Re-organizing Westfinder/the community [also $$]

[Bold bits are important.]

Hillary here. Hello!

Munnies update: we have 398 dollars and 9 cents. I'm not sure where the cents came from actually.

What money will be spent this month before Jenna's game: Not a whole lot. There aren't many costuming items to buy or make, and I'm trying very hard to make some of the little props out of items I already have in my house. I will update this blog EVERY TIME we spend money, and on what!

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I read a recommendation on the structure of Westfinder from Ben Gould, and would like to discuss how I think it could be accomplished.

"Here's how I think Westfinder would work better:

Have more people do what are currently considered staff duties. Instead of having staff doing everything, from workshops to making stuff to legal issues, let the community in. They want to. People have expressed interest in most staff activities—workshops, costuming, foamcraft. Let anyone who wants to run workshops—teach them how. Have everyone who wants to foamcraft or sew or make cool stuff. Staff have been doing these things because nobody else has stepped up, but neither has anyone else stepped up. Let's step up. Staff are part of the business, let them do business things. Let them keep track of the budget and inventory as visible google docs. Let them post current issues or news updates on a Westfinder blog where they can mediate discussion or debate. There can be polls on the blog for decisions the community can make, and the staff can confer on business-oriented decisions—business issues like Wayfinder relations and selecting games / staff for the new season. With this new model, it also opens up possibilities for staff locations, as most of the things that are necessarily staff-y simply involve communication. You don't even necessarily need staff keeping the weapons or costuming. Let staff do the things that make Westfinder a business, and let the community do things that bring people together."

__My italics

This is a thing that looks easier in words to accomplish than it might be in actuality. I'm going to talk about how this could potentially work for costuming. (Note: I'll let Sam talk about production. He works with his foam, so until that becomes westfidner foam, and I don't know what's up with that, he can decide that he doesn't want other people to work with his foam.)

I do costuming because I am good at it, I have the materials to do it, I have the motivation and (more or less) time for that. I also have the money so its easy to buy costuming or fabric. Below I'm going to describe a system in which I would be organizing Costuming and people could help out and work in costuming with me:

I would love help with costuming. I really would, especially for next months game in which I'll have to make more items. I know a few people who would help me with costuming, and who have expressed interest in that. So, how would that work? Would I split up the costuming lists and give people smaller jobs to do, so it's less work for all? The thing is, I know that I can spend all night the day before a bootleg and organize and finish all costuming, but if people were to also help with costuming I would have to know that they could get the items to me the day before the game. ((Also, sometimes costuming involves spoilers which I am privy too a good deal of the time. I suppose I would cover those.))

An easier situation would be to have a sewing/costuming making day where we could all work on these things together. I could organize the costuming, and have a few Fashion Gangsters to help out with the work. They could also help distribute costuming during events, which would be a HUGE help!

Well, what about payment? I work costuming every single month, but I only will take payment when I also help run the events workshops, etc. For compensation, I sometimes use the extra fabric to make things for myself, and I don't pay the 20$ for bootlegs. Is this fair? (I think so. Tell me if it's not.)

Are there people who are willing to put in time and effort to help with costuming without being paid? Can they prioritize costuming so that I can trust that it will get done, and I wont have to track my Fashion Gangsters down and learn that, oops, I didn't have time to do this? I'm a bit nervous about that idea, that's just how I am.

Ok, what if people were paid? If I had three people helping out with costuming, would I pay them for each piece? How much does a cloak cost (besides the cost of fabric) or a tunic, or a sash? Or do we just split the 60$?

Please let me know if you are interested in becoming a Fashion Gangster (part of costuming) and your opinions on how that would best work for you.

You can email me at: lord.keas@gmail.com (Its pronounced "chaos"... listen, I know I always have dorky emails! Sorry!)

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Related order of business: paying us in costuming/getting paid for costuming.

It has happened (in the past) that I have taken costuming from a player, and they did not have to pay for that event. The amount of costuming was well over 20$, and all there agreed that was fair. I'm not sure how other staff feel about this, but we could have a Westfinder Costuming Tab: if you give us pieces of costuming, you'd get a discount on your next event.

Measuring how much costuming is worth is a bit tricky. Do we go by sine-exchange value? Comertial-value? (oh, goddamnit marxist critisism.) What I mean is... it would be like going to Urban Ore. I'd examine your items of costuming, and judge as best I can how much that would be worth. Its not an exact science really.

I think that it would be better to give people discounts or even free events than just pay them for costuming. Like... money that goes towards your next Westfinder event! Any thoughts on that?

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COSTUMING FOR 4.5: BATTLE OF JARAMONTE

This can also be used as a reference for self costuming. When character sheets go out I'll post a similar thing again.

Valmonts: Military Gear (which we have plenty of)
Browns: Black clothing (we also have a great deal of)
Gutenbergs: ...? [I'll update]

Costuming to make:
*5-6 amulets: probably out of string and those big, gaudy fake jewels you wore as a little girl. I have some, but does anyone know a place where I can get some more at?
*Julio's chess shirt: knight on front in spanish "international chess championship 2268", back: make up names for starting matches
*Dimensionist cross-circle necklaces: probably cardboard and string! Hurrah.
*Messenger bag for [spoilers]. Does any of the staff have one? Do we have one in military gear? Costuming needs their own so that I can make it look all [spoilers]

~Hillary
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Colorshock the way too long novel: www.colorshock.blogspot.com