Fw: North and South: The Statistical Truth

["Gabriella di Lorenzo Fiorentini" <hjurand@awod.com>]

Poster: "Gabriella di Lorenzo Fiorentini" <hjurand@awod.com>

    Greetings unto all at Cheapside from Lady Gabriella di Lorenzo
Fiorentini, of Hidden Mountain!

 	I have a few comments concerning Eldred's post:

 > The last "Southern" University I remember was in Hidden Mountain
> well over two years ago.  How many people showed up in total?  Does
> the total reflect the ratio of the kingdom populace?
	I feel I must correct you, milord....the event of which you speak of was
not University, but a but a small-scale Baronial Lyceum.  The attendance
was not staggering, I will admit, but I believe there were several other
events occurring that same weekend throughout Atlantia, as well.	

> Don't make it sound like no one in the south is interested.  As far as
what it would take to
> increase interest in the south....  I'm not sure how to address that.
> From the Hidden Mountain University, I seem to recall instructors
> not showing up, and that there were few courses that interested
> me outside of the heraldry track at that one.
	I must agree with Eldred concerning the Southern University Dafydd
mentioned....I know that many from my Barony were very interested in
attending, but for various reasons could not....I was one of them.  As for
the Hidden Mountain Lyceum, I cannot recall instructors not showing up.  I
do, however, remember one instructor was a bit late in arriving and taught
his class later in the day than originally scheduled.  As an instructor at
the Lyceum in question, I can tell you that it was difficult trying to
come up with classes that would interest others while being taught by good
instructors, being that we are a small Barony with a small populace and
Lyceum was a small-scale event taught specifically by members of the
Barony.

> I know getting volunteers for courses is tough.  However, (correct me if
I
> am wrong, please) aren't volunteers to teach courses asked for moreso
> than a general "what courses would you be interested in seeing," then
> getting instructors for those courses?  
 	Yes, volunteers are asked for more.  While I am unsure as to whether you
are speaking about instructors in general, or referring to Lyceum (as an
example), I can say that we as instructors were more concerned with what
interested everyone moreso than merely nabbing instructors.  It does no
good to teach a class well when no one is there due to lack of interest.
 
> I do have a suggestion for increasing southern attendance at
> southern and south central universities:  get input on what people
> would like to have taught at those universities and get the instructors
> to come to those.  For instance, if I'd like to go to a class on stained
> glass, and it gets offered at a Storvik university, it doesn't do me
> much good, unless I'm willing to travel 10+ hours.  You also need to
> work it out that highly popular classes don't get scheduled at the
> same time -- or better yet, see who wants to take what classes,
> where they are from, and schedule accordingly so as to be most
> convenient for the largest number people for that particular site.
> A rather nasty scheduling problem, though.
	It could be a headache, but the end result would be worth the pain in my
opinion!

> >>      To further egg this on, let's look at the actual
> >> physical location of those Kingdom event sites.  I know
> >> that people travel to Charlotte (really King's Mountain)
> >> for events.  A Sacred Stone event held at King's Mountain
> >> is considered "central".  Actually, it isn't.  King's
> >> Mountain is actually in Nottinghill Coill, which is
> >> the western 2/3rds of South Carolina. 
            I must agree with you.  I've always considered events (be it
Kingdom or local) held at this site to be 'Southern,' as it involves less
than a 5 hour drive for me.  While I know that the distance is formidable
to many northern Atlantians, it is a wonderful site for many southern
Atlantians and many of us (if not most) make the trip joyfully.   

> Now, here's where the _perceived_ injustice may be:  who hosted those
Kingdom events held >at King's Mountain? 
	While I have no hard data as His Excellency Dafydd does, I believe that
within the past few years the majority of the events have been hosted by
North Carolina groups...but I may very well be wrong here, too...my memory
is not perfect, so if I am mistaken, someone please correct me.  While I
do not consider it to be an injustice, I do agree that it is a matter of
perception.
             
            Gabriella
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