Folklore: Morris recruitment

Subject: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: GUEST,Tatterfoal
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 07:11 AM

Has any mudcatters had any success with recruiting new members to their team, we have been on a recruitment drive for Grimsby Morris (Bampton/Border Style) for a number of weeks trying various methods with little success.   Anyone got any ideas?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: GUEST,Silas
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 07:30 AM

When the Glebe Morris first started we put an ad in the local paper - It said somethng along the lnes of " Dancers wanted to form New Morris Side - No Riff Raff" - can't quite remember just how sucesssful it was...

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: Jack Campin
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 07:36 AM

When "Morris: A Life With Bells On" came out, a few people in Edinburgh stood in the foyer of the cinema taking the names and details of people who might be interested, on well-thought-out application forms. I saw a lot of their forms getting filled in, and filled one in myself as a potential musician.

But I never heard anything back, and no side ever materialized.

It may make a difference if you actually *want* to be successful.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: Green Man
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 07:37 AM

We tried, failed and died as as a side. Very best of luck. You will have a much better chance of survival as a side if you are a mixed side (ours was a ring side).

Wyre Forsest Morris R.I.P

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: GUEST,Tatterfoal
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 07:48 AM

We area ring side also all male, and we do "want" new members to come I will take the comments to our next practice . Any mor ideas from anyone?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: Old Vermin
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 07:50 AM

This year our newish Surrey mixed Cotswold side has had three recruits from a mix of newspaper mentions, being seen dancing out and probably personal contact. There's a website and the odd press article. The side started about two to three years ago as a practice side. It came about as an offshoot of a choir, with strong family connections. This season's recruits are the first who haven't come purely from personal contact.

So far one has dropped out because Morris on top of an outdoor job was manifestly courting injury; the other two seem to be enjoying themselves.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: GUEST,Tatterfoal
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 08:19 AM

Good luck OV hope the side continues to thrive.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: GUEST,Morris-ey
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 08:41 AM

"When the Glebe Morris first started we put an ad in the local paper - It said something along the lnes of " Dancers wanted to form New Morris Side - No Riff Raff" - can't quite remember just how sucesssful it was..."

That was not when the Glebe first started, it was around 1980(?). I remember because I was taken to task about it at some meeting of the West Mids morris police. They were also objecting that Glebe welcomed women to apply too. I think I accused them of taking morris too seriously....which went down well.

Cav

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: Jacob B
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 08:44 AM

Many years ago, someone from Kingsessing Morris mentioned to me that they had used their nonprofit status to get a recruitment ad played on the radio. The ad played up the social side of joining the team, and was successful for them.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: GUEST,Silas
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 08:52 AM

Hi Cav

It was you who told me about the ad, bloody hilarious! Wish we still had a copy of it.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: Mr Happy
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 09:01 AM

Many years back, Chester Ladies Morris was struggling to gain new members & made the wise decision [IMO] to invite men to join as well.

This was a positive step [excuse accidental pun!] & the number swelled to a manageable 8 or so strong regulars & re-named the side 'Erleseye Morris'.

Mr Happy joined them for a while & had piles've fun while shedding a few pounds [both kinds] as I looked on it as a form of exercise/ keep fit as what I titled 'folkmobility' [not being a fan've popmobility]

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 09:03 AM

Will be interesting to see the reaction of the traditionalists when they read this.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: GUEST,PeterC
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 09:06 AM

There is no easy answer. The trick is not to wait until age, relocation and injuries mean that you have problems fielding a full side but to look for those new members when you don't need them.

The same goes for any social organisation regardless of subject. Its too easy to turn into a closed group of friends who don't really want the bother of strangers turning up (reglardless of how friendly they claim their club is), until membership drops to a catastrophic level.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: GUEST, Jim Hancock
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 10:43 AM

Hi There

Send me a simple press release. What you do, what you want and contact information and I'll add it to the news pages at Folktalk and a href="http://www.yorkshire-folk-arts.com">Yorkshire Folk Arts (yes it does cover Grimsby) With around 300 hits a day between them there's a chance someone who wants join a morris team in the area will see it.

Email [e-mail]

All the best

Jim

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: GUEST, Jim Hancock
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 10:51 AM

Ooooops

The Yorkshire Folk Arts address should be Yorkshire Folk Arts

and the email should be [e-mail]

Sorry about that

All the best

Jim Hancock

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 12:59 PM

Thanks Jim will do .

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: ItsADomra
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 01:05 PM

Hello,

I got over-excited and posted a new thread on this same topic, which I'm hoping will go and die quietly in the corner while I pretend nothing happened on this thread.

Ahem.

We (my sister and I) are preparing to attempt to to start a mixed border morris side in Aberystwyth. I thought it might be better to have a look on here before we go properly public with this information, and see a) if such a thing has been attempted before, and b) to ask politely if anyone has also started a side from scratch and to ask if they have any advice they'd be willing to share with us.

Posters are on the agenda, and from this thread I gather it would be good to get a spot in the local paper.

Cheers,
IAD

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: GUEST,HelenJ
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 03:55 PM

We have had no problem with Bollin Morris. New members are coming in thick and fast.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: Old Vermin
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 04:20 PM

Quick guide to Morris organisations or at least my understanding of them. Please correct me if necessary :-

Morris Ring. Very traditional, men-only sides only. Gets regular news coverage about Morris being about to die out.
Morris Federation. Originally for women's Morris, but became more inclusive.
Open Morris- lovely name suggestive of the Morris Minor convertible.

Membership of Federation and Open sides seems to be thriving.

I haven't the strength to analyse by tendencies to type of dance or make-up of membership, but Border and Molly seem to be prominent in the newer sides.

Thank you for the good wishes, tatterfoal, and good luck in Grimsby. It would be impertinent of me to suggest transferring allegiance from the Ring and becoming a mixed side, so I'm not.

Federation newsletters and other information at Morris Federation

Morris Circle. Fictitious, see film Morris, a Life with Bells on. Well worth watching.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 05:44 PM

HelenJ was that intentionally indelicate?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 06:43 PM

Is it better to be thick or fast?

Kitty

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: GUEST,HelenJ
Date: 05 Oct 10 - 11:30 PM

Bulk AND brain!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 06 Oct 10 - 12:41 AM

I tried recruiting and failed - don't know anybody named Morris....


would a Maurice do?



I'll get my hat ....

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: Old Vermin
Date: 06 Oct 10 - 05:07 AM

"Some people call me the space cowboy
Some call me the gangster of love
Some people call me Maurice"

The Joker - Steve Miller Band

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: Acorn4
Date: 06 Oct 10 - 05:43 AM

One could always resort to the traditional method of impressment!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: Mr Happy
Date: 06 Oct 10 - 06:57 AM

...... & another idea which emerged some years later, when the side was again suffering depletion, was an approach to the WEA to make it into an evening class for new students to learn Morris Dancing.

Limited success was achieved by this approach & 2 new people turned up but then disappeared after attending just 2/3 times.

Another downside was because it was now a WEA class, we had to pay a fee to them.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: Tom - Swords & Songs
Date: 06 Oct 10 - 07:43 AM

In my experience, there are two ways to recruit successfully to dance teams.

1) The most successful way is through your own personal contacts. I have found it quite rare to get new people turning up out of the blue from advertising to an already well established side. If you are setting up a team from scratch then advertising tends to work a little better. Word of mouth, bullying and in some cases hostage taking of people you know all work.

2) The other way to recruit is to be seen and to impress, then become friendly with people who show an interest. You then use method 1) on them.

The only other bit of advice I can give is that people eventually join teams where they think they will fit in. If you are a team of old men with not much life/energy then you will not attract easily anyone of a different disposition. Young teams who stay up all night shouting and drinking (like my own side) will only attract similar members. The only way I have seen to break the cycle of an old, failing team is to drag in a younger and very enthusiastic person (usually a son or daughter of an established member) and then hope that they encourage their friends to join in - look at Earlsdon MM, absolutely brilliant at the moment.

Unfortunately, team growth is a vicious circle as nobody ever really wants to join a side that doesn't look like they do anything, or looks rubbish and embarrasing, or looks stagnant. Growing teams tend to snowball with like minded individuals, this means you can do more outings of a higher standard and are seen by more people who then come and join - look at Rivington Morris.

Tom

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: Gedi
Date: 06 Oct 10 - 08:38 AM

Well as HelenJ says Bollin Morris are doing well for new recruits at the moment. Some have come from seeing us at dance outs, but others from the Beech Tunes/Singaround sessions (including me I might add). For those who are not aware, Bollin and the Beech sessions are quite closely linked and the occasional forays of the Beech Band into the world of ceileidhs has proved to be quite a good means of recruitment. We didn't go out of our way to recruit at the ceileidhs, that would not have been appropriate, but if someone asks or expresses an interest they can be directed to our practise evenings.   

ItsADomra, good luck with setting up a new side! It will be lots of hard work but very satisfying if you can pull it off :)

Ged

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: Mr Happy
Date: 06 Oct 10 - 08:42 AM

You could possibly approach local country/ceilidh dance clubs & as the members are already into dance, perhaps entice some over to the Morris?

In your area or nearby there's this sitehttp://www.folkwales.org.uk/dance.html

Also canvass local colleges etc, dance & drama depts

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: sian, west wales
Date: 06 Oct 10 - 08:44 AM

Itsadomra, I would have thought the obvious first step would be to check with the various Federations/Rings/whatever which would know who were members in the area. There is a morris side a bit south of Aberystwyth in S. Ceredigion / N Pembrokeshire. I'm fairly sure there used to be a side in Aber; I know that Robin Huw Bowen, the triple harper, danced morris and I always assumed it was in that area, as he lives in Moriah.


sian

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: Mr Happy
Date: 07 Oct 10 - 08:54 AM

Moriah? Isn't that what they call the wind? [Gwynt]

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: ItsADomra
Date: 09 Oct 10 - 10:55 AM

Sian, thanks for the tip. :) As a student I should know the dangers of lack of research.. The reason we're trying to start something very local is that our transport options are extremely limited (to, effectively, feet, trains and buses), so although it cheers me to know there's a side in Pembrokshire, it's not exactly practical..

Ceilidhs also a good idea - worked for me! ;) There was a ceilidh in the union last year, I should track them down. I'm going to talk to Ian Gulley at GwerinAber too (this will presumably help with Objective B: resurrecting the Monday Sessions).

I guess the most important thing is to get out and talk to people. Either that or start press-ganging students.. >:D

Subject: RE: Folklore: Morris recruitment
From: ItsADomra
Date: 09 Oct 10 - 12:00 PM

I forgot! Mr Happy, thanks for that link! Now I know where to find the Welsh dancers of a Monday evening.