RE: The Acorn

["Thorpe, John" <JThorpe@greenville.ClemsonSC.ATTGIS.COM>]

Greetings to All, and especially Lady Anne Elizabeth.

%It has been brought to my attention that certain complaints have been 
raised
%in this forum concerning  The Acorn.  Unfortunately, this discussion 
occurred
%within one of the principality threads and was auto deleted from my mail 
box.
% (I auto deleted anything with "principality" in the subject heading.)  The
%concerns that were expressed to me were these:
%1) officers get too much space for their letters.
%2)event announcements only get one page and are printed only 2 months ahead
%of time.
%3)announcements for outkingdom events don't appear.  (Conversely, I have 
been
%told they get too much space.)

My Lady, I take resposibility for this.  I did not intend to slight your 
work in any way.
I do realize that the Chronicler's Office has been a rough job.  I was 
merely
commenting on things I have heard.

%I'm afraid I got really steamed when I heard about this... Mostly because 
I'm
%tired and cranky and could *really* have used some help with this month's
%acorn (My husband, 2 year old, 3 month old, and dog were all sick.  My 
mother
%was indisposed and my father recovering from surgery.  I didn't feel 
great.)
%However, whenever I put out a call for a deputy, the response is tepid at
%best.  I need someone I can hand a file and diskette to, say go to it, and 
be
%reasonably certain they can do the the job.

Very well.  Send things via email, and I will do what I can.  I will 
officially
become your deputy if you so desire.  Just be aware that I will not be able 
to
be *physically* present when the _Acorn_ must be assembled--mainly due to
distance restrictions.

%***If you think you can do a better job, I am more than willing to let you
%try***

I didn't say that.  I know you are doing the best that you can, and that 
your
situation has become inconvenient.

%And by the way, If you have a complaint or a suggestion, LET ME KNOW!! I
%can't change what I don't know about.

%My Goodness, I feel sooooo much better having vented a little steam... I 
hope
%no one got scorched.  But to respond to the complaints/ suggestions...

Nope.  I've been scalded by steam before, so I notice it less.

%1)  I've tried... REALLY !!!! I'VE TRIED!!!!  But the Kingdom seneschal is 
by
%nature a garrulous man and it comes out in his letters.  :D   With regards 
to
%the other officers, i understand that *you* may not be interested in what 
the
%deputy earl marshal for rapier or the Dean of the college for performing 
arts
%of the university of Atlantia have to say, but someone is.

I did not say that *I* personally was disinterested--I actually take the 
time to
read most of these letters.  I realize that *I* may not be interested in 
everything
every KO says, and the same is true of other folks.  Others see the _Acorn_ 
as
merely an event calendar--they're wrong, of course.  I did note that the 
_Acorn_
is the only way that many of our KO's get in touch with us.  I was merely 
repeating
what I have been told.

%%2)There is only so much space available in the acorn.  As a matter of 
course,
%an *entire* event announcment will be printed the month the event is held.
% If the event is being held in the first two weeks of the following month, 
i
%will print that as well (assuming I've recieved it by the deadline.  If you
%want your event flyer to appear 5 months in advance, feel free to send it
%with the appropriate advertising fee ($60 for a full page ad.)  The event
%specifics section is there to highlight anything special about your event.
%Get it? Event specifics.  You don't want to spend a longdistance phone call
%to talk to the autocrat?  well goodness, that's why their snail mail 
address
%is there. (and e-mail as well if they've given it to me).

I don't remember what was actually said about this point.  The only topic I
understood to be a problem was the space allowed per event announcement
specifics.  It may need to be made clear that more space is available-for
a price....

%3) The foreign tidings section of the Acorn has existed since before I 
became
%the chronicler.  I really don't understand the complaint.  On the flip 
side,
%(the question was why should i give space to foreigners and deny it to 
local
%events)  I really don't think half a page for 3 events is too much.

It wasn't a complaint.  It was a suggestion to expand it a bit....  *sigh* 
 Oops,
your response is exactly opposite to what I originally commented on.
Someone else must have added 2 cents somewhere.

%Any other suggestions, complaints, comments? let me know... If I don't know
%what I'm doing wrong, I can't fix it.

Understood, and acted upon.

%15 more Acorns and counting... Isn't burnout a wonderful thing?

It depends.  8^)  I am quite serious about becoming your assistant in
electronically assembling the Acorn.  Let me know what you think.

Apologetically,
Ellwood