arontius | Entries tagged with protege

.....This is an interesting conundrum from the standpoint of Team Planning. I was talking to someone today where the thought was that if a major event needed to be done in a hurry, with as little hassle as possible, that the best course of action was to hand pick a select group of people to be the major players of that Team.

.....You have this major Project you are committed to completing. The event is a larger scale SCA Event (Crown Event), which means upwards of 1,000 people. But not the scale of an Inter-Kingdom Event (with larger numbers) or a Demonstration Event which combines the strangenesses of dealing with the Modern Public. Your time frame is tight, but not an emergency. You have your site and you have a relatively clear vision of what the overall event should be and look.

.....Naturally, the tendency is to want to surround yourself with a Team who are all competent, as in they have experience with this type of event and know what it is they need to do to be successful. All of the Team members have at least some experience in the tasking they've agreed to do. They at least know, if not have worked with, all the Team members regularly or in the past. They have some passing familiarity with the site, and that site is relatively close. Within these parameters the event should happen at least relatively smoothly, barring unexpected hits (extreme weather, etc.). If the Team has the required experience, they should be able to deal with unexpected occurrences (more people than expected show up to the event, etc.).

.....Dare I say it? Leading that type of Team would be fun and actually kind of peaceful and restful, with much satisfaction when complete. Well worth the time and energy that was input to make it happen.

.....However, the SCA (like many others) is a group based on volunteers. You really cannot dictate what people can and cannot become members. So your range of volunteers runs the spectrum of the type of people from whom you can recruit. People with no experience in event planning whatsoever. People who routinely overestimate what they can physically or mentally accomplish. I'm not even suggesting that it is necessarily any fault of their own either. People don't know what they don't know and may commit to actions that look relatively easy, but prove to be quite the challenge.

.....Then there are the complexities of Modern Life. In a Volunteer Organization, it is that Modern Job that pays the bills and puts the roof over your head. Sometimes it will determine what is the most important thing happening in your life at any given moment. Volunteers may be lost at sometimes the eleventh hour due to these issues. As the person who is ultimately running the event, you can sometimes gage the risk of these volunteers as integral members of your Team and how best to shore them up or have back-up plans in place.

.....If your Team is high risk, there will be anxiety. Time and energy will be spent in guiding and nurturing Team members, building those back-up plans, stepping in to take on duties as needed. Or finding someone to take on those duties. When you have completed this event, you may feel a sense of accomplishment still. But you will also feel a sense of frustration that you had to deal with the issues you did.

.....Here is the conundrum. When you put your hat in the ring and submit a bid for an event, should you always hand-pick your Team and only select those people whom you KNOW can complete the work? What percentage of your Team would you require to have the experience and / or knowledge to complete the actions you know are required to plan your event and execute it successfully?

.....Is that fair? There are always people coming into the branch who need to learn how to become part of an Event Planning Team and what it takes to successfully execute an event. Some people have natural talent for this and will pick up the process easily, with very little mentoring. You can fairly easily add these people to your Team and only check in on them occasionally to course correct as needed.

.....There is another group to consider that is even more difficult. Those people who do not normally work well with a Team at all, but still want to support the event or the branch. Those people who do not have any proclivity towards the things it takes to plan for events or make them happen. Those people who are not naturally creative people, who have a difficult time coming up with solutions on the run, or thinking outside the proverbial box. There are others who seem to delight in disrupting everyone around them, oftentimes without even thinking about it.

.....These difficult people are also paid members of the Society, as well as members of your branch / group. Is it right to exclude them from the event process? The one answer that comes to mind is that if the actions of these people are going to be detrimental to the group as a whole; well then, you have to protect the group. Duh. Can you help them grow into productive members of an event planning group? How much work would be required in doing this? Do you have the time and energy to devote to this? Do you have someone else you can convince to take them under their wing?

.....If these people are paid members of the group, is it right to exclude them from the process even though it is disruptive? That rather points to the system as a whole. There is no test given to applicants to gage their ability to function in the SCA or the local group. Once they have become members of your group you have to incorporate them in your plans somehow. You can't exclude them all together. They are members of your branch family.

.....Everyone is good at something. Sometimes you just need to take some time to find out what that something is and how to incorporate that. At least that is the way I tend to think. But I have been dinged for thinking this way and I can see why. It really introduces a level of risk to your plan that could be avoided by using someone else. Again, is that risk fair to your Team and to the branch as a whole?

.....But the feeling you get when you see someone succeed at something everyone around you said would fail? That's a pretty good feeling. Pays you back for the risk you took in trusting them, and maybe mentoring them just a little bit.

.....Just musing on the issue, and trying to figure out what I want to say to the new Protege and what I do not want to say as far as event planning goes and how to work with a Team. She has worked with some difficult people herself, and has done a good job of it. So maybe we can mind meld and come up with something together that we can put down in black-and-white. :-)

.....Aaron / Arontius.

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Location: Computer Room.
Current Music: Road Noise.

.....I'm just now starting to come out of the June Faire fog and starting to feel closer to normal again, although still really dragging. Monday, I ignored feeling tired and sore so I could get through the day of clean up and taking stuff into the house. But as soon as I was home that afternoon, it was Zombie time.

.....Tuesday was a hamster wheel at work, trying to get caught back up with the stuff that had piled up on my desk. The Mid-Level Boss was not happy with my taking that time off. Not that he complained directly about it, but the past couple of days have been a little tense. It finally came to a head today with a proper dressing down, of which I just kept my mouth shut. Unusual enough for me that he ended his rant early and moved on. Usually, I spend extra time arguing with him until it gets to the point of people wanting to leave the office. :-) I was still tired though and it was easier to bite my tongue than to do the usual.

.....Tuesday was also the June Business Meeting. More popular than I expected it to be. I made notes, for which I'm glad because I've already forgotten much of what was said. :-) I rambled through the Baron and Baroness letter, hoping that I made sense for the most part. Although I did manage to wake myself up enough to plug the importance of being respectful and courteous to our volunteer base, which really is our lifeblood.

.....Yesterday was my first complete evening home without somewhere I had to be. TBT and I went out to dinner at Azteca and then I worked on getting e-mails out the door. Everyone has been seriously concentrating on June Faire, to the exclusion of many other things. After the Business Meeting people started waking up and realizing that it was only two months before Serjeantry Trials and two and a half months before September Crown. No one panicked, but I could feel the concern in much of the e-mail traffic coming my way.

.....Arrangements have been made to hold the Spring Western Regional Pelican Meeting in Tacoma. A meeting room has been booked and e-mail notice sent out. We're a go. This one looks like it is going to be more attended than usual. Which I think is good news. We have a number of candidates that need to be figured out and moved on, in one way or another. If we can get a diverse crowd to the meeting, it would help settle a lot of issues. Now I have to get the agenda chopped up and tossed, then uploaded onto the Kingdom Server. It will be done this weekend.

.....Serjeantry Agenda has been re-worked and sent out for review and reminded to the candidates. It was not changed a great deal, mainly combining a few tests to free up a few nights. And the moving of Military Sciences to the Trials themselves. But we had to make sure everyone was on the same page before mass confusion was created.

.....We racked our brains and tried a number of different possibilities, but we ultimately could not move the Trials off of Autumn War. I feel for Blatha An Oir. It was just the proverbial perfect storm this year though. A new event, Huntsman's Challenge, and Dragon's Laire hosting of September Crown. Add to that a rather large class and a hugely busy September calendar, and we were stuck. We're going to mitigate as best we can. TBT and I are day-tripping to Honey War this weekend, and sending formal representation to Autumn War itself. We're also going to ensure early on that we do not run into this issue next year.

.....I'm rather excited that people are already talking about entering the Serjeantry Program next year. At least a half dozen people have asked probing questions about what the Trials are and how best to get through them. I'll be happy if three of them enter next year. I'll be ecstatic if we get six letters of intent going next year.

.....The one thing that seems to intrigue people the most is the Quest component of our Serjeantry Program. It has been very interesting to get the questions and feed-back on the concept. The flexibility and uniqueness of the idea seems to be its greatest strength. Although that very concept could be its greatest weakness during times of complacency. We'll have to monitor that closely.

.....I wish I had spoken of the results more. But it was an exciting thing to see the Serjeantry Cloaks placed over the shoulders of THL Jahnkin and THL Madrun at Saturday Court during June Faire. I spoke briefly about the cloaks being a blank slate, in preparation to carry the weight of the Questing of years with the tokens that will be placed upon them each year. The Quests are a nice way of keeping the Serjeantry engaged and active long after they've completed their Trials. A way to continue active inspiration of the Baronial Populace, hopefully into trying new things of their own. Really exciting stuff. :-)

.....The last e-mail of the evening was of our next September Crown meeting. At least a half dozen members of Team Haggis III hit me with e-mail traffic this week to ask about contract items, placement of activities, ideas on parking, how to run gate. People are ready to get moving on this. I'm actually glad to see the excitement. A part of me wished that I had had a week off to recover from June Faire. :-) But I am glad that things are moving already. I set up a meeting on June 14th. Just need to make sure I still have the conference room at the library booked for us. Then get an agenda completed and prioritized.

.....At June Faire last weekend, I took on a new Protégé, THL Adelheide Leeuwin. I'm still floored by the fact that I've attended as many June Faires as she has been alive! That fact just seems to keep rolling around and around in my brain, like churning water at the bottom of a fall. She is good people though, and just in the past handful of years that I've known her the maturity and growth have been very noticeable. She is motivated and wants to do big things. I doubt very much that I'll actually have to do much for her, other than advocate as needed. And maybe be available for advice as needed. But she already has big plans for things to do and is actively working on making them happen.

.....I formally passed on the blue rope belt that Master Ralg gave to me like a decade or so ago. For some reason it seemed to go with Adelheide's personality more than it did with Isketol or Aelianora. Adelheide is actually more like me than my other two Protégé are. Which is why I think we'll get along well. Although I have to say I also value Aelianora and Isketol highly because they are so different than I am. :-)

.....Isketol has other priorities these days, mainly his health. He hasn't been actively playing in about two years now. I don't really want to end that relationship unless he asks. I'm good with where it is at the moment.

.....Aelianora is super busy with her own stuff as well. The farm keeps her extremely busy, as does her book and research. She is on a slightly different path. But I love talking with her and listening to her research and her thoughts on things. So I'm certainly not going to let that relationship go either. I try to make it a point to check in with her as often as I can. As well as make sure I have a complete resume close by, with all of her activities duly logged on it. :-) She's another one that I don't think will need any 'help' from me. She'll come to that point sometime where she'll decide to kick it on to the next level towards service and she'll be utterly unstoppable. In the meantime, she still manages to provide more service than people realize. Good people she is. :-)

.....Not much on the agenda for this evening. I think I'll enjoy that for as long as possible. This Saturday will be a day-trip to Honey War. I have to remember tokens for all the Dragon's Laire populace taking part in the War Point competitions. Looks like it could be upwards of two dozen. TBT would whip out a bunch of her tassels. But maybe I could put something together utilizing our Arion-made tokens. Hmmm, must think on that one. Sunday will be a Lobelia clean-out day, so she can be taken back to storage. Then back to work.

.....Next Monday is a trip to Madrone to negotiate War at Hot Summer Lights in Druim Doineann. If things work out right, it could be quite the gathering late in July. If Madrone, Aquaterra, Blatha An Oir and Dragon's Laire can get motivated there could be many fighters in the war. That would be fantastic for Druim Doineann. It could be just the motivation they need to go to that next level.

.....Although I thought it a very cool thing on Tuesday when Althon announced that the Shire had come together and volunteered nineteen people to help directly with September Crown. They want to help at gate. That is good news! We can certainly use the help. We'll need to make sure to show them some extra love for supporting us that much.

.....I don't think there is anything yet planned for the weekend of June 16th/17th, so it might really be, dare I say it?, a free weekend. :-) I certainly hope so! :-)

.....Aaron / Arontius.

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: Computer Room.
Current Music: Dishwasher.

.....Yesterday was Mom's birthday. She turned 64. And I have to say that I'm somewhat proud of myself. I actually remembered that it was her birthday. And I remembered that it was her birthday on the actual day of her birthday. :-) She actually received Birthday greetings, which pleased her greatly. :-)

.....I suppose that it makes it easier on me that Mom works at the Shipyard as well. And as I started thinking about it I was amazed that she has worked there for almost thirty years. She could have retired a year or so ago. But I'm kind of glad that she continues to work as she does not have a lot of friends and basically lives like a hermit. If she didn't have her job I'm not sure that she'd even get out of her home a lot. I find it somewhat funny that the Shipyard, in Mom's case, actually keeps her young and vital. Not exactly an attribute normally associated with the Shipyard. :-)

.....Comcast keeps going back and forth between awesome and disgusting. A couple of weeks ago TBT took down the computer and moved it out of the office. It was the computer to which I normally downloaded all my e-mail. So while TBT remodeled the room, I kept all my e-mail on Comcast's web-mail site and just checked it daily. Last Saturday evening I went to go and check my e-mail and all of my accumulated e-mail had disappeared. It hadn't been downloaded anywhere, wasn't filed in some online folder. It just disappeared. I e-mail Comcast, held a couple of online chats, and even talked over my problem over the phone. But to no avail, approximately 400 pieces of e-mail are just...gone. Very frustrating.

.....But Comcast also impressed me a little bit the past couple of nights. TBT dropped out Qwest landline and moved our phone number over to digital on Comcast. We've been accumulating phone message on the Comcast digital voice center on the Comcast web-site. I'm finding it way cool to go to Comcast and listen to messages there. And they've been collecting there. I guess that it is time to say good-bye to my fifteen year old answering machine. I will miss that old thing. The message tape alone is at least ten years old, and still working. How amazing is that? :-)

.....Approximately a month or so ago I asked someone to be my protege and they said that they needed to think about it a while, and speak to their spouse about it. I was cool with that. Over the past month they kept asking me question to feel me out and get my impressions on certain things and the viewpoints of the Pelicans in general. I went ahead and answered all the questions posed to me. I did it without reservation or expectation.

.....This person has a history in our branch and I thought that I could do a lot to help this person. I was thinking on a whole strategy of activities and plans on what I would do with this person as my protege. And, you know, I was getting a little excited about the prospect. But last Tuesday this person came back to me and declined my offer. To be honest, I was a little disappointed. But you know, the more I think it, it's not exactly a bad thing as it was going to be a lot of work...and...I am kind of busy right now anyway. :-)

.....I have two other people on my radar as proteges. One is a definite, and the other will be either shared with another, or totally taken by another. Part of me says that I should put up a fight. But the problem is that I am a huge fan of that other person and if she says that she wants my potential protege all to herself then I am not going to argue with her one little bit. She is a person that anyone I know would be super proud to be considered as her protege.

.....But at the very least I'm going to end up with at least one protege, so I'd better hurry and finalize my plans. Yule is my deadline and I really want to have a plan in place in the next week for sure. Poor protege, or proteges, I don't think that either one has a clue just how much of a nutcase they are buying into with me. :-)

.....O.K., one last bit of a thing that drives me crazy. Have you read the story about the atheist group that set up a sign in the state capitol celebrating the winter solstice and advocating their belief that god does not exist? The state Republican caucus have started proceedings to have the sign removed. I'm not an atheist myself, but I'm a definite advocate in tolerance in freedom of religion, even if that means you believe in no religion. And the self-righteousness of some religous groups just makes me crazy. A definite pet peeve of mine. Ack! Enough said.

.....Enough whining for one evening. Time for bed I think. :-)

.....Aaron / Arontius.

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: Living Room.
Current Music: Top Chef on the Tele.

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Arontius of Bygelswade

Known as Michael Aaron Rogers

Entries tagged with protege

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