Newcomers tour

Introduction

This guide is intended to inform Stewards and the Newcomers’ Tour Coordinator at Canterbury Faire of the essential organisation components for this activity. The Newcomers’ Tour is important for attendees new to Faire, many of whom will be relatively new to the SCA. For many New Zealand scadians Canterbury Faire is also the biggest event they ever attend, and thus many will not necessarily be aware of some of the unwritten traditions and protocols associated with navigating large camping events. This tour therefore represents the best opportunity for new attendees to discover where they can go, what they can do, and what makes Canterbury Faire so special as an event on the SCA calendar.

Tour Coordinator

The steward should appoint a coordinator/leader of the tour quite early in the planning process. The Tour Leader should have most of the following qualities:

• Be an experienced scadian who has attended Faire for several years.
• Is familiar with the various households and places of interest where important activities take place.
• Can demonstrate protocol when entering and engaging with different household campsites.
• Can eloquently discuss all of this, and answer questions from newcomers.

Scheduling and Publicity

It is important when scheduling the tour that newcomers have maximum opportunity to attend. Thus it is recommended that the tour be scheduled later on the Sunday afternoon of setup weekend, when households and the Ordinance Corps have completed (at least mostly completed) setup. This should give newcomers time to attend, and gives them the opportunity to see the site after everything has been set up and the site is fully structured.

The committee also recommends that Stewards consider scheduling a second Newcomers’ Tour within the early-mid timeframe (Tuesday or thereabouts) of Faire itself. A second tour enables people to attend who were unable to attend the first, and it enables people to tour the site once it is fully active, with everyone in garb and sites such as The Mangy Mongol and Coppergate in full operation.

The steward and/or tour leader should ensure that the tour(s) time and start location are set on the schedule and publicised well in advance of the event.

Essential Elements of the Tour

Starting Point:

Thought should be given to the announced start point of the tour, as this can have considerable bearing on its effectiveness as an introduction. Remember that many tour attendees will be unfamiliar with locations around the site (that’s the point of the tour, after all), so a start point should be chosen that is fairly obvious for anyone to find. Be aware that some locations may have accessibility issues, and this could trouble some newcomers. Some suggested locations (not exhaustive):

• The Mangy Mongol
• The Main Marquee on the Village Green
• Half-Circle/The Green Man
• Gate
• The Great Hall (note potential accessibility issues for attendees unable to negotiate the hill)

An alternative approach is to find a household willing to run a welcoming event on the afternoon of setup Sunday (a barbeque or similar) for newcomers, and start the tour from there. Such an event has been hosted by Wyvern Gaard previously with some success in attracting a crowd of attendees.

Points of Interest:

Points of interest that the tour should definitely cover include (but are not limited to):

• The Great Hall
  • Site of the Ball, the Feast, and the Meal Plan (ensure everyone knows where the dishwashing station is).
• The Village Green
  • Point out the List Field, the War field, the Archery range, the various A&S tents, and the Gate tent (if it is in this vicinity).
  • Visit the Mangy Mongol, and give the proprietors an opportunity to describe the Mong and its services.
• Half-Circle
  • Traditional site of the Half Circle Theatre.
  • If the Postmaster is in, give them an opportunity to discuss the Postal Service.
• Coppergate
  • Ensure that someone is present to talk about Coppergate, protocols for using the space and tools, and that it is a welcoming space for newcomers.
• Tui
  • Usual site of the Repast. Ensure that everyone sees the kitchen, bathroom, and  laundry facilities.

Households: The tour leader should include stops in a variety of household encampments. The following are highly recommended:

• Draco Viridis: home of the black oven, which is an available resource for cooking in coordination with the household..
• Cultus Faunus: ensure that everyone understands that the path through The Glade is a public path, and the household welcomes people walking through between Half Circle and the Village Green.
• Blue Feather: this is a safe space for members of the LGBTQI community, and are happy to welcome visitors.
• Northside: Because yurts. Need we say more.
• Gildenwick: home of Lady Ailith’s Tea House, and the Gildenwick Mead Society.

Practicalities: As the tour proceeds around site, point out mundane essentials such as: toilets, water taps, power points, and paths for navigating the site (i.e. the High Road and the Old Road).

Protocols:

While many households welcome visitors, some do appreciate privacy, and prefer if permission is sought before entering their space. Some households even have bells or other audible signals for visitors to announce themselves. The tour leader should have an understanding of these protocols, which households utilise them, and demonstrate the appropriate methods of approach to each household they visit.

Feedback:

The Steward and/or the Tour Coordinator should consider a process for obtaining feedback from Faire newcomers on the effectiveness of the Tour. This could be undertaken shortly after Faire, or even later at Faire itself.