Friends at the time of writing, below are the results of the informal polling.
I think it is safe to say that there is consensus on sharing participation. There is certainly room for discussion here.
What is next?
As it stands now we have a way to enter participants. Either by adding them to an active scoring shoot (eg: IKAC) with a ‘score’ of zero, or by creating a separate ‘shoot’ that only exists for tracking participation.
What would this require?
We as a community, and those who are in positions to ask for action via policy (eg: Kingdom Head Marshals. DEMs, etc) to make it part of the official workflow.
The staff going off on their own could work, we could do this solo without support. This would (IMO) fail on two fronts. If it isn’t a ‘requirement’ not all would do it. Secondly, we should actively seek the support of our Majesties, Kingdom Marshals, and staff. Not only does this draw attention to the issue, but inclusion and conversation is always a better way to get ‘buy-in’.
Why is it important?
As I mentioned in an open letter, it not only helps the cause of the Valiance Proposal (Omnibus Peerage), but can also help Autocrats and staff in making provisions for martial activities. Additionally the reporting on its most basic level can far more accurately reflect our numbers to the B.o.D.
Clearly, I am NOT the decision maker. My goal here is to spark conversation. We as a community go through waves, and if possible Id love to see the winds of change turn these waves into tsunamis. We cannot be complacent, and never accept ‘no’ as an option.
If we can be a force to not be ignored, we will achieve our goals of ‘everyone in the Society being afforded a path to recognition for what they are passionate about, and a master of’.
Results
Are scored shoots activities recorded across all martial disciplines?
some but not all (48%, 27 Votes)
yes (23%, 13 Votes)
no (13%, 7 Votes)
yes, but not a rule (11%, 6 Votes)
depends on the marshal (4%, 2 Votes)
no, we had not thought of this before (2%, 1 Votes)
no, we aren’t interested (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 56
Which disciplines do you currently track participation in?
archery (88%, 56 Votes)
thrown weapons (mixed) (61%, 39 Votes)
combat archery (23%, 15 Votes)
atl atl (13%, 8 Votes)
equestrian (mixed) (11%, 7 Votes)
siege (9%, 6 Votes)
darts (mixed) (6%, 4 Votes)
none of the above (2%, 1 Votes)
don’t know (2%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 64
Are participation numbers shared or made available publicly?
yes (36%, 20 Votes)
yes, as part of our reporting the numbers are automatically shared (22%, 12 Votes)
no, we share numbers if asked (16%, 9 Votes)
don’t know (15%, 8 Votes)
no (7%, 4 Votes)
no, we have no direct way to do it (4%, 2 Votes)
Total Voters: 55
If participation numbers are shared publicly, how?
Kingdom web site (44%, 21 Votes)
Facebook (40%, 19 Votes)
personal web sites (current marshal site etc.) (25%, 12 Votes)
Baronial/Shire/etc web site (23%, 11 Votes)
none of the above (19%, 9 Votes)
e-mail lists (10%, 5 Votes)
other social media (8%, 4 Votes)
Total Voters: 48
Does your Kingdom have individual scoring sites for recording scores?
yes, we use scores.sca.org (44%, 23 Votes)
yes, but we only add scores for specific (scoring) shoots (17%, 9 Votes)
no (other reason) (15%, 8 Votes)
yes, we made our own (10%, 5 Votes)
don’t know (8%, 4 Votes)
yes, we use several (6%, 3 Votes)
no, we have no appreciable martial activities to track (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 52
Would you be willing to share your participation numbers?
yes, even if it adds an additional step (46%, 24 Votes)
no, not sure how to effectively accomplish this (15%, 8 Votes)
as a participant, I’d love to see the number (15%, 8 Votes)
yes, but as part of a year end accounting etc. only (12%, 6 Votes)
yes, as long as there is no additional work (10%, 5 Votes)
no, do not see the merit (2%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 52
regarding participation, do you currently use a sign in sheet for martial activities?
yes, all of them, all the time (40%, 21 Votes)
yes, but only some (32%, 17 Votes)
no, we only record scoring activities (19%, 10 Votes)
yes, but different systems capture different disciplines (9%, 5 Votes)
Total Voters: 53
Do you support sharing participation numbers inter-Kingdom?
yes (96%, 50 Votes)
no (4%, 2 Votes)
Total Voters: 52
