Requirements for joining a Theme Camp.

[Tamino]

I have a few question for all those who run a medium size theme camp, especially those who are on the Esplanade? (Not RS, OT or TD. 45 members)

Thanks

[Trishntek]

Members of a camp may live prohibitively far away, but are valuable for setup, strike and daily ops on the playa.

[Token]

I find it essential when practical; i.e. If you are local you will work.

Weeds out drama, slackers and sparkle ponies.

Everyone remote must be sponsored by a trusted member and is their responsibility at the pain of ejection.

It's not the only way to do things, probably not the best either, but it works great.

[theCryptofishist]

There are various ways of contributing, and I'm not sure what mine is. Although, I do provide some cash. Of course, I also contribute to the booze. But I have to admit in terms of work, I'm a liability. (If you want to phrase it that way.) They are good friends, they put up a car port for me and make me a bed, because I can't get to the ground. And they put up with me when I'm cranky from the wind.
Good friends.

The chemistry of a camp is strange stuff, and it's not easy to reduce it to a formula. You have to like each other, you have to like the idea, you have to have the enthusiasm to do the work.

A lot of people I see looking for camp membership don't seem to get it. They think being "chill" is enough. And there's a whole lot of: Ask not what you can do for your camp, ask what your camp can do for you.
They never report back, so I have no idea what happens...

[Savannah]

The chemistry of a camp is strange stuff, and it's not easy to reduce it to a formula.

True, true, true.

[Trishntek]

I suppose we are in a unique position because we fund and outfit the camp on our own. As far as our camp mates are concerned, they simply create their own burn on the foundation of our infrastructure. There are many camps built upon group think. I admire that and understand how it works.

We look at what we offer as our gift to BRC. The efforts, art and participation of camp mates are purely their own creation within the environment we create. We do not seek notoriety or drama. We are there to serve the community and hopefully offer something that folks will enjoy.

Our kinky side thins the crowd a bit and we put on this appearance of knowing what we're doing which intimidates others. But we do not hold a list of requirements over everybody's head. Instead, we ask for THREE basic things:

1. Help with setup or strike.
2. Give 3 hours per day to camp activities.
3. Bring all the shit you will need.

Otherwise, we just,,,,, for the lack of a better choice of words,,,, "WING IT". And you know what? We come up with some interesting combinations for dinner,,,, whenever somebody decides to cook,,,, we just share what we want for that meal and it works! We are there to have fun and not place a bunch of expectations on people for the sake of "success". We are more interested in carefree frolic and happy times.

How cool is it that a guy that makes sails wants to sew our partitions within the shade structure? How cool is it that a sound engineer takes care of our power, lighting and music? To have men and women willing to hawk cock, organize chaos and take care of logistical details is priceless! All of these do this voluntarily and with no other "coercion" than their own desire.

[HandJamMasterC]

How cool is it that a guy that makes sails wants to sew our partitions within the shade structure? How cool is it that a sound engineer takes care of our power, lighting and music? To have men and women willing to hawk cock, organize chaos and take care of logistical details is priceless! All of these do this voluntarily and with no other "coercion" than their own desire.

That is totally cool, and the way things should be !!

[Tamino]

Let say you were a member of an Esplanade theme camp with about 45 people. Complex infrastructure (Diesel genny, water, evap pond, large shade structure, kitchen), large dome, PA System, Lighting. Would you be ok with the same 10-12 people doing early setup, week long maintenance and break down while others swoop in on Monday afternoon, relax and have fun and leave on Sunday? Is that fair to the people who setup and broke down? And to the others who helped out during the week? I'm not talking about people who are from another state and meet on playa. I'm talking about local camp members.

[Dr. Pyro]

I wouldn't be "cool" with that, but there are alternatives. For example, at BDC&WB if you leave early (say before dawn on Sunday) and aren't there to help clean up the camp and do the heavy lifting, we insist that you take along more than your fair share of garbage. Way more. If they snivel and say they don't have room, well then neither should your camp have room for them. Fair is fair.

[Ruleryak]

I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned earlier but what I've seen work for many camps are dues/fees. Setting up a fee structure allows less active members to come and share what your more active members have built in exchange for off-playa cash. Some larger camps work that way for the purpose of building up the money needed for new equipment and I can say from experience that it does work if the slackers, for lack of a better term, make up less than half the overall group. Everyone in the core group needs to be on board with the idea and clear from the get go that those members are free to help or not help. As someone else already pointed out it's impossible to get this stuff down to a formula. Every group is different and your resources play into it on a huge scale. For instance one guy that works on an art car all year but can't afford to get it to the playa may need to build a small camp around the concept and accept dues to fuel the beast but a group large enough already to cover all their needs adding members on for extra cash is likely not going to work out as well.

[Trishntek]

Let say you were a member of an Esplanade theme camp with about 45 people. Complex infrastructure (Diesel genny, water, evap pond, large shade structure, kitchen), large dome, PA System, Lighting. Would you be ok with the same 10-12 people doing early setup, week long maintenance and break down while others swoop in on Monday afternoon, relax and have fun and leave on Sunday? Is that fair to the people who setup and broke down? And to the others who helped out during the week? I'm not talking about people who are from another state and meet on playa. I'm talking about local camp members.

Guess who is bringing more fuel for the genset and mixers for the bar? And I do not want a camp larger than 30 people. Everyone has something to offer,,, it doesn't have to be $$$$ or time off the playa. Again I say,,, we do not base our camp on expectations. We give first,,,, then watch what happens.

[Tamino]

A lot of food for thought!

Thanks for all the advice!

[C.f.M.]

From the days following BM last year through now, my camp has near-daily interaction on what we're doing (from ideas to logistics to simply being friends). So, I voted "yes." I'd want members of the camp to really belong to it. Now, I can see under some circumtances allowing tourists, for a fee. I wouldn't do that, but less cranky people might be OK with it.

[Trishntek]

From the days following BM last year through now, my camp has near-daily interaction on what we're doing (from ideas to logistics to simply being friends). So, I voted "yes." I'd want members of the camp to really belong to it. Now, I can see under some circumtances allowing tourists, for a fee. I wouldn't do that, but less cranky people might be OK with it.

I'm less cranky than you are,,,,, I'm less cranky than youuuuuuu!
I'm less cranky cuz I'm more skanky,,, soooo
I'm less cranky than youuuuuuu.

[C.f.M.]

Pshaw, EVERYbody's less cranky than me!

[marck]

One thing to remember is that most theme camps last three to five years.

Now if you have people making large contributions to camp infrastructure in the form of cash, or labor, to be used for materials, equipment and the construction.

How will the property get divided in the separation?

It really doesn't matter how it is done as long as everyone realizes(agrees) what their "investment" of cash, engineering(brains), or labor means when the end comes.

Of course this won't matter as much for the camp members who don't become part of the core group or has no bearing on components provided(funded) by individuals.

[Savannah]

That's a smart thing to do in advance--large scale or small scale. I have participated in a two person camp where--by arrangement--I paid for half the shade and shower structures but kept none of it. Didn't have the storage, much less a driver's license or vehicle in which to get the PVC, etc, and had less mechanical ability. But I did have cash, and did half the setup. I was also able to take custody of the trash at the end. It worked out very well.

I know of one camp where people fund their own contributions, and retain ownership of them as well. This happens with the enormous shade structure and the sound system (which are based firmly in the contributors' existing interests). They are temporary gifts. A little like a potluck, where you gift your food, but it's understood that you'll be taking your Corningware home with you.

[decoverite]

I think we interview people for a month plus before we accept them into camp- including making them sign NUMEROUS forms about expectations and workload. What can I say - we're Costco and take our corporate schtick seriously. :)