Re: Autocrats

[edh@ascc01.ascc.lucent.com (Ed Hopkins)]

Poster: edh@ascc01.ascc.lucent.com (Ed Hopkins)

Carol O'Leary wrote, in part:

>  Laurie Kovaleski said:
>
>  >Tip #1
>  >Don't autocrat. Since it is too late for that try this...
>
>   What a shame!  If no one were willing to run events, what do you think
>   the SCA would be?
>
>                [...]  When I joined the SCA some 22 years ago, people
>   came to events expecting to make their own fun.  If people wanted to
>   play games, they didn't wait for an autocrat with a clipboard to tell
>   them it was time; they played games.  And if they wanted to dance,
>   they started dancing.  Now, it seems to me, people want to be more
>   passive in their participation -- they want the autocrat to organize
>   everything.

Notice that Brigid did not say "don't be willing to run an event",
but rather "Don't autocrat".  I think that there is an important
distinction; "to autocrat" to me means "to organize everything" in
exactly the way that Ms.O'Leary seems to deplore.

It seems to me from what Ms.O'Leary says that the events sounded a
lot more fun in the old days.

Therefore I propose that NOBODY should be the Autocrat of ANY events.
Instead, let's try having each event run by a Steward.  I understand
that this is what was done in the Period.

There may be a few people who genuinely want a passive medieval
experience.  For them, I suppose the Steward could arrange to
have a VCR playing Conan movies in the back.

-- Alfredo
 
Alfredo el Bufon
Elvegast, Windmaster's Hill, Atlantia
edh@ascc01.ascc.lucent.com
______________________________________

Into Tuskane he turnes  when thus wel timed,
Takes townes full tite  with towres full high;
Walles he welt down,  wounded knightes,
Towres he turnes,  and tourmentes the pople,
Wrought widowes full wlonk  wrotherayle singen,
Oft werye and weep  and wringen their handes;
And all he wastes with war  there he away rides;
Their welthes and their wonninges  wandreth he wrought!
    -- Alliterative Morte Arthure

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