demos-msg - 2/5/08
Advice on SCA demos for education and recruitment.
NOTE: See also the files: Demos-as-Evts-art, SCA-Demos-art, recruitment-msg, SCA-PR-msg, new-groups-msg, evnt-stewards-msg, privvies-msg, waterbearing-msg.
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This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.
This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.
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Thank you,
Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: 00mjstum at leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu (Matthew J. Stum)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Lothar's Rules for Demos
Date: 9 Sep 93 14:18:19 GMT
tbarnes at silver.ucs.indiana.edu (thomas wrentmore barnes) writes:
[snip]
> At fighting demos, have the fighters play at fighting. No
> quibbling over blow calibration, no standing around feeling out the
> range, or psyching out your opponent. If the blow hits solidly, take it.
> Keep it moving. It helps to have a stage manager/M.C. to tell people
> what's going on, and to prompt the fighters, as well as marshalling.
> In this part of the world Duke Moonwulf does a mean fighting
> demo. Maybe Palymar, Alan, or Jafar could describe it.
Greetings!
I'm not Moonwulf, Palymar, Alan, or Jafar... but I've heard "da spiel"
enough that I thought I'd sit down and try to write it from memory one
day... I didn't include all of the schtick/explanations about the various
weapon forms... just the preamble:
(Items in {}'s are either actions performed by the speaker, or comments
made from the peanut-gallery, er, fighters...)
{after crowd has gathered to the sound of two fighters "shield-bashing"...}
"... we are the Society for Creative Anachronism; an international,
educational, not-for-profit organization that believes that the
Middle Ages should be studied actively, not passively. Like most
scholars we do the research, learn the facts, etc... but then we
go out and we _do_. We make and wear the clothes, we dance the
dances, we cook and eat the food, we brew and drink the liquor
{yeah! hubbah!}... but perhaps our most spectacular activity is
our re-creation of Medieval tournament combat."
{wield real broad-sword}
"The most common weapon of the Middle Ages was the broad sword; easily
capable of cutting off a limb, running a man through, or neatly and
cleanly removing a man's head from his body. (Or sometimes _not_ so
neatly and cleanly.)"
{wield rattan}
"However, we do not use steel and instead we make our weapons out
of rattan; a dense, fibrous plant grown in the Phillipines and
Indonesia who's purpose in life, when we can't rescue it, is
to become lawn furniture. {boo! hiss!}"
{bring out corpse-to-be}
"Our fighters are on their honor to act as if the weapons were
real. Therefore, you may see blows that have no apparent affect.
This might be for any of several reasons. They might hit with the
{bang} flat of the blade... or {tip} just the tip of the blade...
or the {slap} blow might glance off of the armor. And then there
are the blows that are just too wimpy, too feeble to penetrate
the armor. If you hit a warrior like this he's going to just
laugh at you and stomp you into the mud. But! To defeat your
opponent, to win the day, you must strike your opponent truly and
thus: {blam!}..."
{corpse fall down and go boom}
"A blow to the head or body is considered fatal. If a fighter is
hit on one of their limbs then he is honor-bound to continue the
fight without the use of that limb... which is a serious handicap
for us, but great good fun for you to watch. Our fighters are
encouraged to die as dramatically as possible... and as you can
see, some are more well-known for their dying than their fighting.
However, we are not into permanent injury or death and firmly
believe in ressurection..."
{gently tap corpse on the foot... he rises}
"... although, this may not be the case if you tried this at home
in your backyard with your little brother or sister... or your
mother-in-law for that matter. And so with that, may we have
our first two fighters!"
{as different weapon combinations are used they are _briefly_ described}
{demo ends in a couple "grand melees"}
--
Matt Stum Gwydion ap Myrddin Ball State University
00mjstum at bsuvc.bsu.edu Shire of Afonlyn, MK Muncie, IN USA
From: sclark at epas.utoronto.ca (Susan Clark)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: The things we do (or, Recruiting)
Date: 8 Sep 1993 18:25:13 -0400
Organization: EPAS Computing Facility, University of Toronto
Greetings....
The first time I ran a recruitment demo, I had a sign-up
list. Bad idea. There had to have been 50 names on that
list, and though we tried, phoning them all was rather time-consuming
and wasteful. The second time I ran a recruitment demo, I went to
passing out bookmarks with our meeting times and a contact
number. This was for new students, so we really played up the fact
that our meeting place was right on campus and that fight practices
were on Sundays right behind the library. We als designated a specific
meeting as "newcomer's night".
The last big information table I did was at the Orangeville
Medieval festival. Orangeville at the time did not have an SCA group,
but five or six experienced locals were just about to take that step.
Because of the nature of the Festival (drawing folks from all over),
I asked where the visitor was from and then wrote a local contact number
on a bookmark. For a lot of folks I was able to give a meeting place
as well. Incidentally, I was glad I broughtt my PIKESTAFFS along,
because I had two people request contacts in Scotland (this was
back when Drachenwald was a Principality), as well as the one each for
Atlanta, Meriedies, and An Tir (to whom I gave the corporate address).
Recruiting syles are highly dependant on the audience you're trying
to reach. One of the best ways of figuring out what works for your
group is to ask your own members how they found the SCA. And
BOY does good media attention work wonders! There have been
a good five or six articles in local papers in the past year on
the SCA, as well as the airing of the CBC special. We've had a period of
constant growth lately.....
Cheers!
Nicolaa/susan
sclark at epas.utoronto.ca
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: brandon at gauss.math.brown.edu (Joshua Brandon)
Subject: Re: The things we do (or, Recruiting)
Organization: Brown University Mathematics Department
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 18:06:35 GMT
Gunwaldt recommends for new people:
>A three fold one page flyer with pictures that they can take with them.
>Cheap, easy, & saves a lot of breath for those who give you more
>than 30 seconds.
I've had lots of experience with the big student activities demos that
Gabrielle was describing. Students collect a *lot* of pieces of paper
while they are there, and most of them never get read. A table full of
eye-catching objects and a good spiel will stick in people's minds a lot
longer. A lot of people on campus seemed to know who we were, even if they
weren't interested in joining.... (Note: sympathetic friends are *always*
useful, even if they don't feel like playing!)
---Simon
--
Joshua Brandon Brown Math Department brandon at gauss.math.brown.edu
"It's never too late to have a happy childhood!" ---Cutter John
YAZ/socrates
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: tbarnes at silver.ucs.indiana.edu (thomas wrentmore barnes)
Subject: Re: Lothar's Rules for Demos
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1993 00:51:54 GMT
A couple of other thoughts. It helps if you have a person in
armor to stand around and look picuresque. A photo album of nifty
pictures is a good thing to show, but you risk turning the demo into a
shire nostalgia session. Never stand in front of the booth, you block
the view of the stuff on the table and the people sitting or standing
behind the table. If you aren't actively working the crowd, sit in the
back of the booth or wander around so you don't get in the way.
Make your fliers pretty. 15th c. woodcuts or good photocopies of
MSS illuminations or renaissance art are all good. Our current flier has
a picture by Botticelli on it and the words "Society for Creative
Anachronism" smack dab in the middle of the page. Very effective.
I consider fliers to be expendable. Expect to give out 100 and
find 90 of them in the nearest trashcan. People who sign the sign up
list are more likely to be interested, unless they think they're signing
a petition :). You can cut costs if you can follow up on those folks via
email (if you are a campus group). Don't be a pain though. If people
aren't interested after 2 or 3 tries, they aren't interested. Drop them.
Also post info about your local group on the local BBS's or
campus newsgroup.
Hold fighter practices or other high-profile activities in areas
where there are likely to be a lot of passers-by. This will generate
attention and publicity.
At fighting demos, have the fighters play at fighting. No
quibbling over blow calibration, no standing around feeling out the
range, or psyching out your opponent. If the blow hits solidly, take it.
Keep it moving. It helps to have a stage manager/M.C. to tell people
what's going on, and to prompt the fighters, as well as marshalling.
In this part of the world Duke Moonwulf does a mean fighting
demo. Maybe Palymar, Alan, or Jafar could describe it.
Hope this helps,
Lothar \|/
0 (who thinks that free beer or cookies would really
pack them in!! ;)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: tbarnes at silver.ucs.indiana.edu (thomas wrentmore barnes)
Subject: Re: Lothar's Rules for Demos
Organization: Indiana University
Greetings from Lothar, yet more clarifications.
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1993 16:21:53 GMT
4) By photogenic and charismatic I don't mean that you have to
use people who look like Vogue models. Get people out there who
photograph well and who are wearing nifty garb. They will be
photographed. Also pitch the demographics of the demo team to the demo
audience. For a college campus demo, get college kids. For a crafts fair
that attracts a more general audience, get a mix of ages. Also choose
your people from those who regularly shave, bathe and brush their teeth.
There is a certain segment of the society who choose to recreate the
hygiene of the Middle Ags at its worst. This is a turn-off to modern
Americans who are used to higher standards of cleanliness.
Also, "cute young thangs" can be of either sex. It helps if the
CYT is charismatic and articulate tho. Beef/cheese-cake only goes so
far.
10) PROVIDE LIASON SERVICES. Have a copy of the Kingdom
newletter handy so you can give people from out of town the address of
the SCA group nearest to their town. The Kingdom newsletter will also
have the addresses of the Kingdom Seneschals of various other Kingdoms
so you can help people from out of kingdom- sort of...
If you know anything about it, politely give people information
about where they can find the local Renn Faire, Civic Theater,
Live-Action Role-Playing group, etc. but emphasize that you don't know
the details, since the SCA is a different organization (unless you
actively play with the group you are talking about.)
That's it.
Let the flames begin.
Lothar \|/
0
From: salley at niktow.canisius.edu (David Salley)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Lothar's Rules for Demos
Date: 11 Sep 93 08:45:51 GMT
Organization: Canisius College, Buffalo NY. 14208
Lothar writes:
> (who thinks that free beer or cookies would really pack them in!! ;)
^^^^^^^^^
*Sigh!* I realize this is said in jest, but please, don't even think of doing
it. Among the problems that occur off the top of my head; underage minors
who don't look it, alcoholics, police who want to know if you have a liquor
license. Free punch and cookies would be better, check Cariadoc's Cookbook
for period recipes and have the recipes (WITH CONTENTS!) available as another
flyer.
- Dagonell
SCA Persona : Lord Dagonell Collingwood of Emerald Lake, CSC, CK, CTr
Habitat : East Kingdom, AEthelmearc Principality, Rhydderich Hael Barony
Internet : salley at niktow.cs.canisius.edu
USnail-net : David P. Salley, 136 Shepard Street, Buffalo, New York 14212-2029
From: nusbache at epas.utoronto.ca (Aryk Nusbacher)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Recruiting
Date: 9 Sep 1993 13:36:05 -0400
Organization: EPAS Computing Facility, University of Toronto
It is vital to follow any display or demo with an immediate
involvement of some sort. That is, the display has to throw the new
recruit to the group, but the group has to catch the new recruit.
This "catching" has to be well-thought-out. While some people will
respond well to being told that there is a big road trip next week to
Coronation, others (who have just been given a cult awareness lecture)
will be scared off. A "welcome newbies" meeting might work, but a
sterling example of a regular meeting (if your group has interesting
non-business meetings) or practice might well work better. For
instance, if your group has regular lecture-meetings, an interesting
lecture on a non-Scadian topic (newcomers don't have the inside
vocabulary or interests yet to listen to SCA subjects) works well. If
your group has a fighting practice with lots of non-fighters in
attendance, you can make that the "catch", making sure that the new
people get talked to. A cooking meeting, calligraphy meeting, or
whatever, can serve the same purpose. You can pitch these at the
individuals whom you recruit.
Good luck (and send anybody interested in living history to me),
Aryk Nusbacher
PS: as to Tom Barnes's remark about Vogue models, perhaps he might be
able to arrange personal appearances at demos for Catherine Rose, the
Blonde Bombshell of Sternfeld.
From: tombrady at vtcc1.cc.vt.edu (Duncan MacKinnon)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Recruiting
Date: 10 Sep 1993 09:24 EDT
Organization: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
In article <CD29F5.5Fp at usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>, tbarnes at silver.ucs.indiana.edu (thomas wrentmore barnes) writes...
>In article <CD1y0H.3zp at acsu.buffalo.edu> v081lu33 at ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu (Kenneth C Mondschein) writes:
>> I've been trying to get people here aware of us. While I have yet to
>>put up the intended flyers, my friend Eros and I went out and sparred on the
>>terrace in front of the dorms. Not much interest generated, but now we're
>>"the crazy guys with the swords." Hmmnn.
>> I suposse I'll have to go deface the fencing team's flyers by writing
>>"wimps" all over them...
> Don't do anything negative. Post your own fliers, don't deface
>the fencing team's stuff.
Greetings, all!
Lothar is quite right, of course. Positive publicity, while harder
to get, is FAR more effective than negative publicity.
We are about to hold our Fall Recruitment Demo here on the Virginia
Tech campus, and here's some of the things we've done in preparation:
-Flyers. Everywhere. Dorms, dining halls, academic buildings, local
businesses, and anywhere else there's a public bulletin board. Our
flyers this year are built around the "tholouze.gif" file available
from bransle.ucs.mun.ca, incorporated into text generated by Lotus
Freelance. It looks nice, and is a little different from the
picture of two guys whaling the bejeezus out of each other we've used
in years past - gives a better image, too, IMHO.
-We spent the last two evenings outside of the dining halls at dinner
time fighting and passing out flyers. We gave away 1200 over 2 days,
although probably ~50% of them wind up in the trash. Still, that
means we've reached 600 people.
-Announcements posted on the Student Center "Electronic Bulletin
Board."
-Flyers given to professors in medieval history, Latin, French, and
Music with the request that they announce the demo in class.
One final note: if you're lacking in fighters, or any other area
you would like to see at your demo, contact a neighboring group -
perhaps they could spare the people to lend a hand. The good folks
of the Shire of Isenfir (U of VA) are sending down some rapier fighters
in exchange for us sending some heavy fighters up to their demo the
next day (hope to see you here, Henry!).
Our goal this year was saturation of the incoming students, and
as many of the existing students as possible. Hopefully, we'll
have a good turnout at our demo tomorrow - couldn't be worse than the
"monsoon demo" of last year...
I'm always looking for new and interesting methods of recruitment.
If anyone is interested in exchanging some ideas, drop me a line
at brady at vtvm1.cc.vt.edu.
Good luck to all!
-Duncan
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Duncan MacKinnon of Tobermory Tom Brady
Barony of Black Diamond Virginia Tech
Kingdom of Atlantia Blacksburg, VA
Per pale potenty purpure and argent, in pale three roundels, counterchanged
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: tbarnes at silver.ucs.indiana.edu (thomas wrentmore barnes)
Subject: Re: Recruiting
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 17:43:23 GMT
In article <10SEP199309241790 at vtcc1.cc.vt.edu> brady at vtvm1.cc.vt.edu writes:
Re: Flier art.
We use period illustrations or relevant line drawings on our
fliers. Most black and white photographs photocopy reasonably well (or
scan in reasonably well, but they take a hellatious amount of disk
space). 15th and 16th c. book plates photocopy perfectly. Little did
those printers know that 400 years down the road that their stuff would
be a great source of copywrite free clip art.
I agree though, that if you can get a GOOD photograph of