From: aryk@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (A.J.S. Nusbacher)
Subject: Re: Pennsic Autocrat (was Re: Pennsic Land Allocation
Organization: University of Toronto -- Hart House
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 18:19:36 GMT

In article <1992Sep9.030447.728@access.digex.com> corun@access.digex.com (Corun MacAnndra) writes:

>But if we had a workable plan that didn't need to be changed year after year,
>don't you think we would get more people to take over form the Old Guard?

Yes, no question.

I had said:

>>We pay for porta-johns.  We pay for toilet cleaning.  We can pay for
>>management.

Corun replied:

>And up the fee for Pennsic that many think is too high already.

You get what you pay for.  Would you pay double the fee if the extra money
went for the proper insurance coverage for the haywagons to be drawn by
horses?  I would.  Would you pay $4 more for a salaried autocrat?  I would.

Corun said:

>You place to much emphasis on a revenue that is just suffucuent to keep
>the War going year after year. But perhaps I should ask you what you think 
>a fair salary would be for such a person. It might be within the budget, but
>I will doubt it until you give me a dollar figure.

I would suggest a salary package that cost the War about $35,000 including
benefits.  Budgeting would have to be altered accordingly.

>Seriously though, you've hit on something I've been trying to drive home
>for awhile now. Pennsic is no longer an East/Middle event, but a SCA wide
>event. 

Bigger than that.  A lot of non-Scadians (myself included) go.

>Are there any precedents where Corporate monies have gone to pay
>for an event anywhere? Does anyone on the BoD have any comments on this?

I would suggest that corporate monies per se not pay for this salary, but
rather that it be paid directly from the War's revenues, the way the
Coopers are.  Pennsic War is treated by the Corporation as a special case
already.  For instance, alternate wars are held in the East Kingdom, but are
administered by the Middle.  Fighting rules are changed for tournaments,
etc., etc.  The local group's role has been reduced significantly...

And surely corporate money went into TYC and TFYC, if only into the publicity
end.

>Would we in essence be creating a Steward of the Pennsic War?

No, just paying the Autocrat of the Pennsic War.  Like a city which pays a
professional manager.

And on the subject of paid security guards:

>The lesson I was referring to wasn't how to run security, but the bigger
>lesson of giving of one's time, energy, and skills to the greater good
>of the Society. 

Oh, that.

>But why, if you're so set against paying for Joe SCAdian
>to learn about security at Pennsic, are you so in favour of paying for
>a professional Autocrat. Sounds like the same thing to me. 

I would be willing to pay for Pennsic security people to take a community
college course in policing or security work.  I don't like the idea of my
property being at risk because security is left to amateurs.

>Besides, how
>do your vehicle and personal property come into the issue of security?

What is the security force trying to secure if not my person, property,
and vehicle?

> Also, I know a bit about what Security
>at Pennsic is for....

Not a lot of people do.  I certainly don't.

>, and what it can legally do. The operative word the is
>legally. I wonder if a professional security team would be under the same
>legal restricions, and these guys are all licensed to carry firearms. Just
>wait and see what happens the first time someone with a bit too much mead
>in them pulls steel on a guy with a 9mm parabellum. These are some serious
>things to think about.

I didn't say hire yahoos, just that if there's a need for professionals,
hire professionals.  Not necessarily armed professionals, not necessarily
inside camp.

Aryk Nusbacher
From: Joe.Bethancourt@f4229.n124.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Bethancourt)
Sender: FredGate@ocitor.fidonet