At the risk of making a mountain out of a molehill...

[callistotoni]

More navel-gazing on the WK "eric space for buffet table for 40 people" announcement; read at your own risk:

I am sure that when Their Royal Highnesses, or His Royal Highness, in his role as event autocrat, thought of this idea they did not mean any harm. I'm sure they just thought "Hey, eric space is going to be really limited at this site, and we want to have a really wonderful party, so let's make those who get to camp on the eric contribute to the party so that everyone can have a great time."

But the implications of this idea are really bothering me because I think it strikes a blow to the core of our group's idealism. As Leohtulf has wisely said, we aren't a game, we're a travelling village. And our village is based on a Romantic Ideal of Chivarlic behavior. It's this culture that give us a break from the crass commercialism and greed and selfishness that we are surrounded with in the modern world, and keeps us coming back and wanting to make our little SCA world the best place we can.

I wrote the following comment in one of my LJ Friends blog, and I'm reposting it here to better explain why this announcement is bothering me so much:

If I may beg your patience, please allow me to elaborate on why this announcement is getting a strong negative reaction from (at least some) people.

The point, as I see it, is not the pre-registration idea. I think people in general are fine with that. Yes, it's change for the WK, but I believe sometimes it is, indeed, time to change the lightbulb.

The problem is that the *requirement* to provide food for the Saturday night party if you want to pre-register to camp on the eric. Functionally, this is the same as selling eric space (i.e. if you want this Thing you have to pay this price). For a cultural "thing" (eric space) that the WK culture expects to "common"/available to all to change to being a paid for thing runs counter to the Romantic Idealism that the SCA was founded on. (Sometime over drinks I'll explain Progressive Feuadalism to you ;-) ).

Think of it like a fealty relationship between a knight and a squire: there's a agreement between the two that in return for training and counseling and whatever else the squire will help support the knight with arming, camp setup, whatever else. In the modern, non-SCA world, a student would just pay a teacher. Sure, the teacher gets money for thier efforts, but it doesn't have that personal-relationship/Romantic feel to it that fealty relationships do.

In this case, the Crown, through history, has an agreement with the West Kingdom that Eric space is open to all on a first-come, first serve basis, although there are offices/people guarenteed space because of the needs of the event. To suddenly say "Now you have to pay for eric space" makes us more like the modern world -- like a Sport with Differnent Clothes -- and away from the Once and Future King idealism that we were founded on.

Outside of the "it's like paying" aspect (which I'm sure is a debatable interpretation), there's the enforced volunteerism/required generosity aspect. Like I wrote above and in my own LJ, it's totally fine to say, as royalty or even as autocrat, Hey, we want to have an epic party! Donations of food would be most welcome! Heck, I did that for J/S' birthday party and no one went hungry despite having about 300 attendees. It is another thing to require people pre-registering to contribute to a party they may or may not choose to attend. And, again, it takes us away from our ideals of generosity and Largess and freely-given hospitality to *force* people to contribute.

So that's what the Drama (TM) is about. This announcement strikes at what kind of group we want to be, and some people are speaking against it because they don't like the direction this requirement would take the group culturally.
------------------

Another LJ Freind posted that they believed that the SCA is a monarchy and that they just assume that the Crown will ask them to do things from time to time. Again, I'm reposting my comment because I think it furthers my thinking on why this thing bothers me:

But it is not a Monarchy, it is a feudal relationship. Monarchies are fundementally autocratic -- they can do whatever they want and the people just have to take it (until they get fed up and rebel, a la the French Revolution, or our own war of independence.)

In the SCA/WK the Crown swears featly to the Kingdom and its people. Featly is a contract of understanding and mutual responsibilites. If either side breaks the contract they fall out of fealty. In this instance, to take an asset that has culturally been available to all based on a first come first serve basis, and make it something that has to be paid for, breaks this understanding and *could*, theoretically, break fealty between the Crown and the people in at least some people's minds. Once the idea of fealty falls apart than WK culture, with all its idealism, starts to fall apart. Since this game/subculture only works because people believe in it this would be bad.
-----------
Do I feel like I've had my fealty broken? No, not right now at least. As I said before, I'm sure this whole idea just looked like a good solution to a problem, and the implications of this idea just never occured to the people involved. But, in truth, the more I think about it the more these implications bother me. I never want the SCA/WK to become a Sport Club In Funny Clothes. The SCA is super fun and gives me an excuse to pursue a whole bunch of fun stuff, and I've met the Best People Ever in this group. But I also want the SCA/WK to be a stand against the selfishness and greed of the modern world -- this aspect is what draws all the good people that it does.

To Dream the Impossible Dream, indeed.

Comments

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

I think this is nicely said. Have you sent this to TRHs?

[bonacorsi.livejournal.com]

I think that's why the Company of Saint Teresa is having a hard time with it. We normally invite people into the shade throughout the day and happily feed them and provide drinks. Our dinner often end with us stopping many passers-by and plying them with food. We do this freely and happily, and we often still have extra food that is thrown away.

But, when we are told we must... well, that's another story.

[etaine-pommier.livejournal.com]

Well said. At the core of it, this is what bothers me, too.

[ysabella-dolfin.livejournal.com]

I think it would have been better received to have asked for the support of the populace... the wording (and I know we try to keep Page copy concise so it may have been lacking in words like "Please" in an effort to keep wording to a minimum) seems to be like... if you want to be sure to get space on the list field, you have to support our party with a buffet table for 40 on the list field.

People could interpret a "buffet table for 40" as something very daunting and labor intensive. I did ask for clarification... but even if it is just a long table with snack foods for 40 people... it might be a hardship for some people in these difficult financial times.

I've only been in the SCA for a few years... is this something that has been done in the past?

[j-i-m-r.livejournal.com]

This is not something that has been done in the past.

Various people have tried the "Let's all have dinner together on the Eric" in different forms, but they never work very well.

You are right, the lack of "please" is bad. The other bad, besides the payment aspect that has been pointed out, is the arbitrary number of eaters ... 40. Twice as many as are in your camp is easy to do. 40 is not. 40 may be easy for a household of 20, but not so much for a camping group of 3.

[ysabella-dolfin.livejournal.com]

Well... and can you toss out a bowl of Goldfish and some crackers... or does it need to be... a BUFFET for 40 people? Frankly for some people, either way it may feel like they are having to tithe for something they have not had to in the past.

[sarahbellem.livejournal.com]

And here's where I am Cranky Apprentice Who Has Not Yet Had Her Coffee^TM and point out that "easy" is an arbitrary word. Cooking for 40 for me is panic-inducing. Hell, I avoid cooking for myself if I can manage it (and considering I'm just a solo camper, bringing food for 40 is exponentially more stressful). Now making a corset, that is "easy". For me. And I'd still be Greatly Annoyed if the Royalty were making it mandatory for us all to sew something for eric space.

[joycebre.livejournal.com]

I'm having a terrible time with the buffet requirement. As someone who has literally walked around the Eric passing out food to people, part of me is saying 'yay, a chance to feed people!' But 40 people is a LOT of people, and especially for a buffet. Heck, we seated only 36 people at June Crown. (not a buffet, and I'd probably serve snackier stuff, but it's a huge amount of work and money.) I can't just put out a bowl of goldfish crackers. I just couldn't do that. Do I throw money at the problem and buy

[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<pizza's>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]

I'm having a terrible time with the buffet requirement. As someone who has literally walked around the Eric passing out food to people, part of me is saying 'yay, a chance to feed people!' But 40 people is a LOT of people, and especially for a buffet. Heck, we seated only 36 people at June Crown. (not a buffet, and I'd probably serve snackier stuff, but it's a huge amount of work and money.) I can't just put out a bowl of goldfish crackers. I just couldn't do that. Do I throw money at the problem and buy <pizza's or insert your non-period fast food choice> ? What about people who are already pinched by being out of work? what about students? And it's not ok to say 'work among your friends to have everyone donate some food' because it's likely your friends are just as pinched as you are. And as zoccolaro said, who's going to eat this much food? If people don't like what you've made, you're out the cash, you're throwing away whatever it is, and you still have to wash all the dishes.
I want to feed people, I just want to choose how, when and what.
and now, I'm incoherent.

[d-salie.livejournal.com]

Same here. Villa Luna also opens it's door to guests all day, and we often invite folks on a whim to dinner in the evening. It's something I particularly enjoy doing. Making it a requirement takes away the enjoyment of giving freely.

[thelbk.livejournal.com]

It's not "giving" when it's commanded...
Well Said Mom...

[thelbk.livejournal.com]

(and you know well my habit of bringing home 'strays' for dinner...)

[ornerie.livejournal.com]

I'm not from the west.... but..... :)

I've always cringed and avoided situations where largess is required (as a point of distinction, is it still largess when it is required? hmmm.)

there are many many calls for largess. we are asked every reign for largess, for every interkingdom event, every crown and every baronial leader asks for it. we are asked for prizes and we are told to produce things for other people to give away.

if your art form is one that lends itself to easy mass production, that's super.

me? nothing I do is so. I can make a batch of cookies, I suppose but tthat's not a buffet for 40. like some of you, a "buffet for 40" would involve probably 100s of dollars and weeks of preparation. my car could not fit all the gear I would need to provide tables, serving dishes, cooking stuff, etc and I'd have to beg or rent space for transport. plus the cleanup and garbage disposal (many of our events require that you haul out your own trash)

the idea was no doubt come up with someoen for whom such things magically happen and so they have no idea of the type of effort that goes behind the scenes (hmm. I feel an Educational Opportunity (tm) coming on....)

I applaud the idea that "eric space is limited, and we'd like to encourage folks not to be insular if they get prime real estate".

but if instead they tell people "there will be a giant WK party on the eric Sat night. lots of people, lots of noise. if you want to be an annex to the party, putting out food and such will make it so! if you want a quiet camp, perhaps the eric wouldnt be a good place to be"

maybe?

[syele.livejournal.com]

This.

[ermine-rat.livejournal.com]

I think I give stuff away constantly (even when you exclude calligraphy) woodworking, buckles, chains, armor, et cetera. Created at my own expense and time, and nothing I do is mass-produced. While I don't think I've ever turned down a royal request in person, I do not respond to general annoucements for largess...It makes me feel very taken for granted.

[bonacorsi.livejournal.com]

Nothing like making something a requirement to suck the joy right out. I think, when it comes right down to it:

(Mandatory Largess) = (Taxes)

or else feels like it.

In some ways, it would just feel better if it where just called an "eric tax".

[thread-walker.livejournal.com]

you speak my thoughts. Easy is relative. I am not a "cook". A bowl of goldfish is easy for me. Meat pies? never made them before. Are they assembled or cooked? Falls under "not easy" to me.

[thread-walker.livejournal.com]

Well said; you've articulated my thoughts better than I could have. Thank you.

[goldenstag.livejournal.com]

As Geoffrey of Griffinhold once put it (I'm paraphrasing as it was a long time ago): "The day SCA combat becomes an Olympic sport, I quit!" Unfortunately your comments about the "Sport Club in Funny Cloths" strikes a bit close to that, and is something I would hope we'd all try to avoid ...

[the-enabler.livejournal.com]

Good looking, talented and articulate? It's almost not fair to the rest of us.

Enforced largess is not largess, and I am big on largess.

[goldenstag.livejournal.com]

Sums it up quite nicely.

[ptigris.livejournal.com]

*waves* I often have been the (willing and very thankful) "victim" to the plying.

[cryptocosm.livejournal.com]

There's a simple response to express disapproval for this: Don't preregister. If no one (or nearly no one) signs up, then things default back to the usual arrangement and the royalty are most likely convinced either that it's just a bad idea or that people aren't ready for it. If you want to go to extremes, not only don't sign up, but organize a protest camp somewhere away from the field.

If people do sign up and you miss being next to the list field because of it, try contemplating the fact that field frontage has rarely been "free to all". More often it is, rather, free only to those groups who can afford to have someone waiting for the gate to open in order to grab it, and who have something suitably period to put up front. For those who won't have field frontage anyway, it really doesn't matter whether it's because we didn't pay the toll or because we weren't in the race.