Estrella War 2009 hospitality questions
Hmmmm...
Okay, in brief-- and those of you who aren't SCA or interested in SCA stuff, feel free to skip this; it'll be total Greek, trust me.
As of yesterday evening I heard that the staff for the next Estrella War have plans to drop the budget for the Hospitality Tent and supplies very drastically, as well as doing away with their cart. Last Estrella I, Icka, Megs, Johannes, Sean and many, many others worked in rain, mud and cold for Security, manning various checkpoints; the cart would show up periodically with two cheerful people checking in on us and bearing hot soup and drinks as well as word from other staff about how this or that was doing. We welcomed these kind folk with absolute Thank-Goddedness, because we were freezing our assets off and eyeballs-deep in rain.
So: having heard about this and having read
american_knight's suggestion that the main autocrats be emailed re: questions, I did so. Running a war is a very, very hard job; working one as a lowly peon is no less so. I commend these two ladies (Baroness Dascha and Countess Haley) for their amazingly quick responses to my questions; I got a bit long-winded, but I was quite sincere in my questions and comments and their responses seem to be equally so. As to what changes and effects these decisions will create, well-- read and decide. Here are my questions and their responses, passed along as was requested.
**********
Good morning... My apologies for sending this to the Mains address in general, but I wasn't quite certain to whom it should be addressed; if the original receiver would pass it along to the correct party, I'd very much appreciate it.
My questions are in regards to discussion that I heard very recently about a decision to cut out the hospitality cart at the next war.
My lords and ladies: I have volunteered at many wars and smaller events over my 26 years of time in the Society; and one of the things that keeps a person willing to help and to continue helping is the feeling that they are filling a purpose and are appreciated as such, not just a body in a slot-- 'staff'. You need staff to run a war, even the lowest echelons of staff. Especially those, perhaps; they get the least reward and the dirtiest jobs... after all, when was the last time that you heard anyone brought up in court for making sure that the security radios were working?
So: Picture yourself working security at Estrella War 2008. There you are out at the Main Gate in the mud and the rain and the cold; you have a small plastic-tarp tent, a space-heater, a portajohn, one working flashlight and a fellow security person. It's gusting wind and you're soaking wet and you've been on your task for the past 6 hours. Nobody who comes through in a car wants to dig out their site-tokens, they aren't interested in hearing that the paid-parking area is flooded axle-deep, and the last two vehicles splattered you with mud that you'll be trying to wash out of your clothes three weeks from now. You are dripping, frozen, exhausted and smelling like a soggy dog.
...and along comes the hospitality cart with two cheerful people, hot soup and cider and cookies, and you decide that obviously the Main Warstaff has managed to set up an SCA contingent in Heaven, because that's where the cart just drove from, right? Right! And... maybe you can manage a couple more hours of duty before slogging off to bed.
And this is being cut out?
My lords and ladies, if you believe that the above is an overdramatization, then you have never worked security. What I just wrote is from the 14 hours that I worked last year, down to the bit about smelling like a soggy dog-- and I'm still trying to get the mud from out my boots. Please reconsider cutting the hospitality cart; if supplies such as soup and so forth are an issue, ask for donations! You'll get them, believe me. Otherwise? I suspect that your security force in particular will be much, much smaller this year, and that's a very difficult job to do; please don't make it any more difficult.
Yours in service (and hopes for good sense in this matter).... Baroness Mistress Ysabet ferch Gwydyon of the Barony of Tir Ysgithr
**********
Your Excellency,
Thank you very much for your interest and concern for the Hospitality services. We are a bit confused, though as we are NOT getting rid of hospitality. We are re-configuring it's space and ensuring that each department who "relies" on hospitality services takes care of there own. Hospitality will continue to serve the needs of those who request it along with getting donations.
We ask that you please not rush to judgment on issues such as this since it seems as though there has been some incorrect/false information going out.
We thank you again for coming to us and getting the acurate information and request that you give this information to those who also have heard things incorrectly.
In Service,
Baroness Dascha
Countess Haley
Co-Main Autocrats Estrella War XXV
**********
Good morning again, Countess, Baroness; and thank you very kindly for your speedy reply! It's very heartening to get a response so quickly, especially when I know very well how busy you both must be-- running a war's a very time-consuming thing.
Believe me, I'm delighted to hear that the rumors currently circulating are inaccurate; the amount that we who worked security last year relied on the presence of the hospitality staff and their cart cannot be overemphasized, and the fact that you've both felt enough concern as to answer my email back so quickly is very encouraging.
I am a bit confused as well, though-- per your answer, does 'taking care of their own' mean that hospitality will NOT be checking with the stations and staff who are manning it? Or, more directly: is the cart and its services being retired? Pardon my bluntness; I can't speak for any of the other staffing areas, but we in security did our best for each other and kept some supplies in our main tent; however, it's simply not feasible to keep hot soup, hot chocolate and so forth at points such as the railroad tracks, parking lots and front gate. Perhaps my concern sounds a little petty; if so, my apologies... but those who work difficult or uncomfortable jobs come to 'rely' indeed on small things, and comfort grows all the more important the longer it's lacking.
I understand that finances are a delicate thing, and that the balance of only-so-much-funding has to be carefully reckoned. The purpose of my email was not to place judgement in the least but to make sure that whoever was in charge of allocating said funding realized that, while the hospitality people aren't the ones wearing the brightest colors, they're the ones that a lot of the 'lowly peons' in the war staff will remember the best. Being one of those who (despite my past pointy-hattedness) prefers personally to work on that level, I can guarantee that knowing that their cart would be showing up sooner or later with light, warmth and company kept a lot of us going through the rain and ensuing bad temper-- and more to the point, helped us agree to sign on for another shift. It's one thing to simply have a hospitality tent set up somewhere, and it's very much another to have them come visit you out in the booneys! You feel appreciated, and we're most of us not martyrs; we *like* helping, but we like feelinig appreciated too.
I recall hearing a quote (supposedly from a Roman general) as to a war having 'a General's head but the feet of a footsoldier'; for every hardworking person in charge, there are a dozen or two 'footsoldiers' working just as hard... if you're lucky. To me, it's one of the draws of the Society: the majority of us are willing to pitch in to make things happen-- it takes a lot of hard work to be able to play!
Thanks very much again for the information; I await your reply, and I'll gladly pass it along. And to those who have other questions regarding this matter I'll also pass along who to speak with. Yours in service........ Baroness Ysabet
**********
Good Morning,
Yes, we do expect that specific areas that opperate well into the night/early morning ensure that their volunteers are given breaks to eat/drink/rest just as in a modern work setting. Troll and security specifically have coffee/tea/hot drinks available within their tents that do not "belong" to hospitality-they handle their own.
This year we are not having some of the far outlying security stations and front gate will only be manned during the setup times (the crew for this area is also taking care of their own staff). Therefore the only areas that are truely in need of assistance from "hospitality" are the Chiurgeon. They will be making their own arrangements with hospitality.
Our intent is for each department to work as a small "event"-ensuring they have their staff, supplies and also taking care of their staff. As people who have also worked many areas at War we both understand how miserable it can be to work an isolated area in the cold and rain in the dead of night. We have worked hard to ensure that those isolated areas are no longer necissary to be "manned". Should there be a point that is isolated we would hope that the autocrat of that area take care of their volunteer who is at that station and not "hope" that someone will come along eventually to feed/water/warm them.
I hope you can see that our intent is to make autocrats take full responsiblity for their office and volunteers and not rely on the war to run their area.
Thank you again for your thoughts on the matter. We are confident in our decision and hope that you will continue to volunteer at war.
Baroness Dascha
Countess Haley
Co-Main Autocrats Estrella War XXV
**********
Ah; I see. Thank you for your response, Baroness, Countess. I will pass this along to the concerned parties. Yours in service......... Baroness Ysabet
**********
As I said, Hmmmm. Doesn't sound like the cart *will* be continued, but somehow this particular question was not directly answered. Discussion? I do realize that I stuck my head into the hangman's noose by being this blunt (though I did attempt to be very diplomatic-- as I said, these ladies are working a very hard job and are due much respect for their efforts) so before anybody castigates me for daring to poke my nose into this, well... keep in mind, you can ask too. Go for it, the more, the better; ignorance is NOT bliss, any more now than it was in the Middle Ages.
And dammit, I still want the bloody hospitality-cart. -__-
Okay, in brief-- and those of you who aren't SCA or interested in SCA stuff, feel free to skip this; it'll be total Greek, trust me.
As of yesterday evening I heard that the staff for the next Estrella War have plans to drop the budget for the Hospitality Tent and supplies very drastically, as well as doing away with their cart. Last Estrella I, Icka, Megs, Johannes, Sean and many, many others worked in rain, mud and cold for Security, manning various checkpoints; the cart would show up periodically with two cheerful people checking in on us and bearing hot soup and drinks as well as word from other staff about how this or that was doing. We welcomed these kind folk with absolute Thank-Goddedness, because we were freezing our assets off and eyeballs-deep in rain.
So: having heard about this and having read
american_knight's suggestion that the main autocrats be emailed re: questions, I did so. Running a war is a very, very hard job; working one as a lowly peon is no less so. I commend these two ladies (Baroness Dascha and Countess Haley) for their amazingly quick responses to my questions; I got a bit long-winded, but I was quite sincere in my questions and comments and their responses seem to be equally so. As to what changes and effects these decisions will create, well-- read and decide. Here are my questions and their responses, passed along as was requested.
**********
Good morning... My apologies for sending this to the Mains address in general, but I wasn't quite certain to whom it should be addressed; if the original receiver would pass it along to the correct party, I'd very much appreciate it.
My questions are in regards to discussion that I heard very recently about a decision to cut out the hospitality cart at the next war.
My lords and ladies: I have volunteered at many wars and smaller events over my 26 years of time in the Society; and one of the things that keeps a person willing to help and to continue helping is the feeling that they are filling a purpose and are appreciated as such, not just a body in a slot-- 'staff'. You need staff to run a war, even the lowest echelons of staff. Especially those, perhaps; they get the least reward and the dirtiest jobs... after all, when was the last time that you heard anyone brought up in court for making sure that the security radios were working?
So: Picture yourself working security at Estrella War 2008. There you are out at the Main Gate in the mud and the rain and the cold; you have a small plastic-tarp tent, a space-heater, a portajohn, one working flashlight and a fellow security person. It's gusting wind and you're soaking wet and you've been on your task for the past 6 hours. Nobody who comes through in a car wants to dig out their site-tokens, they aren't interested in hearing that the paid-parking area is flooded axle-deep, and the last two vehicles splattered you with mud that you'll be trying to wash out of your clothes three weeks from now. You are dripping, frozen, exhausted and smelling like a soggy dog.
...and along comes the hospitality cart with two cheerful people, hot soup and cider and cookies, and you decide that obviously the Main Warstaff has managed to set up an SCA contingent in Heaven, because that's where the cart just drove from, right? Right! And... maybe you can manage a couple more hours of duty before slogging off to bed.
And this is being cut out?
My lords and ladies, if you believe that the above is an overdramatization, then you have never worked security. What I just wrote is from the 14 hours that I worked last year, down to the bit about smelling like a soggy dog-- and I'm still trying to get the mud from out my boots. Please reconsider cutting the hospitality cart; if supplies such as soup and so forth are an issue, ask for donations! You'll get them, believe me. Otherwise? I suspect that your security force in particular will be much, much smaller this year, and that's a very difficult job to do; please don't make it any more difficult.
Yours in service (and hopes for good sense in this matter).... Baroness Mistress Ysabet ferch Gwydyon of the Barony of Tir Ysgithr
**********
Your Excellency,
Thank you very much for your interest and concern for the Hospitality services. We are a bit confused, though as we are NOT getting rid of hospitality. We are re-configuring it's space and ensuring that each department who "relies" on hospitality services takes care of there own. Hospitality will continue to serve the needs of those who request it along with getting donations.
We ask that you please not rush to judgment on issues such as this since it seems as though there has been some incorrect/false information going out.
We thank you again for coming to us and getting the acurate information and request that you give this information to those who also have heard things incorrectly.
In Service,
Baroness Dascha
Countess Haley
Co-Main Autocrats Estrella War XXV
**********
Good morning again, Countess, Baroness; and thank you very kindly for your speedy reply! It's very heartening to get a response so quickly, especially when I know very well how busy you both must be-- running a war's a very time-consuming thing.
Believe me, I'm delighted to hear that the rumors currently circulating are inaccurate; the amount that we who worked security last year relied on the presence of the hospitality staff and their cart cannot be overemphasized, and the fact that you've both felt enough concern as to answer my email back so quickly is very encouraging.
I am a bit confused as well, though-- per your answer, does 'taking care of their own' mean that hospitality will NOT be checking with the stations and staff who are manning it? Or, more directly: is the cart and its services being retired? Pardon my bluntness; I can't speak for any of the other staffing areas, but we in security did our best for each other and kept some supplies in our main tent; however, it's simply not feasible to keep hot soup, hot chocolate and so forth at points such as the railroad tracks, parking lots and front gate. Perhaps my concern sounds a little petty; if so, my apologies... but those who work difficult or uncomfortable jobs come to 'rely' indeed on small things, and comfort grows all the more important the longer it's lacking.
I understand that finances are a delicate thing, and that the balance of only-so-much-funding has to be carefully reckoned. The purpose of my email was not to place judgement in the least but to make sure that whoever was in charge of allocating said funding realized that, while the hospitality people aren't the ones wearing the brightest colors, they're the ones that a lot of the 'lowly peons' in the war staff will remember the best. Being one of those who (despite my past pointy-hattedness) prefers personally to work on that level, I can guarantee that knowing that their cart would be showing up sooner or later with light, warmth and company kept a lot of us going through the rain and ensuing bad temper-- and more to the point, helped us agree to sign on for another shift. It's one thing to simply have a hospitality tent set up somewhere, and it's very much another to have them come visit you out in the booneys! You feel appreciated, and we're most of us not martyrs; we *like* helping, but we like feelinig appreciated too.
I recall hearing a quote (supposedly from a Roman general) as to a war having 'a General's head but the feet of a footsoldier'; for every hardworking person in charge, there are a dozen or two 'footsoldiers' working just as hard... if you're lucky. To me, it's one of the draws of the Society: the majority of us are willing to pitch in to make things happen-- it takes a lot of hard work to be able to play!
Thanks very much again for the information; I await your reply, and I'll gladly pass it along. And to those who have other questions regarding this matter I'll also pass along who to speak with. Yours in service........ Baroness Ysabet
**********
Good Morning,
Yes, we do expect that specific areas that opperate well into the night/early morning ensure that their volunteers are given breaks to eat/drink/rest just as in a modern work setting. Troll and security specifically have coffee/tea/hot drinks available within their tents that do not "belong" to hospitality-they handle their own.
This year we are not having some of the far outlying security stations and front gate will only be manned during the setup times (the crew for this area is also taking care of their own staff). Therefore the only areas that are truely in need of assistance from "hospitality" are the Chiurgeon. They will be making their own arrangements with hospitality.
Our intent is for each department to work as a small "event"-ensuring they have their staff, supplies and also taking care of their staff. As people who have also worked many areas at War we both understand how miserable it can be to work an isolated area in the cold and rain in the dead of night. We have worked hard to ensure that those isolated areas are no longer necissary to be "manned". Should there be a point that is isolated we would hope that the autocrat of that area take care of their volunteer who is at that station and not "hope" that someone will come along eventually to feed/water/warm them.
I hope you can see that our intent is to make autocrats take full responsiblity for their office and volunteers and not rely on the war to run their area.
Thank you again for your thoughts on the matter. We are confident in our decision and hope that you will continue to volunteer at war.
Baroness Dascha
Countess Haley
Co-Main Autocrats Estrella War XXV
**********
Ah; I see. Thank you for your response, Baroness, Countess. I will pass this along to the concerned parties. Yours in service......... Baroness Ysabet
**********
As I said, Hmmmm. Doesn't sound like the cart *will* be continued, but somehow this particular question was not directly answered. Discussion? I do realize that I stuck my head into the hangman's noose by being this blunt (though I did attempt to be very diplomatic-- as I said, these ladies are working a very hard job and are due much respect for their efforts) so before anybody castigates me for daring to poke my nose into this, well... keep in mind, you can ask too. Go for it, the more, the better; ignorance is NOT bliss, any more now than it was in the Middle Ages.
And dammit, I still want the bloody hospitality-cart. -__-