Update on the X Marks booth at the Pleasanton games

[macwilkin]

Alan,

Have you called the clan liason? Hard to believe, but some people these days do not check their e-mails on a regular basis. There is a phone number listed on the site. I really think you need to try to contact them directly, and not rely on e-mail. Did you see this disclaimer on their web site?

Participants are reminded that his event is Scottish and is strictly invitational. The Caledonian Club of San Francisco is constituted as a private social club and reserves the right to refuse entry to any person or organization as it sees fit.

I would strongly advise not just to "show up" without talking to someone in charge first. That could get you escorted off the premises PDQ, especially if you are bringing in alcohol -- have you checked on local laws concerning public consumption? Most games frown on individuals bringing in their own (and yes, I know, I've been around games for 10 years) and it is usually due to their agreements with the local government, park board, as well as insurance liabilties. Insurance costs can make or break a games, and as a result, games organizers get paranoid about losing it. Trust me on this one; I've been around enough games and even helped organize one for three years, so I'm not just trying to tell you what to do. I'm currently acting as an advisor to the local games north of Springfield and many of these same issues come up in our planning.

Regards,

Todd

[Panache]

Alan,

I think we should introduce ourselves to the representatives of the Caledonian Club on Sunday in person. We bring them some information about X Marks and set things up for next year. If we are going to represent X Marks the Scot we owe it to everyone here on this forum to do it in a polished and polite manner.

I also think we should introduce ourselves to the some of the clans. I wonder how many of these people realize there are plenty of alternatives to the handsewn 8 yard kilt. Think of what interesting contributions an influx of these people would bring to the forum.

Cheers

[Alan H]

Alan,

Have you called the clan liason? Hard to believe, but some people these days do not check their e-mails on a regular basis. There is a phone number listed on the site. I really think you need to try to contact them directly, and not rely on e-mail. Did you see this disclaimer on their web site?



I would strongly advise not just to "show up" without talking to someone in charge first. That could get you escorted off the premises PDQ, especially if you are bringing in alcohol -- have you checked on local laws concerning public consumption? Most games frown on individuals bringing in their own (and yes, I know, I've been around games for 10 years) and it is usually due to their agreements with the local government, park board, as well as insurance liabilties. Insurance costs can make or break a games, and as a result, games organizers get paranoid about losing it. Trust me on this one; I've been around enough games and even helped organize one for three years, so I'm not just trying to tell you what to do. I'm currently acting as an advisor to the local games north of Springfield and many of these same issues come up in our planning.

Regards,

Todd

I've called, I've e-mailed and I've written a paper letter. The ONLY response I've gotten is the vendor guy sending me an e-mail with the forms for registering as a vendor, even though I explained clearly and succinctly that we are NOT a vendor.

I've considered printing off the "Clan Registration Form" which is nothing but five lines saying what clan you are and a contact number, tucking $35 in it, and sending it in. But at this point I have no confidence whatsoever that they will in fact either get it, register us, or figure out ANYTHING.

I am utterly UN-impressed with the organizational ability of this outfit.

Besides, if they tell us to take down the tent, then so what? We take down the tent, dump the junk in the car, and go back and grouse about it at the Clan Cian tent. Big whoop.

About the acohol....every clan tent I've ever been in has a cooler with beer and soft drinks in it. People walk around, sharing their flask of single-malt with friends and nobody bats an eye. At the Campbell games, the Campbell girls walked around asking for donations to their scholarship fund by auctioning off a claymore. The girls were quite free with sips from their flasks. Upshot...there is alcohol ALL OVER every Highland Games I've ever been to, here in California.

The Wicked Tinkers play many of the Games I attend. They make a STAGE ROUTINE of accepting hits off of the audience flasks of whisky, while they play their "Whisky" song! If the Caledonian Club throws a fit over having alcohol at the Games, they're got a real issue on their hands, because every third attendee has some!

However, Todd, because I hear your call to "accountability" despite my extreme irritation with these people, I will call them ONE more time......

[macwilkin]

Alan,

From what I can gather, like most Scottish games/festivals, etc., this is an all-volunteer organization. I've seen events like these that are ran like a ship at sea, and others that have no organization at all. Most of these folks have a life outside of the games, though, so you might cut them a little slack. They can only do so much.

If you can't get the response you want from the clan liason, then contact the President of the Caledonian Society. Or someone else.

About the acohol....every clan tent I've ever been in has a cooler with beer and soft drinks in it. People walk around, sharing their flask of single-malt with friends and nobody bats an eye. At the Campbell games, the Campbell girls walked around asking for donations to their scholarship fund by auctioning off a claymore. The girls were quite free with sips from their flasks. Upshot...there is alcohol ALL OVER every Highland Games I've ever been to, here in California.

Believe me, I've seen quite a bit of it at games here in the Midwest as well. I'm not that naive!

BUT, my point is, that technically, most games prohibit it. Yes, they do turn a blind-eye -- but what if you've "gate-crashed" and attracted attention to yourself? Now they have a valid reason to escort you out. And as I pointed out before, Bass Ale is one of their sponsors -- a sponsor that probably donates a hefty sum to the games. Naturally, the organizers want to encourage attendees to drink their sponsor's beer and make more money.

As far as what they can do, well, I've seen people escorted and removed from games before by the local constabulary. Not very often, but it does happen. See their disclaimer that I posted.

Again, I'm not trying to be a wise-acre here, or trying to take the mickey out of you. Listen to Panache, and as Mike said, "play the game".

Regards,

Todd

[Mike1]

Alan, I'm afraid I've got to side with Todd on this one.

If you want to go gate-crashing the event, that's really up to you, a decision you need to make for yourself. It's you, and only you, that will pay whatever consequences your actions might bring.

As a member of this forum, I'm not so sure that I care for your cavalier attitude, particularly when you are wanting to identify your tent with this site. Do me a favor, willya? Play the game the way it's meant to be played or leave the X Marks poster at home. The instant you set that poster in your tent, you are going to be perceived as a representative of this site. And to be quite frank, we (as a forum community) don't want or need the brand of negative exposure you are risking with your devil-may-care attitude.

In my not-so-humble opinion, I think you would do well to get yourself a cold glass of water, take a few deep breaths and read what Todd and Panache are saying to you.

[Alan H]

Alan, I'm afraid I've got to side with Todd on this one.



In my not-so-humble opinion, I think you would do well to get yourself a cold glass of water, take a few deep breaths and read what Todd and Panache are saying to you.

I read it. Please understand that this has draggted on for WEEKS, OK? It's nto like I haven't tried and tried and tried again to contact them and register legitimately. I'm very cognizant of the fact that if a tent goes up, we represent X Marks to the entire community that attends the Games, even if it's just a casual thing. I'm annoyed, but I read it.

I will call their Clan organizing guy one more time. If I get no response...phone calls not returned, then I will wash my hands of the entire thing, and hang the X Marks tent idea. I think it's too bad, but so be it..

[Alan H]

Gee, I wonder why I didn't get a call-back last time..... I called the contact number from their web site for Clan Registration. This is the telephone number on their registration form.....and it's the wrong number. I confirmed with the person that answered the phone that I had dialed the correct number, and I had. Ooops... wrong number. Sorry. Not only that, but the snail-mail address is wrong, according to the person who answered the phone. That means that all the clans that are mailing in their addresses are sending their registration forms to the wrong place.

*sigh*

So I e-mailed the guy who's listed as the Clan Coordinator at his Kerr Clan mailing address. This is opposed to the regular Games information e-mail address, which is what I've used in the past. If I don't get an answer, then this has become way too much hassle for the fun it was supposed to be, and I'll forget it.

[Mike1]

Alan, I fully understand, as you've already gone into painful detail with us on the topic.

I am of the mind that you simply need to get your ducks in a row and make up some sort of reasonable plan for what you actually intend to accomplish by your presence.

You're soured because you keep getting vendor applications, that you claim you don't need. You are forgetting your own words, posted barely 12 hours ago. Look at THIS POST.

I think I'll have 20-30 printed copies made up for the Pleasanton games and sell them for what it costs me to print them.

Do you see what I'm saying about your level of preparation? You're saying you don't need a vendor's application, yet you're considering sales of your brochure.

Relax, there's always next year.

[Alan H]

Alan, I fully understand, as you've already gone into painful detail with us on the topic.

I am of the mind that you simply need to get your ducks in a row and make up some sort of reasonable plan for what you actually intend to accomplish by your presence.

You're soured because you keep getting vendor applications, that you claim you don't need. You are forgetting your own words, posted barely 12 hours ago. Look at THIS POST.


Do you see what I'm saying about your level of preparation? You're saying you don't need a vendor's application, yet you're considering sales of your brochure.

Relax, there's always next year.

I had actually figured I'd put a jar out with "Suggested Donation" of the cost of printing the booklets. No profit, voluntary donation.