Demographics and Location

[teufel <teufel@erols.com>]

Poster: teufel <teufel@erols.com>

        I figured I would throw my two cents into the discussion on Kingdom
event locations.  You see, I started in SCA in the Outlands.  As Dafydd
stated, if you want to get to most events in the Outlands you TRAVEL.  Now I
think that the 5 hours it takes me to get to Pennsic every year is a LONG
DRIVE (TM).  But, I have to admit, when I was in the Outlands, that was a
pretty average trip.  Not to a Kingdom event, but to ANY event.
        In the two years that I was in the Outlands, I never met any Royalty.
        I never met a peer.
        This was pretty typical for my area.
        Atlantia is not like this.
        Now I don't normally go to Kingdom events here in Atlantia, but it
is because I choose not to drive the couple of hours it would require to get
to some of them.  I don't normally go to the Kingdom events that are right
here in Maryland, because I prefer the 'close family' feel that a smaller
local event gives me. I will probably NEVER go to an event further south
than North Carolina, because my SCA ties are firmly entrenched up north.
        But what I'm getting at is that I NEVER feel offended that a
southern king hardly ever gets up north, and I'm not surprised that a
northern king rarely gets south.  It's a BIG Kingdom, and treasury not
withstanding, there is a lot of cost to the Royalty and officers to do all
that traveling.  Cost in time, and cost in effort.  I see it as a sign of
their dedication to the SCA that they are willing to put forth their effort
and time, with no tangible payment.
        The reason most events happen in the first place, is that the local
group has actively strived for that event to happen THERE.  Not in the next
Barony over, or the Canton down the way.  Most Autocrats that I'm familiar
with spent a lot of time to get the event to happen when and where it did.
        If representation is a concern of yours, you can at the very least
create a fund to send a chosen representative to any event in Atlantia.  If
that is not possible, perhaps making sure that there is an attractive spot
for an event in you neighborhood would be a good idea.  If you feel that
there is a problem, you must ask yourself what you can do to solve it, and
then try to implement it.
        The only way to better the SCA is to give of yourself to it, as do
our Peers, our Officers, and our Royalty....In most cases daily.
        I think most of them started out the same way, they saw a problem
and realized that they could either complain bitterly about it or they could
see if they could find a way to change it.  I know that I envy them their
energy, drive and dedication.

                A hearty VIVAT to them All,

                                Frederich Von Teufel

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