Original Cin’s Platform for Local Madame – This is long, so bear with me, please!

Dear Lars and my Sister Wenches,

My name is Original Cin, IWG# 1978, and I have been nominated to run for the office of Madame for IWG Local #42 (We are the answer!). My real name is Cindy Perouty and I hold the status of Madame Cum Laude.

I have been a member of Local #42 since 2000, but have been attending faires since 1978 when the Maryland Renaissance Faire was in its infancy. My goodness, how it has grown! MDRF has developed national renown as being one of the best Renaissance faires in the United States

As MDRF has grown, so has our little local. From a band of a brazen women looking to spread the IWG’s wenchly ways, Local #42 has literally exploded into a highly diverse membership of more than 150 wenches! This increase in our roster requires the need to find new ways to better manage the group, overall.

I believe that I have the ability to lead Local #42 in its fifth and sixth years in part from my 20 years of experience as a high school biology teacher. I believe that my qualifications will speak for themselves. How is this, you ask?

·As a teacher, I am the person responsible for the welfare, education and occasional “socialization” of up to 120 students per year, from 14 year olds to 18 year olds. Talk about herding cats – teenagers need to be convinced, like cats, that what you are doing is worthwhile and interesting. Hmmm, are wenches like that?
·My current assignment has me teaching three different courses, at two different learning levels, all with different laboratories. And it has to be fun and entertaining. It's all in the planning!
· In addition, I am a member of the School Improvement Team as well as chair of two additional committees and a student group.

All of the aforementioned activities involve planning, strategy, diplomacy and some fancy plate spinning – all at the same time! However, as much as this seems overwhelming, it is part of what I have been doing for many, many years! I can use the same skills to guide Local #42 over its next two years.

Within the Wench Local, I have been active in TeamWench for all three years the Pirate Feast has been held , as a cook and bottle washer to Wenchtress of Ceremonies.

Why do I want to be the Local Madame for IWG #42? Is it the power, prestige, chateau in France, money, rogues educated in ways to please women? Hell no - I enjoy the many women I have met in our guild, and respect each and every one of them for their unique talents and personalities. Even those whom I disagree with from time to time. (Although an educated rogue would be nice...)

It is the Local Madame’s responsibility to make sure that the members have a fun, well run organization and always keeps the good of the membership in her mind at all times. When problems arise, it is the Local Madame’s responsibility to find the best way to take care of the problems in a way that is best for the local.

The platform I have chosen is the “No Drama” platform. This may sound a touch bitchy, but it was chosen because we, as a highly diverse group of women, need to know that there is someone who is willing to take on the tough interpersonal problems that can occur from time to time. Therefore, here is my platform:

1. To development a sense of harmony among Guild members through better use of the Arbiters in helping to settle individual problems between disagreeing members.

Why? So that members feel there is someone to listen and direct them if they need help with problems so that they do not get out of control.

How will I do this? Each day of faire I will hold a “Bitching Hour” where any member can come to the Madame or her designee to have problems or complaints heard and dealt with.

2. An increase in inside and outside of faire activities around the MD/VA area just for fun!

Why? Fun dammit! This has already been sparked by the TeamWench activities as well as the Medieval Times trip.

How will I do this? For outside of faire, a committee of wenches will be formed to identify venues in the greater MD/NoVA/DC area, such as movies, music, craft shows, theatre, shopping, dining, etc. and plan outings accordingly. For inside faire, I would like to see wench walks that include both targets and nontargets as well as have members come up with “fun ways” to wench that are clean, decent, modest and appropriate to the person (remember, we are a “G”-rated show.

3. Identify a new hostel location that is more amenable to the local’s needs.

Why? Our current location is usable, but not useful.

How will I do this? I hope to identify a vendor who has the room and will allow us to use them as a hostel area was intended – a place for wenches to safety store their items, a rest place for those who need to “chill out” from the crowd, a place to find those ever necessary “girl things” and a place for new wenches to find us or leave messages. Once the hostel location is identified, I would like to have one of our quilting wenches devise a banner with the IWG logo to hang outside the hostel identifying our “place”.

4. Increased communication between “officers” of the local through meetings during and outside of faire, as well as ensuring officers are carrying out their required duties for the good of the local.

Why? The development of a Privy Council that has a shared vision and purpose for the local, with individual responsibility expected to the group, so that any and all plans devised will be carried out effectively and efficiently, for the good of the Local.

How will I do this? The use of emails, holding dinners at my home with lots of good food and drinkies, online chats in real time and meeting at different places near Privy Councilmember’s homes throughout the year to review necessary material.

5. Get away from Yahoo and either adjust our current website to meet our needs or find a company that will meet our needs at a fair price.

Why? Communication is key. We have seen time and again how poor communication has local wenches missing out on activities or become confused about what is going on! Creation of a website that is more informative will reduce any problems of wenches not being “in the know”.

How will I do this? Find a new vendor for our needs and include web-savvy members to help run the site according to the vendors’ parameters.

PHEW! That’s a lot to do! But I am truly sincere in my efforts and hope that you find my platform one that will allow us to truly reflect our slogan – “We Are the Answer!”