RE: PENNSIC 26 PRE-REG INSTRUCTIONS

[E L Wimett <SILVERDRAGON@Charleston.Net>]

Poster: E L Wimett <SILVERDRAGON@Charleston.Net>




Poster: angela@ascc01.ascc.lucent.com (Angela Pincha-Neel - ASCC) wrote

              As seen at http://www.whitebelt.com/pennsic26/webreg.html


                                                PENNSIC XXVI RATES

                        `                       
              Adults, 2 weeks (arrival prior to August 8)     $80     
              Adults, 1 week (arrival after August 7)           $60        
              Minors (Entire War)                                     $20        
              Infants (Entire War)                                      $5 

Well, the rumors are true and we can expect a MAJOR traffic jam at about 1 A. M. on Friday the eighth!!!

Some previous statements (without details) from those who had talked to autocrat staff indicated that part of this "simplified" system was to guarantee that since the infrastructure had to be in place for the first weekend of Pennsic, then those who arrived prior to the beginning of the official start of the War should pay more of the cost.  (Someone also said that they felt the "old" system of gradated charges in place for lo these many years was too difficult for the troll staff to keep straight.)

As a Pennsic old-timer and veteran of many trolls there (on BOTH sides of the table), a few comments:

1.  A simplified system was not really needed by the trolls since the "cheat sheets" on rates were really clear and only caused confusion/hassles immediately before and after midnight.  (And while I have seen tired trolls being ranked out for not thinking it had turned midnight a few minutes early on a busy shift, I cannot believe the few $3-4 fees lost really mattered that much in the large pool of cash being exchanged.)

2.  While $20 may seem trivial to some people, it is an awful lot for one night's difference for others.  When added to the base line increase in cost for those who would normally arrive in the middle of the main Pennsic week, it is going to raise a lot of questions where the extra money is going.  (Remember that firm figures for several recent Pennsics were never posted and I have not seen the final income/expense sheet for last year.)  Is this increase for the Coopers?  If so, will we be getting extra amenities for what may (if this does not drive down early attendance) be an nice windfall profit?  Is this an "AEthelmearc tax" to pay the cut agreed to for the new kingdom by the East and Middle (the treaty guaranteed that the income for the East and Middle would not suffer). Inquiring minds want to know.

3.  It should be noted that this is also effectively an additional tax on merchants whose selling season starts on Friday morning and who more or less have to come in on Thursday, if not before.  (As Friday has not added significant income for most merchants since it was added, this is particularly unfortunate.)  Most merchants are already paying considerable infrastructure costs in their ground rents (up to > $150 even if you are a Society member) so this is a kind of negative lagniappe.

4.  It is also a tax that falls hardest on those who are arriving early to provide infrastructure for the War: heralds, chirurgeons, people who sit troll, etc.  They have traditionally been willing to absorb extra costs to serve, but I wonder how many of those are going to feel that arriving a bit later would save them a lot more money and show up on Friday or later.  That would lead to short-staffing in the early phases when things are already stretched in many respects.

5.  If you are doing this purely to distribute costs to those who incur them, then you probably should have much higher rates for minors since they have traditionally cost more in pure administration costs than the adults.

6.  Also, I missed any definition of minor and infant for fee purposes (it may have been there and I just spaced it).  This needs to be defined.  

7.  Finally, it states that preregistration may only be by the "official" form which will be in the pre-Pennsic mailing.  Even supposing this does go out in March, as stated (and we are already half-way through that month with no sign of it), this traditionally does not go to residents of most kingdoms.  The on-line form is stated to be in Microsoft Works which most people cannot use.  And to save space at Pennsic, you must be pre-registered.  I foresee some major Catch-22 situations affecting some of our far-travelling brethren (and a LOT of requests for faxed forms from those of us who do get them. . .)

Alisoun
Who wishes that the issue of Pennsic fees had not become such a recurring nightmare when it really does not have to be. . .

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