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Baronial Bookings Policy
(The Barony has developed a very informal bookings policy over the years. This has been discussed at a baronial meeting but the Seneschal would like you to comment on it before it's marked "official". Please drop him a line with your thoughts.)
Event stewards like people to book, because it gives them a better idea of what to cook and how many tables to lay. But event-goers don't like to book: it ties them in to coming to an event when Real Life might get in the way, or else makes them feel they can't come because they didn't realise they could until the last minute. What to do, what to do?
This is our proposed policy. After a suitable period of discussion and comment, this will go from "proposed" to "official". Stewards should assume that this applies unless they've gotten approval from the Seneschal to do something different. If you're attending an event and nothing has been clearly stated about the bookings policy, you are safe to assume that this policy applies. Updates will be posted here whenever they become available.
Bookings Strongly Preferred
We want you to book, but we don't want to lose money if you don't show up after we made space for you. Therefore, if you book and then don't show up, we reserve the right to ask you to pay some or all of the fee you would have paid had you attended.
Obviously, you'd rather not be liable for this fee if you get an attack of life, so you may feel that the wiser course is to avoid booking, show up on the night and just hope there's still space for you. But consider these points:
- If you show up without booking, the stewards may turn you away, or let you in but not allow you to be fed (the "off-board" option). This will happen any time food is tight or numbers are too far over the comfortable limits.
- It's extremely rare for an event in the barony to be running so far behind that this "reserved right" ever gets called upon. The overwhelming likelihood is that it'll be fine, and you won't have to pay.
- Even if the steward does decide to call on the no-shows, all reasonable explanations will be accepted. If you missed out because your car broke down, you'll probably get away with it.
- If you know in advance that you won't make it, you can call the bookings officer and cancel, and you'll get better treatment than if you don't. People who didn't cancel at all will get called on first, then people who cancelled late - after the bookings deadline.
- If you cancel before the bookings deadline expires, you won't get charged at all, no matter how much money we lose.
Payment At The Door Is Preferred
Bookings are complicated enough without requiring that the bookings officer carry a receipt book and a cash box and wander around to every local meeting and fighter practice before the event. Therefore, and because the barony has enough spare cash to pay for most feasts in advance, we would prefer that you book early but just pay at the door. The bookings officer will keep track of your name and make sure you're not charged the wrong price, if there's a sliding scale based on when people book.
Please make cheques or money orders to SCA Politarchopolis. Try to spell it properly so the poor bank tellers don't get confused.