as the Society For Creative Press Ganging. Still, it was time to drop a rock in the pond, so I wrote: 

"Did *you* join the SCA to be someone else's servant or so you could be larger than life for a few hours a week?"

 I mean, who joins the SCA to be freaking Baldric?

Folks come to the SCA because they wanna wear the pretties! They want to be "milord" and "milady." They want to suit up in armor and be a hero for a couple of hours a week.  If they want to re-arrange the dirt, er, I mean, seasoning on a cast iron pipkin and wash a stack of dirty plates with some cold water, bar soap and a scrap of wool, they become re-enactors.  (Note to self - the FAC could do with a proper bucket, must see about finding something appropriate.)

Get them in the gate first. Then show them by example what courtesy and service are. And don't EVER make them feel that their service equals being taken advantage of - or they will walk, and your word fame and the SCA's will grow in a way you're not going to be happy about.

This post is dedicated to the best yojimbo ever, Fujimaki Tosaburou Hidetora, and to Rising Sun's retainer "class of 2009," Mori, Ryoshi and Hanemitsu.