Eventing We Shall Go....
Jul. 26th, 2010 03:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
femkes_folliesIn Which
Femke shall muse on the ins and outs of the MK Event Calendar, and why no one bids for Kingdom events. Opinions shall be expressed - and sought. Rocks shall be turned over. Possibly suggestions for solutions shall be found.
Background for those OOK:
The Middle Kingdom has a perenial problem in that the Kingdom Calendar is eternally clogged with events - 4 or 5 every weekend isn't uncommon. And yet, no bids get submitted for Kingdom events without serious arm-twisting.
Why is this?
Potential Reason A:
Kingdom Law, and a portion of the population, make a distinction between Kingdom Events, and events that happen every year that the King and Queen normally attend. It IS a bit fuzzy, looked at this way. Kingdom events are defined as Coronation, Crown Tourney, Rose Tourney, Twelfth Night, and RUM. All of them (barring Spring Crown at the moment) are supposed to rotate sites and are therefore dependent on bids. However, there are events IN the Kingdom much bigger in attendance and at which Royal Presence can be expected. Why, then, should a group bid for a Kingdom event, when they know the King and Queen will be there in a specific month for an event that they always attend. Which leads us to...
Potential Reason B:
It's become pretty standard for the King and Queen to attend the same events every year. There is very little suspense regarding where Their Royal Progress shall go - it goes along the same, rutted track every year. On occasion, there will be this or that smaller event that their Majesties will attend because it's near and dear to them or convenient. But by and large, most people in the Kingdom could make you a list of which events will have a Royal Presence - regardless of who is on the throne. The rut is so well recognized, I've had one small group say "To be honest, we've stopped sending invitations. They aren't coming here anyway."
Now, this has it's good points, and its bad points. On one hand, planning is easy, both for Peers, Curia, officers - and throne toadies. It also tends to keep event attendance consistent - both at the events WITH Royal Presence, and those without. And thus might be helpful in planning for the hosting groups. It does make it highly unlikely, however, that new events/new groups/small or outlying groups will get a Royal Visit. Is this possibly a factor in....
Potential Reason C:
The insanity of the current calendar. Some groups are putting on 4 or more events a year. Sometimes only a week or a few weeks between them. Why?
Now, there are good and bad reasons for launching a new event. Good reasons include a rockin' site and a novel event idea available on a weekend that's traditionally pretty quiet. And small groups who mostly throw local events for their own benefit and that of their immediate neighbors are their own category of event. Bad reasons include autocrats who have such a narrow focus on one topic personally that they are determined to create an annual event devoted to it - whether anyone cares to attend or not, the desire to just flat make money (which usually backfires), trying yet another cookie cutter event in the hopes of finding something that works, insisting that "Event of Valor XXXLI" must continue at all costs because it is tradition!, etc.
Now, over time, we're likely to continue to have increasing trouble finding acceptable sites, maintaining attendance at cookie cutter events, small groups struggling to get anybody from outside the local area to attend, and continued reluctance to bid for Kingdom events when groups are so dedicated to putting on so many "permanent" events.
I'm going to crawl out on a limb and make a few statements that are likely to be "anathema," yet again:
Groups should be limited to the number of events they may host per year, and how frequently. (Though care must be taken that Baronies divided into lots of Cantons don't take advantage by having events "officially" hosted by rotating Cantons that are really Baronial events).
Encourage nearby groups to Co-Host - and maybe even consolidate smaller events into larger ones that can have more than just token fighting, fencing, A&S, archery, whatever.
Make it known via Kingdom list, newsletters, Missives from the Curia, etc. that bids are wanted for Kingdom events. Perhaps there ought to even be some reward or honor of some type for the hosting group.
As it stands, the only groups that tend to have much interest in hosting Kingdom events are those with personal ties to the King and Queen. Everybody else is so occupied with their own events not to care. Somewhere along the line we've lost the desire to host these events.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Rotten tomatoes?
Femke shall muse on the ins and outs of the MK Event Calendar, and why no one bids for Kingdom events. Opinions shall be expressed - and sought. Rocks shall be turned over. Possibly suggestions for solutions shall be found.
Background for those OOK:
The Middle Kingdom has a perenial problem in that the Kingdom Calendar is eternally clogged with events - 4 or 5 every weekend isn't uncommon. And yet, no bids get submitted for Kingdom events without serious arm-twisting.
Why is this?
Potential Reason A:
Kingdom Law, and a portion of the population, make a distinction between Kingdom Events, and events that happen every year that the King and Queen normally attend. It IS a bit fuzzy, looked at this way. Kingdom events are defined as Coronation, Crown Tourney, Rose Tourney, Twelfth Night, and RUM. All of them (barring Spring Crown at the moment) are supposed to rotate sites and are therefore dependent on bids. However, there are events IN the Kingdom much bigger in attendance and at which Royal Presence can be expected. Why, then, should a group bid for a Kingdom event, when they know the King and Queen will be there in a specific month for an event that they always attend. Which leads us to...
Potential Reason B:
It's become pretty standard for the King and Queen to attend the same events every year. There is very little suspense regarding where Their Royal Progress shall go - it goes along the same, rutted track every year. On occasion, there will be this or that smaller event that their Majesties will attend because it's near and dear to them or convenient. But by and large, most people in the Kingdom could make you a list of which events will have a Royal Presence - regardless of who is on the throne. The rut is so well recognized, I've had one small group say "To be honest, we've stopped sending invitations. They aren't coming here anyway."
Now, this has it's good points, and its bad points. On one hand, planning is easy, both for Peers, Curia, officers - and throne toadies. It also tends to keep event attendance consistent - both at the events WITH Royal Presence, and those without. And thus might be helpful in planning for the hosting groups. It does make it highly unlikely, however, that new events/new groups/small or outlying groups will get a Royal Visit. Is this possibly a factor in....
Potential Reason C:
The insanity of the current calendar. Some groups are putting on 4 or more events a year. Sometimes only a week or a few weeks between them. Why?
Now, there are good and bad reasons for launching a new event. Good reasons include a rockin' site and a novel event idea available on a weekend that's traditionally pretty quiet. And small groups who mostly throw local events for their own benefit and that of their immediate neighbors are their own category of event. Bad reasons include autocrats who have such a narrow focus on one topic personally that they are determined to create an annual event devoted to it - whether anyone cares to attend or not, the desire to just flat make money (which usually backfires), trying yet another cookie cutter event in the hopes of finding something that works, insisting that "Event of Valor XXXLI" must continue at all costs because it is tradition!, etc.
Now, over time, we're likely to continue to have increasing trouble finding acceptable sites, maintaining attendance at cookie cutter events, small groups struggling to get anybody from outside the local area to attend, and continued reluctance to bid for Kingdom events when groups are so dedicated to putting on so many "permanent" events.
I'm going to crawl out on a limb and make a few statements that are likely to be "anathema," yet again:
Groups should be limited to the number of events they may host per year, and how frequently. (Though care must be taken that Baronies divided into lots of Cantons don't take advantage by having events "officially" hosted by rotating Cantons that are really Baronial events).
Encourage nearby groups to Co-Host - and maybe even consolidate smaller events into larger ones that can have more than just token fighting, fencing, A&S, archery, whatever.
Make it known via Kingdom list, newsletters, Missives from the Curia, etc. that bids are wanted for Kingdom events. Perhaps there ought to even be some reward or honor of some type for the hosting group.
As it stands, the only groups that tend to have much interest in hosting Kingdom events are those with personal ties to the King and Queen. Everybody else is so occupied with their own events not to care. Somewhere along the line we've lost the desire to host these events.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Rotten tomatoes?
