Re: from demo central

[Suzanne Metzler <0002152178@mcimail.com>]

Poster: Suzanne Metzler <0002152178@mcimail.com>

My Lady Annejke:

With all due respect, why is the SCA providing entertainment for some person's
child's birthday party?  I think it is admirable that you wish to aid
children (and presumably their parents) in a better understanding of
the Middle Ages and Renaissance.  However, I believe that this is not
the best venue in which to focus those efforts.

Children (under 11) at birthday parties are notorious
 for short attention spans.  What they want, and their parents want,
 is entertainment and not education.  We need to pick our demo venues
carefully so that we make the best use of the limited resources of
people, time and their goodwill in doing demos.  We also need to pick
appropriate forums so that we can disseminate our educational message
as clearly as possible.

Do not misunderstand me, I am very interested in obtaining
 newcomers.  I just believe that there are much better
 venus that have a better  chance of bringing
in recruits to the SCA and I do not believe that
 asking official SCA
groups to providing free entertainment
at a non-member's birthday party is the way to do it.
  School
demos, scout troops, county fairs, demos associated with libraries
and foudner days and other historical reenactment venus all make much
better demos and are more likely to bring in members to the SCA.
including childern and their parents.  However,
being "hired help" at someone's birthday party is not
 the direction we should
 be focusing our recruitment and education efforts.

  If the fighters/artisans etc. were already
getting together at a public park and they were willing
 to invite the children to come and visit with them for
 a short time, that would be different.  It is also a differnt circumstance
if you as an individual choose to aid your neighbor in
amusing her child guests and ask several of your friends as a favor
to you to aid you in this activity. But in my personal opinion
it is not something that should be dignified with the term
 demo and recieve 
institutional support from the SCA.

These are my own opinions, and in no way reflect
 the official opinions of either the Kingdom Chatelaine's
 office or the Kingdom Seneschalate,
who will comment or not as they see fit. 
 

Sue Metzler/Tehair MacDiarmada, Dep. Kingdom Chatelaine
*****************
Poster: Annejke@prodigy.com (MS MARTHA L WALLENHORST)

Hi, Folks it me at Demo Central!
We have another Demo coming up on March 23 at 2pm.  This demo is for 
a little girls birthday party but her lady mother has invited the 
entire neighborhood, plus...
We need fighters (we have an acre to fight on so why not do fighter 
practice down here on this day?), crafters, dancers, musicians, 
background folk, anyone and everyone who can come.  We will be doing 
a full demo for these folk in Stafford (one of the area's we have 
been fighting to open up) and this is a prime opertunity.  I would 
like to invite anyone in the Northern Region, Caer Maer and Isenfer 
to join us and lets do this right.  We may get a new group out of 
this if we do well.
If you can come, please let me know so I can plan the day accordingly.


Below is a flyer to give out.

Thanks, Annejke
(703) 257-0363

: Come join us March 23rd, at 2pm (until 5), at 3 VanHorn Lane, 
Stafford Va.

30 kids and their families.  

Directions: From 95south, exit on 610west.
            Through Garrisonville some distance, and left on Rock 
Hill   
            Church Rd.  
            At the Church, turn Right on VanHorn Lane, the house is   

            immediately on the left. 3 VanHorn.  Parking will be 
            in the church lot across the street.
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