[Artemisia] FW: Non-Member Fees

[Sondra Gibson]

Re: Non-Member fees:  

Ldy. Ygrainne writes:

The fee isn't used as an incentive
for gaining membership.  It is a cost of doing business fee (ie: extra
insurance, paperwork, and legal issues) it covers a multitude of
expenses incurred by the SCA for a non member to attend "any" event and
must be collected.  This has kept the cost of our memberships at a
reasonable level and put the expense on the non member.

I know some people have found this to be unfair, but I for one, can not
afford to carry the fee of non members for each event.  My pocketbook
just won't allow it. I find it very fair that, the extra expense to
play, is put on the people who wish to play without the benefit of a
membership and not those people that have choose to be card carrying
members of the SCA.

Even if a Barony/Shire or other group
putting on the event wishes to waive the newcomers $3 NMF, the fee must
still be paid to Kingdom, it doesn't waive us of the responsibility.
We, in our Barony, have decided to allow first time event attendees to
have their NMF waived, but we [the Barony] still pay the fee to
Kingdom.  It is our way of saying welcome to a new comer and we hope you
enjoy your stay enough to attend again.  It is also explained this way
to each non member at the door.

The fee isn't used as a as a negative incentive to gain membership.

Ldy. Ygrainne ferch Rhun
Exchequer, Barony of Sentinels' Keep
(who cannot post from her work address, so asked that this be forwarded to
the list)