Dalla and I, with input from House members, wrote up a set of standards and Values for House Wolfhaven. They are the ideal that we work towards, and expect our members to strive for. Feel free to post any questions or as for clarification.
The standards are as follws:
House Wolfhaven Core Values
Excellence in All We Do; Integrity First; Service to The Dream
We view our household as a part of your journey; we do not expect that it will be the end of the journey for everyone. It is important to us to help you find the best fit for you – which may or may not include membership in our household.
House Wolfhaven Membership Standards
These are the standards for House membership that we expect people to be working towards. We understand not everybody will meet them right out of the gate… but they are goals we expect to be shared.
Standards for House members:
- Clothing of appropriate pattern and color, made from natural fibers available to your persona.
- Period shoes or unobtrusive modern footwear.
- Persona appropriate accessories, including appropriately styled belt.
- Avoid modern accessories when possible.
- Reasonable persona story.
Standards for member of the hirð:
- Basic appropriate helmet
- Modern protective gear hidden by fighting garb.
- Persona appropriate shields (rounds and kites for Viking, etc.)
- Persona appropriate weapons. No greatsword/katana for Vikings. Shaped polearms…axes or cutting spears only.
- Hockey gloves should be avoided and replaced ASAP.
I will expect progress toward an authentic looking kit appropriate to your status.
Dalla’s Additional Philosophies
- Everything you do reflects on those you associate with. The things you do in the SCA, and some of the things you do in mundane life as well, reflect on us, the rest of the household, and the SCA. When you join the household, we share in your honors and successes as well as in your shames and disappointments – and you share in ours.
- Everyone has their own life path to walk, and each path is unique. The success of others does not diminish your own successes. Because everyone’s paths are different, it is impossible to judge how far along you are on your path in comparison to how far along others are on theirs. Trying to compare yourself and your efforts to others will only lead to disappointment and heartbreak. Because we are each unique, things which are easy for you may be difficult for another, and things which may be difficult for you may be easy for another. If you focus on competing against your own previous efforts instead of against others, you will never stop growing.
- We learn when we teach. When you teach others about a skill or subject, you will initially learn more than your students because in preparing to teach, in thinking through how to explain something, and in listening to the input from your students, you will gain more knowledge. The greatest joy a teacher can have is seeing their students outstrip the teacher’s abilities – by starting with the knowledge given by the teacher, then exceeding that knowledge through their own efforts – because then the teacher has truly inspired the student as well as inspiring learning to take place.
Wolfhaven Camp Philosophy
“Wolfhaven Camp” includes members of House Wolfhaven, but there is no obligation for members of the household to camp with us. This also works in reverse – there are people who are part of our encampment who are not members of House Wolfhaven. We choose our camp members by determining if they are compatible with our house standards/ goals/ philosophies, if they can work effectively under our leadership, and if they are compatible with the personalities of the existing camp members.
Do people approach you for membership or do you approach them for membership?
ReplyDeleteAre those being considered for membership required to spend a minimum amount of time with the rest of the household per week, month, year etc?
Do you allow members to be part of any other household at the same time, as long as the goals and rules of the other household do not contradict your own?
Can your members play/ come from different cultures and eras or do they all come from 9th C Britain/ Scandinavian/Icelandic?
Does your household subscribe to the "Friends First, Family After" model? In other words do you have to be good friends with a potential member before you will consider them for membership?
Do people approach you for membership or do you approach them for membership?
ReplyDelete-- We usually approach them, although we are open to having a conversation when approached. We do not actively recruit. If someone has been hanging with us and fits, or asks about joining the House, we talk about it.
Are those being considered for membership required to spend a minimum amount of time with the rest of the household per week, month, year etc?
--Case by case. We have had one person do a probationary year. As for a time requirement for members to spend with each other… nope. We love to spend time together, but there is no specific requirement.
Do you allow members to be part of any other household at the same time, as long as the goals and rules of the other household do not contradict your own?
--No.
Can your members play/ come from different cultures and eras or do they all come from 9th C Britain/ Scandinavian/Icelandic?
-- They can have different personas, but we've only had Dark Ages personas up til now.
Does your household subscribe to the "Friends First, Family After" model? In other words do you have to be good friends with a potential member before you will consider them for membership?
--I would not consider someone for membership if I did not have a close personal relationship with them.
We consider our household to be like family to us.
Thanks for answering all those questions Olaf. Mostly I was being curious, but I was also putting out feelers. No harm no foul.
ReplyDelete