[at-l] Camping for the Gathering and the Use of Alcohol

[jbullar1 at twcny.rr.com (Jim Bullard)]

At 10:52 AM 9/29/2004 -0400, TrailR@aol.com wrote in response to Jim O's 
comment:
> >Fact  is, we expected a representation from Billville at the Spring 
> meeting.
>
> >Only they didn't show.  Too bad, cause some of us really wanted to  talk to
> >them and work out some answers that would be acceptable to all of  us.  Now
> >we've got a solution for this Gathering but we're back to  the same
> >unacceptable situation at Hanover next year - still with no  resolution to
> >the problem.
>**
>Since you mention Billville in particular, I will too.
>Is Billville the real problem? Or is it other groups of drinkers?  Billville
>seems to police itself fairly well, and seems to clean up their mess
>(as far as I know). Most of the mess I usually see is from other less
>organized groups, that throw their garbage by the nearest can. And
>Billville is entertaining, as long as you camp far away...

The following comments and observations are purely mine. I am not an 
officer in ALDHA, I'm speaking only for myself as a member and I'm probably 
about to make myself unpopular again. They are not directed to/at anyone in 
particular. That said:

Despite the hostility directed toward Warren Doyle and the Folklife Center 
accusing them of trying to "split the group" I suggest that part of the 
friction with Billville is the result of the fact that *they* set 
themselves up as a separate group within ALDHA. I have the distinct 
impression that at least some of the Billville group come to the Gathering 
to attend Billville and that the rest is secondary/unimportant. My 
impression has been reinforced by post-Gathering comments of some Billville 
members to the effect that they spent pretty much the whole Gathering 
weekend "in Billville".

As I understand it, the enforcement of the prohibition of alcohol at the 
Folklife Center this year is not aimed at specifically at Billville, though 
members of Billville may well be amongst those who prompted it. It stems 
from a need to follow the Folklife Center's long standing rules RE: no 
alcohol or lose a place to camp for free during the Gathering. Cleaning up 
empties after is *not* the issue. Keeping those who imbibed too much from 
being obnoxious/disruptive is *not* the issue. Those are merely the 
evidence of the violations. Violating the no alcohol rule is the issue.

It seems to me that what the Gathering is about is well expressed here 
<http://www.aldha.org/what.htm>. Please note that nowhere does it say it's 
purpose is to "PARTY" in the sense of "having a few" or getting drunk with 
your friends (although those dogs in the picture do look like they've been 
eating fermented ALPO). What that page says is why I have attended 
Gatherings twice (and hopefully will again, but not this year).

Having one (or more?) subgroups the Gathering who at least appear to be 
piggybacking on ALDHA to conduct their own get-together with a separate 
agenda detracts from the group identity and spirit that ALDHA has set for 
the Gathering. You want there to be one group at the Gathering? Join ALDHA 
in the spirit of the Gathering and pursue your other agendas at another 
time, in another place.