Hello KGE Members,
The Building and Land Department would like to thank everyone for rolling with the punches on the rollout of the new Caretaker Handbook. As with the release of any new documentation system, it was not always smooth sailing, but we have heard your feedback and are already looking at document edits we would like to make in 2022. A huge thank you to Matt Ash and Holly Eatinger who were instrumental in the creation of this document.
With the rollout of the Caretaker Handbook members now have a more defined path to new site/structure approval and maintenance expectations. Building construction guidelines are more clearly laid out so that members have a starting point when thinking about structure design. Most importantly, members now have a one-stop shop for 95% of the information they will need for being a Site Caretaker. This is a massive improvement over our old system and something that I am extremely proud of.
Out of the twenty-seven Caretaker Handbooks that were sent out to existing site owners only four were not returned or declined. I think this is just another example of how invested the current membership is in our property. I want to assure everyone that existing Caretakers were communicated with multiple times over this rollout and attempted contact was made to members who we did not get a response from on at least three separate occasions.
One of these declined sites was a personal site where zero modifications to the land had been made. Thus, the site will be erased from the book and not reopened to the membership as it is a patch of unworked forest and nothing more.
A site that will be open for members to apply for is the “Tipsey Mouse / Drunken Duck / Sleepy Goblin” also known as the small bar by the town firepit. I built this structure back in 2017 and it has held up remarkably. The Building and Land Department looks forward to what the next Caretaker does with this site. If you are interested in applying for this site please email the Building and Land Department. If none of the members want this site as it currently exists we will open the structure up to the membership to be relocated to an existing site.
Tribeland was not signed for by its previous Caretaker and thus the Building and Land Department is going to take this opportunity to relocate Tribeland to an area of the field that is more closely connected to High Trail or Low Trail. If any current members of Tribe would like to volunteer to be the Caretaker of this new site please email the Building and Land Department. The BLD will happily assist in moving what remains of the current Tribeland to the new site. While the choice to relocate Tribeland was a hard one, I feel that placing it near one of our existing and maintenanced trails improves player safety, increases inner club comradery, and makes community storytelling easier for our members and our staff. I look forward to working with the new Caretaker of Tribeland to find a new spot for those members and to creating a new and special place for that group. Once this new site is established “Tribe Trail” will no longer be maintenanced or recognized by the BLD.
The Claddagh site has become available. Anyone who has been on the property in the past year knows that this site has fallen into a state of disrepair and that special attention is going to be needed to make this area safe for play once we return to live events. There has been an outpouring of members who are interested in taking over parts of this site. Thus, the Building and Land Department will be breaking this large site into three, more manageable sites. Let me make one thing very clear, as long as I am the Building and Land Director, House Claddagh will always have a place at this site. This site has been their home for almost a generation and it is important that we preserve those memories. House Claddagh will still be in the center of town, it is just going to look a little different. I am currently in talks with two active members of House Claddagh, to make sure that this historically established group of players feel like they are getting a fair shake as we reorganize this area of the field.
As was pointed out at the last Board of Directors meeting, the area of NPC Land has sustained heavy damage over the past year. The Building and Land Department asks that club members stay out of this area unless doing work on it. I am actively in talks with our Safety Staff to make sure that we have a plan in place for once we are able to have in-person workdays. As soon as this area is safe for use the Building and Land Department plans to expand Tent City to a second site so that we can have more room, and more privacy, for our members who want to camp out on our property.
Club members who will be returning to the property for the first time in a few months will notice some signs making visitors aware that there are cameras on the property. I have been asked a number of times if this is a bluff and I will again make it clear to the membership that KGE does have cameras on the property to protect club and member investments. The only time images from these cameras will be used is for vandalism, theft, or other criminal activity investigations. These cameras are moved around to make sure that almost all of our property is monitored every month. If you come upon one of these cameras please leave it alone.
Lastly, I want to thank all of our members that have been safely utilizing our property during the past year. While we are a club rooted in Live Action Roleplay we are also a club centered around 44 acres in Milan, MI. Your membership fee grants you access to the property 24-hour/365 days a year, with the exception of when the lands are rented to a third party. Every hour our property has a club member on it is an hour with increased property protection and where memories are being made. While the BLD often is focused on structures, trees, and firepits, we do it with the hope that our fellow club members are going to make amazing memories on this community land.
I thank you for taking the time to read this report and as always I welcome your thoughts and feedback via my official club email - bld@kanar.club.
Yours in comradery,
- Marcus Schwimmer , BLD 1st
Photo by Clark Young on Unsplash