[SCA] ok, now what?

[cellio]

SCA Inc. charges a $3 tax per event for people who attend but are not members of the corporation. I find this offensive because SCA Inc. does not bear the cost of putting on events; the local groups do. (So it's not like the higher admission fee you pay a museum if you don't belong.) There are some small benefits that the corporation provides to the hosting group, such as access to insurance, but the last time I ran the numbers this amounted to about $2/person/year. So, the tax is somewhere between price gouging (if you believe they have the right to assess a fee) and thuggery (if you don't).

I don't go to a lot of events these days; my local group doesn't hold very many and I don't travel for them. And I don't really want to be on the membership rolls of this corporation, so thus far I have been paying the fee. The presence of the fee does influence my decision to attend an event; if I'm waffling that can push me. (There is an "out" that is available to local groups, so charging the fee represents a decision on the part of the hosting group. A surprising number of local-group officers feel it is their moral obligation to charge this fee. To each his own. [Edit: I am speaking generally here, not about one group.]) It's not the $3; it's the principle.

The corporation announced today that this fee will be rising to $5 per event.

My goal is to minimize the money the corporation gets from me while enjoying marginal participation in events. (This is not identical to maximizing money in my pocket because of the Pennsic non-member tax. Some of that money -- I've sent email asking how much -- goes to Pennsic, not to the corporation. I am willing to pay a higher price to Pennsic.) An associate membership costs $20, so now I have to figure out how many fee-charging events I am likely to go to in a year. Working against this analysis is the temptation to just say "screw it" except for Pennsic and free local events. I've been drifting away from the SCA (Pennsic is different; that's family vacation), and I wonder how much I care any more.

No decisions, just thoughts.

Comments

[hildakrista.livejournal.com]

my local group doesn't hold very many and I don't travel for them

Can't agree with this one. For the past 5 years, as far as my data goes back, we've had on average about 6 1/2 events per year. Here I include the Pennsic receptions, which represent both financial output from the bank account's coffers and social interaction for the populace. This is only Allegheny County, mind you. If you were to count events held by other local groups that used to be part of the Barony even 10 years ago, there are a lot more, more like one a month or more.

A surprising number of local-group officers feel it is their moral obligation to charge this fee.

Again, I don't agree with this. of the 33 events we've held in the past five years, 12 of them were free events, or about 1 of 3 of them. Even discounting the Pennsic receptions (which I personally wouldn't, since they cost money without specific member contribution towards it), 7 of the 33 were free, or about 1 of 5. I think you'll find that this ratio is much better than other groups, simply because the local officers do actively encourage free events. Perhaps you are remembering resistance from over 5 years ago.

Also remember that it is the autocrats that come up with event bids, not the officers. We just approve them or suggest changes. In fact, I can remember at least 3 specific instances in the past few years where an autocrat came to us with a regular fee structure (which would have meant charging the NMS), and the officers recommended making it a free event. And at least 5 specific instances (probably more that I can't recall) where we recommended a reduced price for minors so they wouldn't be charged.

I don't think the majority of the current local officers see the NMS, or even being a member, as some kind of moral obligation. For example, in fall 2008, we changed election policy so that people who were not members for one reason or another could request a ballot for Baronial elections, which had previously been limited to members only.

I took the numbers from the past 5 years and worked them into the hypothetical situation where the Barony only charged for optional food at events (the "out" available to us). So all profit must come from direct contributions or other areas (fundraising, inventory sales, etc). To be at the same financial place we were at end 2009, we would have had to raise $423 at each event for the past 5 years, including the Pennsic receptions. Since fundraising takes a significant amount of energy and effort from the the local population, I do not believe that we currently have the resources to to sustain such a large-scale, time-intensive funds drive. Yes, we can do it at some events. No, it would not fly at every event, IMO. So I think our current model of 2 free events a year, balanced by traditional events is a pretty good one. Hopefully we can get autocrats to submit more free events.

And I have to add: I think raising the NMS to $5 without real justification is absolutely appalling. Gouging indeed! I could understand where they were coming from, if only they would justify it with numbers.

[alaricmacconnal.livejournal.com]

Could the Barony establish a "Free Event Fund" where people could make donations and the funds are used to provide free events?

Fundraisers could be held specifically for this fund and everyone would benefit - sounds like a win-win situation to me (rather than having to subsidize the events from the general fund).

[cellio]

Good idea! We've done targetted fund-raising before, like for the Althing or for fencing gear, so there's precedent.

[cellio]

For the past 5 years, as far as my data goes back, we've had on average about 6 1/2 events per year.

What does the trend line look like? I haven't been tracking it, but last year we had 12th night, a Japanese event, and Agincourt -- was there more? This year we have 12th night, a Japanese event, and Crown. And war practice from our canton every year, of course.

I suppose there have been a few other things that were listed as events that have a different feel to me. A Friday-night gathering at a restaurant may be called a canton 12th night but to me doesn't feel like an event. Same as a fighting-only gathering running from roughly noon to 6 with no feast (the spear tourneys we had a few years ago). The Pennsic reception fits in here. They're great gatherings, but I don't think of them in the same way as all-day multi-function cross-cutting events.

It makes sense for an exchequer to count the Pennsic receptions, of course, but I am talking here about stand-alone events. A Pennsic reception is different; I'm already at the event (or if I'm not, going to the reception isn't possible).

"Moral obligation": we have had a failure to communicate. I was speaking across the board; if I had meant my own group I would have said so. On re-reading I can see how you got there and I apologize. As you point out, our barony does much better in this regard than surrounding groups. I have heard officers of other groups in AEthelmearc assert that it is wrong to hold free events and let those "freeloaders" come. One of those groups is within easy driving range (so I notice their events more) and to my knowledge has never held a free event, so it's probably not just one officer shooting his mouth off.

Our barony, in contrast, has held a lot of free events, and I count this as a credit to the group. It took some doing to overcome the resistance a few years ago, but I think we have.

(A tiny suggestion: we have had free events where there was no donations jar. We should always have a donations jar; it's weird to be in the position of trying to make a donation and being unable to. :-) )