<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Jawiga was absolutely right, and I commend her for having the guts to say it in the face of such a polar reaction. I hope that other people who feel as she does will be willing to speak up so we can at least represent both sides of the matter fairly. <div><br></div><div>Here's why she's right:<div><br></div><div>1) The SCA Inc leadership is not stupid. They asked for what they need. They thought about it and told us specifically what they want. Therefore there is no emergency that requires our immediate payment beyond what they asked for and so the emergency policy for a decision is not appropriate. It is hard to make a case for there being a need to decide right now how much extra to give or who it should be given to. As long as the SCA meets the required need, the excess is not time critical. </div><div><br></div><div>2) The whole point of taking time to decide is so that here is time to actually sort it out and get the word with ACCURATE facts to people. But what you folks are demanding is that we go on minimal information that includes a very poor understanding of the situation since all of the facts have not even been produced yet. We may indeed decide later that it is a good and right thing to contribute the excess amount to someone, but we deserve a chance to figure that out without being caught up in a rushed panic and pushed into it. And that is what is happening, action without looking squarely at all of the facts.</div><div><br></div><div>3) There is nothing that says we can't give deeply from our pockets in 3 weeks, and the delay won't cause one bit of a problem for the SCA if you believe #1 above to be true -that the SCA isn't stupid and has asked for what it actually needs.</div><div><br></div><div>4) The worst excuse I can think of for doing this now is "because other groups are doing it now." Geeze, do we want to be rational or do we want to join the lemming conga line because our egos need us to keep up with the Jones? If the SCA or the Middle Kingdom wants more money or needs more money after this weekend it will become known at that time., We can still be just as generous in 3 weeks as now, but we will be making an informed and thoughtful decision based on facts, not what some panicked guessing produced. I would rather be appreciated for being wise and generous when it counts than seen as foolish for blindly committing to a path I didn't fully understand.</div><div><br></div><div>RanthulfR</div><div><br><div apple-content-edited="true"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><div><div>Randy Asplund</div><div>Facebook: "Randy Asplund, Artist"</div><div><a href="http://www.RandyAsplund.com">www.RandyAsplund.com</a></div><div>Maker of Medieval books and </div><div>Illustrator of Science Fiction & Fantasy</div><div>(734) 663-0954</div><div>2101 S. 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