Contacts - Hospitaller/Chatelaine - Kingdom of Lochac

Chatelaines Handbook

Chapter 4 - Acclimating the Newcomer: Getting the Newcomer Involved

1.	Orientation
The purpose of orientation is to welcome newcomers to the SCA, the Kingdom and your local group, and provides them with the BASIC and practical information needed to get started in the SCA.
	(a)	Frequency If you are fortunate to have a fairly large number of newcomers, it may be an idea to have monthly newcomers' meetings. If not, conduct them as needed.
	(b)	Location A central location within your local group is best. As an alternative, you may want to see where the majority of your newcomers live and adjust the location accordingly. Some groups prefer to have meetings at the home of a member, while others prefer a neutral location such as a community centre, church hall, library, scout hall, uni lecture room.
	(c)	Context Depending on your group culture, you can conduct newcomers' meetings / orientation sessions in a variety of contexts. Some groups prefer to simply have straight forward newcomers' meetings, while others prefer to make it more of a social engagement, such as a BBQ (byo).
	(d)	Content Remember, you want to make your newcomers feel welcome, provide them with practical information that will enable them to get started and answer any questions they may have. Be careful not to overwhelm them with too much information. Below is a suggested outline for the format of an "orientation session".
		(1)	Introduction / Welcome Welcome the Newcomers and other attendees, state your objective for he gathering and ask Officers etc., to introduce themselves (mundane name & SCA name) and give a brief explanation of what their role is. Be sure to explain that the session / meeting is intended to provide them (newcomers) with information for "getting started". It is not designed to provide them with everything they will need to know about the SCA, as it will be easier if they assimilate the bulk of that information gradually over time.
		(2)	An overview of the SCA and your local Group Who we are and what we do
		(3)	Information on how to get started (a) Attending their first event (b) Garb and loaner gear (c) Heraldry and persona development (d) Overview of the Arts & Sciences (e) Overflow of Martial activities (f) Courtesy and forms of address
		(4)	Question and answer session
		(5)	Orientation Evaluation Ask each newcomer to fill out an orientation feedback form. It is important that you find out what your newcomers want from their association with the SCA. In this way, you can better meet their future needs and along the way, improve the quality of future sessions.
	(e)	Who should attend? In addition to the newcomers, some groups invite all members to attend, while others prefer to limit the attendance to newcomers, officers and selected presenters. In order to make your newcomers' meeting go more smoothly, be sure to let your members know what the format is ahead of time; solicit "presenters" well in advance and make sure they know what they are expected to cover. Additionally, you may want to remind the members of your group to engage the newcomers in conversation at appropriate times during the meeting.

Handbook

Chapter 1
About the Office

Chapter 2
Attracting newcomers

Chapter 3
Demonstrations

Chapter 4
Making the Newcomer Comfortable
1. Orientation
2. Helping Newcomers Attend their First Event
3. Involvement & Education
. . . continued
4. When does a Newcomer stop being a Newcomer

Chapter 5
Gold Key (Loaner Garb & Feasting Gear)

Chapter 6
Dealing with the Media

Chapter 7
Media Briefing

Appendix I
Media Policy for the Kingdom of Lochac as at 26^th April AS XLI (2007)