More staff let go

[Morrigan]

Wow...  Ok, this might make me a little unpopular, but I'm seeing a whole lot of fortune-telling, conjecture, assumptions, and hyperbole being tossed around, here.

I don't know any of the people who were let go on a personal friends-type level... my sympathies do go out to them as people who have lost their jobs at this time and added stress to what should be a festive and joyfull season, but I have no emotional investment in whether or not they continued to work at TRF.

As much as TRF is a second home to many of us, at it's core it is a BUSINESS.  And if the behind-the-scenes business had long-standing issues that needed addressing (which I'm given to understand it did), then sometimes a small revolution is the answer.  And revolutions hurt, and there are always casualties.

I'm not a fortune-teller or a psychic.  I'm also not involved in the day-to-day operation of the TRF office.  But unless I'm sadly mistaken, neither is anyone else who has been flailing and wailing and forcasting doom in this thread.   I'm willing to take a wait-and-see.   Who knows, the end result may beneficial to TRF in the big picture.

[Breandan]

I'm also not involved in the day-to-day operation of the TRF office.  But unless I'm sadly mistaken, neither is anyone else who has been flailing and wailing and forcasting doom in this thread.  

No offense meant, but yes, you are mistaken. Several of the people who have posted here have varying connections to- or are directly involved in- the behind-the-scenes goings-on in the TRF main office. I know several of the people let go, and they were responsible for many of the few GOOD things going on. I'm not speaking as a psychic, I'm speaking as a businessman who has been working at TRF for over 20 years. Doug charted out the general pattern of faire's cycle, with its peaks and troughs of success and failure based on the decisions of management and George, and this is WAY outside the curve. The last time something this major happened was when the concession booths were "annexed" something close to thirty years ago, and that caused major problems for faire that lasted well into the 90s. As I said, this is not the death of TRF, but it is a major blow to the prospects of its financial future due to fiduciary irresponsibility in the decision-making process (well, insofar as the GM's decisions will inevitably have a direct effect on the bottom line of TRF, inc.)

[Morrigan]

No offense meant, but yes, you are mistaken. Several of the people who have posted here have varying connections to- or are directly involved in- the behind-the-scenes goings-on in the TRF main office.

No offense taken.  I was just very unaware that any members of the main office staff (either the ones that were let go or the ones still working there) were posting on this thread.  Because IMHO, the people actually working IN that office every day are the only ones who REALLY know what happens in that office.   Anyone else posting here about how many tickets went where or who said what to who or anything else like that is just posting conjecture and heresay.  Sorry, but conjecture is not certainty, and heresay is not irrefutable fact.   If anyone who actually WORKS in the office every day has posted something that I have assumed is heresay, then I apologize.

However, I still maintain that this thread contains a lot of doomsaying that is essentially taking the worst-case scenario imagined and accepting it as a foregone conclusion.    This serves no purpose but to foster negativity.   

Reminds me of presidential elections... no matter which party wins the presidency, the opposing party in congress can be counted on to thwart the process as much as possible in order to prove their claims that the new leadership sucked.

Are we really serving the TRF we love so much if we take the same tack?  Instead of saying "Oh, it's all going to shiner bock" and then digging in our heels (thus giving it the best chance of actually going to shiner bock), aren't our interests better served by working WITH the changes that are happening the best we can?

I dunno.  Maybe I'm being a little Pollyanna, but as was said by someone I respect very much, "We can't change things, so we've all got a choice, here.  We can say yes, or we can say no."   

[DonaCatalina]

As a vendor, I'm kinda holding my breath here. There has always been some changes from year to year, that's just part of the game, but it's the drastic changes that can hammer us. My understanding that none of the new people have any ren experience.

They don't. The GM refused to attend faire in garb until George forced him closing weekend. He made fun of everyone who did come in garb, employee and rennie alike.
I don't see this going well. I pray it does but I'm not holding my breath.
I do see a silver lining. Sherwood should benefit from this.

King George has always had a reputation for having sound business sense even if some people consider him a bit on the ruthless side. Why would he hire a GM who thinks renfaires and garb are something to be mocked? That is what brings in the mundanes who pay the bills. Something else seems to be going on here. What is the new GM's exact relationship to George?

[BryanPopp]

Morrigan
I fully understand what you are saying.
The things I have posted here I learned from current vendors and former and current staff members that I know and I get to talk to often.
I believe most of the people who know what went on this season and off season are worried that the faire we love will not be the same or even a close resemblance of the faire that we love. Think about the disaster that was Excalibur when it moved from Smithville.

[Morrigan]

Morrigan
I fully understand what you are saying.
The things I have posted here I learned from current vendors and former and current staff members that I know and I get to talk to often.
I believe most of the people who know what went on this season and off season are worried that the faire we love will not be the same or even a close resemblance of the faire that we love. Think about the disaster that was Excalibur when it moved from Smithville.

Of course.  And trust me, I'm not saying it isn't cause for concern.   I'm concerned, too.   But given the choice between woe-is-us chest-thumping and cautious/hopeful optimism, I'm gonna choose the latter.

[Tudor-Diva]

One thing I've learned about Morrigan in the many years I've known her, is that her advice and opinions are always very sound, reasonable and level headed.  She is always able to discuss a topic pragmatically and without being inflammatory. 

I usually refrain from offering a personal opinion on topics having to do with the inner workings of TRF because often it would not be politic for me to do so, but I don't see the the experience for the regular faire goer changing except for the better.  As far as the entertainment side of it goes, I don't see much changing at all.

I'm maintaining a positive outlook as well.

[Yrose]

I'm am truly sorry for all that lost their jobs in these economic times. But, I'm an optimistic person and only time will tell how this effects TRF. Let's give it the benefit of doubt.

[Merlin the Elder]

I'm not a TRF regular by any means, as I haven't been to that faire in probably 20 years, but I would like to make an observation. Morrigan has a very valid point, and rephrased the way my dad used to phrase it, "Don't squeal `till you get stuck."

That many of your well-known, well-liked personnel have been turned out is upsetting for sure, but its future effect on TRF cannot be known. We were told some years back that a lot of TRF vendors were peddling cheap foreign sweatshop trinkets rather than the quality craftsman-made goods that you would hope to find in a faire. It was one of the reasons we decided that we didn't want to make the long journey to TRF each year. The 5½ hours to Scarby are long enough. But, in reading this thread, I'm realizing that perhaps that information wasn't quite true.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that the perceptions of everyone are going to be as varied as the number of people. Some are going to be hurt by a given action, others may benefit. Only time is going to tell which is going to be better for the largest group.

[BobSmith]

aren't our interests better served by working WITH the changes that are happening the best we can?

Hitler, 1938

[Merlin the Elder]

That's a bit extreme, don't you think? There is no analogy between TRF and Nazi Germany.

[Morrigan]

aren't our interests better served by working WITH the changes that are happening the best we can?

Hitler, 1938

O_o  erm....  seriously?   SERIOUSLY?!?

*insert eloquent eye roll here* 

[Breandan]

dangnubbit, didn't even make it to page 3 before Godwin's Law came into effect >.<

Look, it's simple- some of my friends were among those that got sacked, and for no discernibly good reason. I personally lost a lot this last year out there, in part due to the changes being made. I am an artisan and have been edged out by trinkets. I don't like the Medieval Mart mentality to say the least, and am a very vocal opponent of it. So, that being said, if anyone was going to start flinging hotheaded comments and spurious analogies around it would be... well, Frasier first, and then me Point being, you don't see me tossing virtual vitriol around like that. Level-headed discussion and general civil bytching are fine, but tossing out the Godwin Bomb is a facepalm moment.

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

  



ROTFLMAO!


Why, thank you, my friend.... i think. 

[Tudor-Diva]

Can we invoke Rule 34 yet?  (Sorry!  Couldn't resist  )