How important is it to be part of a club?

[NigelT]

Hi all,

The reenactment landscape in New Zealand is an ever changing beast, with new clubs popping up and old clubs sliding under. Certainly the only constant is that our numbers are slowly increasing year by year.

How important is it today to be part of a club? Is it enough to be independent and cherry pick your interaction where you like?

Has the role of the club changed? Do clubs try and accommodate non-combatants as well as combatants? How successful is this? Are we seeing clubs forming that are entirely non-combatant focused? Certainly it would seem that more and more people are entering reenactment as non-combatants than perhaps there were 5 years ago.

Aside from soliciting discussion on this topic, I'm particularly interested in your current personal situation, hence the poll. Are you actively part of a club, completely independent, or somewhere in between?

When answering the poll, if you have more than one club affiliation, answer for your most active if you can.

Cheers,
Nigel

[Gaius Drustanus]

The advantage of belonging to a Club is what we call, in the medical professions, "Peer Review".

When I was with AS&S, Steve Hodgson was extremely sceptical about the safe use of Mace in Combat and this was a policy, respecting his extensive experience, I took with me to the Second Legion Augusta. In this manner past experience is recycled for the benefit of all participants.

Mr Brent Ruijne broke away from the Roman group and other clubs for reasons we don't need to relitigate here and declared himself "Independent" and as such, two years later, entitled to use Mace.

Landing a full strength blow onto a young Norse fellows scapula/shoulder blade from behind at a Taupo event, said Viking Snorri was in the Ambalance promptly in screaming agony and off to Waikato Hospital, courtesy of Mr Independent. Fractures of the shoulder blade are extremely serious. The offender is no longer part of the movement.

A Well equipped and kitted out group can effectively give the Newbie a substantial "leg up" support to transition the process of getting the (very expensive) initial gear.

However, I do not regard my Roman club as a gang, and DO NOT discourage a diversity of historical interest (which I have myself) or discourage membership of other groups.

[Nathan]

[Gaius Drustanus]

"petty club politics"


Balderdash!.
Based on a learned and scholarly research into Asterix and Obelix, you have fallen over yourself for decades to bully and put your slimey oar into interclub ridicule (most recently recorded on these GD pages, not even a witty cartoon).
"Independence" is only based on your nonAryan desire not to part with the foldy Moulah!
Clubs should charge freeloading Floaters a fee for "Just turning up" as they bludge trainers time and cost overheads that loyal members of "certain clubs", long suffering, friendly and patient, have to pay themselves.
Membership of clubs generates the financial and manpower resources that will maintain and progress the Well Being of Reenactment as a Whole. Human politics has proven that there is no future in Anarchy.

[Gaius Drustanus]

Hypocrites is not just a Geek Doctor

[Robbo]

Iirc we aren't really supposed to make personal attacks on these forums dude. Bad spanky. Apologise or retract your uncalled for maliciousness!

This is becoming a habit of yours dear boi. :p

[Freebooter]

[Gaius Drustanus]

Great sample so far.
The Dawn Reivers.

[Freebooter]

Yeah....nah.

I'm proud to teach that club, but I'm not a member and don't plan to become one.
The reivers have a universally high standard of training and have deported themselves well in the last few years. My "joining" the group would not change that.

In saying this, I do require figters to be vetted by peer review before taking the field at events. And clubs are good for that.

Nic[/i]

[Victorius]

The vetting thing is the issue. I'm wondering if the mace incident mentioned earlier could have been alleviated in the marshals had insisted the combatant in question be cleared to use it by a reputable trainer first. All the independents I know are well-trained, and have often fought under the auspices of responsible clubs anyway.

[Gaius Drustanus]

More Floater freeloading.
Nick and the Taupo boys are run off their feet with urgent and pressing responsibilites.
It is cost and time effective for organisers to devolve these vetting duties onto the participating clubs.
I notice that Pee Wee and the much vaunted BC camp do so now.
Specimen Mr Ruijne, who claimed to be previously well club trained is, just a leach on the dutiful club Captains of past years and after a few years of non club participation he had frittered any skill levels (which were indifferent at best) way with pathetic indolence.
That is why club membership "Peer Review:" is important

[Gaius Drustanus]

Apart from that, Brent insolently, blatantly and flagrantally flouted the received safety Wisdom of past (sadly deceased) generations of Safety motivated trainers and club organisers far more skilled and erudite than me by defiantly using a Mace, even though he had been specifically instructed that it was dangerous.
It was exactly his yahoo Cowboy attitude that had landed him guilty before the Courts on a charge of Vandalism and I had to try, as his Club Captain (no thanks there), to bail him out with a Character reference. In retrospect, probably wasn't such a good idea.
One"Missionary" who brings his"denomination" into very serious sick disrepute and disgrace.
Enough to turn you to Asutru!

[Katlin Hytonen]

"How important is it to belong to a club"? Well it may help if your back is against the wall in a fight or you are big on socialization but i don't see anything wrong with being independent.
Katlin

[Wellybex]

I started with a club who got me on my feet and taught me well and sent me in the right direction. At that stage I was a non com. After a few years I drifted off and did my own thing quite happily. Now I belong to a couple of clubs. I see the benfits for both sides, if you don't want to get involved in politics and are the kind of person who will no matter how hard you try to stay away, being independant is good, it is also cheaper and it means that you can do whatever you want to.

As a new fighter I am glad to be part of a club, they have got my back (I think...?) and give me a good base for learning how to fight well and safely. I would also like to think that those who don't belong to a club and are self taught fighters, have someone that can vouch for them or are tested in some way to prove they are safe on the field. That is what my captain does for me as a fighter so I think that the same should apply to any independants. I don't think that people who can't get to a club to train should not be able to fight. Afterall, thats how clubs start and we all have to start somewhere

[Gaius Drustanus]

"Now I belong to a couple of clubs"
Thank you Wellybex. That's the core statement.
Sadly the erudite gentleman who had such an experienced attitude to Mace impact weapons and combat safety (one shouldn't speak ill of the Dead) also had an sadly immature attitude gang mentality to other clubs that he couldn't/didn't control.
Very childish.
Many members including myself walked away from that club (despite the wealth of useful experience on offer) because of this infantile attitude.
And not unknown in other clubs.
This is where the derogatory and sexist term "club slut" came from.
The fact that the pool of available man(woman)power interested in Reenactment in New Zealand and for medievalism seems to be limited, in comparison to UK etc. Competition for members can be fierce. And Unethical.
Reenactment clubs are NOT GANGS.
You should belong to as many clubs as you want and can afford.