Selling Belegarth idea to college student association board?

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Selling Belegarth idea to college student association board?

Postby Nexus » Wed Sep 03, 2014 11:30 pm

Hi, everyone!

I am currently in the process of getting all of the paperwork done to start up a Belegarth club at a small private university. So far, I haven't really come across any issues or hang ups on my end of things (Thank you SO MUCH for the "New Realm Starter Kit"! It is incredibly helpful!) and I have a ton of interest from the students and even some faculty! Now my main concern is being able to sell this idea to the student association and alumni association board members. Getting funding and recognition as an official student organization would be a wonderful thing!
So here is my problem...
I go to a Quaker college.
Violence isn't really their thing.
A "The color guard for the marching band can't even toss rifles" kinda not their thing.
I know I need to tread lightly when interviewing, but I believe that I can pull this off and get a group going if I do this right.
I know that emphasizing safety will be a good idea, and I even plan on bringing a blue sword in for them to take a look at, but do you all have any other good ideas for me? Anything at all would be appreciated!
Thanks!
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Re: Selling Belegarth idea to college student association bo

Postby Sir Thurat » Thu Sep 04, 2014 1:37 am

Selling Belegarth as non-violent is difficult, but doable. A few things that I did when I got Carthage made official at SIUC may help you as well:

  • Research other clubs on campus that may be similar (martial arts; paintball; rugby; American football). If these exist, compare the level of contact to them directly (emphasize that we are safer than any of those listed)
  • Look at clubs that have existed previously, if possible, that are similar (e.g., SCA)
  • Emphasize the strength of the foam fighting community. Generally, the community is accepting and accessible to people of all physical capabilities, and there are many opportunities to build leadership skills and confidence.
  • Talk about our non-combat focuses. Building equipment, leatherworking, metalworking, sewing, etc.
  • Explain why you think the club belongs on campus, and the direct benefit it will have for students (it's stress relieving; it's a fun, relaxed environment; great way to bring together people from different aspects of campus culture, such as nerdier folks and more athletic oriented students;)
  • Mention that Belegarth is a national organization, and that its rules are decided by a council of group representatives.
  • Don't focus too intently on how safe it is. Mention it, but don't try too hard to convince them, or they'll think you're hiding something.
  • Don't give them more information than they need. Be brief, and to the point. If they want to know more, they'll ask. I went in thinking I was going to get grilled (when I filed for RSO status), and honestly the RSO council looked bored. I sped through the big presentation I had planned, and they asked almost no questions; they could've cared less. When I applied for sport club status, the executive board I went before asked a lot more questions, and they appreciated having equipment to see and pass around, and being able to give them the basic spiel that we give new people coming on the field helped them understand exactly what we do.
  • Talk about the fact that the sport is relatively non-competitive, in the traditional sense. No one is keeping score; no one really cares which team won what battles. We go out, we fight, we have fun, we rack it and do it again.
  • We use boffer equipment stylized after medieval weaponry. We do not use weapons. Don't call them weapons.
  • Contact the head of the council/board that you will present to in advance, and ask them what kind of information they will expect, and what kind of pitfalls to avoid. I.e., the executive board president told me that no matter what, not to compare us to a martial arts group, because we would be rejected immediately, since they expect all legitimate martial arts to have a traditional teaching method they follow that is historically rooted, and follows a hierarchical training (ranking system) rated by masters of the art. Belegarth does not fit that bill at all. We aren't a martial arts group. I'm not saying that's how your college will look at it, but that was going to be a big point for us (oh, we're like a martial art), and if we hadn't talked to the president before the meeting, we would have sunk our own ship.

That's about what I can think of off the top of my head. If you want clarification on anything I said, or have more specific questions, just ask!
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Re: Selling Belegarth idea to college student association bo

Postby Nexus » Thu Sep 04, 2014 8:54 pm

Thank you for your quick response, Thurat! You have some excellent advice and it was far more detailed than what I had expected from anyone!
If this goes through with the college, I think I might owe you a steak dinner. ;)
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Re: Selling Belegarth idea to college student association bo

Postby Sir Thurat » Thu Sep 04, 2014 9:04 pm

No problem,and good luck. If you have any questions, be sure to post. Someone around here usually has an answer.
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