[TheForge] "Official" news from ABANA

[Saint Phlip]

On 2/19/07, Mike <mspencer at tallships.ca> wrote:
> What jumps out at me from this excerpt is that this was a centrally
> organized, hierarchical arrangement.  And this is the same problem
> that (typically) hierarchical corporations hit when they grow to a
> certain size: middle management expands, costs soar and everything
> tends to get out of control.  It's a critical juncture for
> corporations.
>
> I would suggest that some thought be given to a much more unorganized
> model.  I think (correct me if I'm wrong here, Phlip) that big SCA
> meets depend on local organization and subsequent cooperation of the
> many small groups that attend or form ad hoc from individual
> attendees.  Speaking theoretically, large systems can self-organize if
> the behavior -- the rules governing the behavior -- of the component
> parts is right.  And they can become chaotic if not.

Yes, that's what I've been thinking.

I admit it, I enjoyed the ABANA conference. But, the things I found
most enjoyable were the non or less official activities. Yes, I
watched several demos, and they were pretty good, but I found the bits
where some folks were getting together just to thump steel, rather
than having an official demo to be not only more interesting, but more
in lines with the fun factor that draws me to smithing. I like making
things, and I like to be around people who are making things.

Best evening's entertainment? The tailgate party we (TheForge members)
had in the parking lot. A few other folks had the same idea, and we
sorta spread out, so we were all partying together. Casual
conversations were really cool, with Steve Kayne particularly, but
also several of the other merchants. I wasn't interested in going
dancing and swapping tickets for beer- I wanted to hang with my
friends, new and old, and talk smithing- maybe go over to a forge, and
thwack a bit of steel.

And, since I wrote the public letter to Clare, I've talked with what
would be the equivalent of a Senior Vice President in the SCA, who has
run, and helped run, Pennsic- remember the event I was mentioning,
that attracyed over 13,000 people, and costs between $120-$155 for two
weeks? Anyway, he's more than willing to spend some time discussing
the nuts and bolts of making a major event go. All I need is your
interest, and I'll put you in contact with him.

Our secret is effective use of volunteers. No reason ABANA needs to
pay for all the demonstrator tents. People want to demonstrate, let
them set up their own tent. I haul my dog-n-pony show all over,
regularly.

Basicly, what ABANA needs to do is get out of the micromanagement
business. People want a tent? Good- Spazzcoch (or whoever) rents
tents- their number is XXX-XXX-XXXX. People want a beer? Hey, here's
the instructions to 3 local carry-outs. People want food? Well,
there's a grocery store in the same shopping plaza as the beer carry
out. And so forth. Need first aid? Well, we have bandaids and supplies
right here, and the phone number and directions to the local hospital
are right here. Take one.

All ABANA should be really doing is setting up the infrastucture
(Christ, now I sound like a yuppie). Get the site, determine who sets
up where, and leave folks alone. I'm betting that not a single person
would be bored, unless it's the non-smithing spouses, and there'sa no
reason that spouses of smiths from the area couldn't arrange a
spouseathon of some sort- maybe sightseeing, or a shopping tour.

-- 
Saint Phlip

Heat it up
Hit it hard
Repent as necessary.

Priorities:

It's the smith who makes the tools, not the tools which make the smith.