Mentor Program Feedback
Needed to come on and thank K.P. and also my 'mentor' Sammy Stripes for taking the time to put this together. The groups were the right size and was liked how you were assigned as opposed to choosing your mentor.
In the end, my program was more like a tour of the Con, with a history of AC at the DLCC, but it saved me a lot off aimless wandering that I better spent getting right into the panels and events. What also was positive for me Sammy stopping along the way to introduce us to other veteran attendees, the spontaneous socializing packed in a lot of icebreaking in a short time.
Our group did not meet up again after that, but I don't think it would have been necessary for me. Did you guys in the other groups meet up on subsequent days?
Thanks for the program, hope to be involved again in the future.
I was a mentor at AC this year, and one big suggestion I have is to put the main mentor panel after the "So this is your first AC?" panel, and maybe shorten it to a half-hour. I understand the logic in putting it before, but that panel covers pretty much everything a new fur would need to know about the con, in a much more entertaining and memorable delivery than any of the mentors could do.
Putting the mentor panel after the new-to-AC panel would shift focus away from teaching new people what the con is about, and toward small-group socializing, ideal for someone who's new to the fandom and might not really know anyone at the con. As it stood, I personally felt like I had to cover the basic first-con material, and after fumbling through that for awhile, we didn't have time for much else. Then I accompanied some of my group to the new-to-AC panel (something I'd never been to before), only to find that Kage covered everything I did.
Anyway, what I'm getting at is that the mentor program is a nice idea, but the "flow" of newbie activities would be better served if it started with the main new-to-AC panel. Then, send everyone who still feels lost to the mentor panel to hook up with a small group for a more personalized introduction and/or a better chance to get to know other furs without going through redundant info.
This sounds like a very good idea. In fact, it might even be worth considering whether it's worth booking those two events back to back, in the same room if possible, with mentors encouraged to come to both halves. That way, all those newcomers who want mentors need to do is stay.
I also really like the idea of a mentor packet. Then you can give folks a little clearer idea about what a great mentor group might look like.
If it were me, coming after the orientation panel, i might start by having everyone go around the circle and introduce themselves--name, where you're from, any questions you might still have, and 3 words to describe your trip to AC--then try to answer all of those questions. Then, if there's time left over and enough group, i might have them play some completely goofy group game, like Big Booty or Honey If You Love Me Won't You Please Just Smile, or go to lunch/dinner together. But that might lead to a lot more of a camp counselor feel than folks might like or want.
Then again, i recognize that we're still figuring out what we as a group want from these mentors, so all of this will take time to work out.
I volunteered to act as a Mentor and did so more-or-less at the last minute. How well did I do? I'm not sure, but I don't think I did as well as I could have, or as well as my charges might have wished.
When I first read about the idea, it sounded like a good thing, in a very general way; and there were certainly a lot of responses from neophyte furry fans indicating an eager audience and a perceived need. But I couldn't really get any sort of definition as to what it was that the Mentors were expected to _do_, exactly - the best way that K.P. could describe it was to equate it to those undergraduate student guides who show off the grounds of a university or college to groups of High School Seniors, shopping for a college to apply to. Since I never attended any such institution of higher learning, I totally missed out on that experience (indeed - I suspect that my idea of what a college or university experience ought to be like and what its various purposes and objectives should be is probably pure fantasy).
So - were we to act as tour guides, showing off the convention center, and providing directions to the different event rooms of the hotel and showing the way into the Dealers' Room and Art Show and Artists' Alley? Come on - there were only two real venues, and all one had to do was follow the crowds to get between the DLCC and the Westin.
Were we to take this group of new and nervous strangers, and thrust them into the arms of Fandom, introducing them to our wide circle of acquaintances, chums, buds, peers, patrons, and hangers-on? Oh, would that I had such influence, and such friends!
Well, were we to offer quick and dirty tips and tricks, derived from years of experience attending such conventions? Explanations of the often arcane rituals and inside-jokes one was likely to encounter? Practical suggestions on what to do, where to go, who to see, when to eat? I might just be able to do that!
...But should I? Or should I leave that to folks who actively wanted to do this, and who had clearer ideas about the Essential Things A Furry Fan Should Know?
THen I received a phone call from Sherry Patten, inquiring into how things were going for me, and bringing me up to date on Fred's condition (The attempt to get him to BayCON as a GOH fell through, and they didn't seem to take any of the advice which Glen Wooten and I had offered about our attempt to "smuggle" Fred out of the clutches of the Dragon Lady at the hospital, and into FC two years ago). THis reminded me of all the doors which had been opened for me by first Ken Pick, a TRULY SECRET "Master of The Fandom" (or SMOF, in fan-speak), and then by Fred Patten, in the greater world of Sci-Fi Literary Fandom.
I owed a lot to them, for what they were able to show me, and who they introduced me to; and perhaps the best way to pay them back was to do the same for other young tyros - or to at least TRY.
I was the last mentor assigned, and had three fans to mentor; I started off by asking first, did anyone have a really urgent desire to commission a con-badge or a sketchbook drawing from any particular artist? No? Did everyone know what I was talking about when I said "Con-badge" or "Sketchbook"? No? OK - 'cause if they did, then first objective was to IMMEDIATELY get down into the DLCC, and get those folks in the line for commissions, NOW, because that is the first thing that fills up, and I could explain about the events in Hall "B" on the way. Since no one did, I took some time to explain what these things were, and to advise that it would be best, for the first convention, to peruse all the artists' offerings and then later, if they decided they wanted such things, to be prepared for the next con they might attend, to get up in line early.
I pulled out the Pocket Schedule and explained how to use it, in conjunction with the Convention Programming Guide; showed them the maps contained therein; explained (in one sentence) about different "tracks". I then pointed out, since Furry Artwork was a major draw for me, some things about the nature of Furry Art. I pulled out a binder of selected prints, showing of typical work by Dark Natasha, Sara "Caribou" Palmer, Heather Bruton, Kacey Miyagami, XianJaguar, Michele Light, Terrie Smith; some artwork by PonyGirl, including a typical Kitsune/Fox Wife, and an excellent Cheetah Femme, which captured the idea of feminine and animal grace and speed and strength...
...Two original ink-and-prisma-marker illustrations by Manuella Cote, of her skunk character, Prisma; a print of a rather tasteful reclining Chester Ringtail (one of the two best Chester illustrations I have ever seen, and did I mention it was tasteful?); a pencilled rough of Diana Vick's vixen character, Cap'n Kate, and a finished, hand-colored print of same, for comparison; another hand-colored print of a tiger-femme warrior with sword, also by Diana Vick; and an explanation of what materials an artist uses, and what is preferable from a collector's standpoint, or what to look for when buying art. This was done using the pencil original of Balaa's contrtibution to the "Wild Cats of the World" Card collection.
...And then I got REALLY boring! In the binder I had copies of all the illustrations for Paul Kidd's "A WHISPER OF WINGS", by Terrie Smith - along with all the concept illustrations which she had done 5 years before, for Paul to use as he pitched his book, about what the characters might look like; a print of the color drawing which Terrie Smith had made for Paul Kidd's personal collection; the color cover art done by Eric Blumrich and Scott Arsenault for the book - and gave an art/artist appreciation class, right there, at least until one of my charges actually wished to ask a question, or until the start of the "So This is your First AnthroCon" presentation at the end of the hour.
Were there any questions?...No - practical advice about carrying a water bottle, drinking water whenever one had the chance, carry canvas or muslin bags folded up in a pocket or purse for when you see stuff which you want to buy; using FedEx or USPS Express Mail document holders for SHORT TERM carriage of artwork or prints...that was all. I then lead my charges across the building and into the "First AnthroCon" panel room (losing one in the process)...
...And that was the last I saw of any of them.
Did I do well? I have to reluctantly conclude that I did not; whatever it was that I was _supposed_ to do, it didn't really emerge from the off-the-cuff mess that I presented. My charges would perhaps have been better served with one of the real "Mentors".
I STILL think that there is a need of sorts; at least, there will probably continue to be new fans who may feel lost and alone and not sure just what they are supposed to do, or benefit from attending - but I am not at all sure that I can provide a real-life solution to that problem.
KP, keep the idea alive for next year - but also, help provide some sort of form or structure which we might follow, so that the experience and time are consistantly well-spent, and the new fur fans get something of value for the time they invest with a "mentor".
..And then I got REALLY boring! In the binder I had copies of all the illustrations for Paul Kidd's "A WHISPER OF WINGS", by Terrie Smith - along with all the concept illustrations which she had done 5 years before, for Paul to use as he pitched his book, about what the characters might look like; a print of the color drawing which Terrie Smith had made for Paul Kidd's personal collection; the color cover art done by Eric Blumrich and Scott Arsenault for the book - [...]
http://squeee.purehubris.com/awhisperofwings/index.php
I wish somebody would make a print of that cover - it's gorgeous...
Awfully brave/generous of you to lug such rarities across the country 
??? I thought Terrie did the cover too?
She did! Er, sort of...
All of the illustrations were drawn in pencil and then laboriously inked, by hand - in black ink. I can attest to this, because - well, because I own 12 of the original illustrations, plus one which was rejected. "Laboriously" is the right word.
The illustration in the front of the book was meant to be the frontispiece - what appears a page or two after the title page, and before the actual first page of the story. The publisher - Vision/MED Systems - had two prominent "furry" artists on its staff, Scotty Arsenault and Eric Blumrich, who were assigned the job of taking the frontispiece and using computer software, render it in color, for the cover. There is no actual original color cover art, at all.
The webpage which you included a link to shows the color pencil drawing which Terrie did for Paul Kidd - that is the image of Shadari, with the knives, muzzle open; this is the first image I ever saw for the book, and was immediately entranced by this image of a singing, butterfly-winged vixen, with these machete-like knives. Of course, I didn't learn until the book was published that she can't sing, or even speak.
I wish somebody would make a print of that cover - it's gorgeous...
Well, in fact, Darrel Benvenuto did just that; first-edition copies of the book list such, either loose or mounted and matted, for sale.
I happened to encounter Darrel at a Dealers' Table at AC2001, and asked about said prints; he didn't have any with him, but strongly assured me that he did have some left in his office or warehouse, somewhere, he was sure of it - and on the basis of that, I gave him a cheque, for a sum around $80, plus my contact information.
I still have the cancelled cheque...with his endorsement on the back...and am _still_ waiting for my prints.
Awfully brave/generous of you to lug such rarities across the country
There is some pleasure at looking at the art on my walls, and in my binders of prints; but it is a whole different type of pleasure - and a whole magnitude greater, at least - to share some of it with interested people, along with the story behind it.
Since I never attended any such institution of higher learning, I totally missed out on that experience (indeed - I suspect that my idea of what a college or university experience ought to be like and what its various purposes and objectives should be is probably pure fantasy).
Some poor prospective students at my college got treated to walking into the middle of the vampire LARP at one point because the college tour guides ignored the signs about the vampires. And thus the wee little yuppie-spawn ended up in the middle of crowd of people in black leather wearing eyeliner. They looked kind of like small cardigan-wearing deer in the headlights...
Find me at: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/fenrislorsrai/
Want to thank everyone for the input. This is definitely something we'll try again next year, and since this was the first year for it, we've gotten lots of feedback on how to make it run better.
I really want to say thanks to all of the mentors who helped. It was really hard trying to come up with a format for this when it hadn't really been done at AC before. Now that we have a baseline, I may contact some of you offline to work on the format and some documentation for next year.
KP
To be honest my group didn't meet up but it would have been good to plan something out so that I, as a mentor, could get feedback from the group on their impressions of the con. Maybe even meet up and have lunch at someplace and discuss about their experiences and answer any questions that they might of had. I did manage to meet up with some of the group and it's been very positive. I'll have to admit that this was a first time for me to be a mentor and I feel that I could have done a little better but there's always a learning curve to go through. As for next year I'm looking forward to being a part of the mentor program again.
I think perhaps the mentor program suffered from any new program in that the mentors themselves were perhaps a little unsure as to what they should be telling us. I don't know about other groups, but there were a few awkward silences while both we and the mentor tried to think of something to say.
Perhaps some sort of standard list of what to cover could be drawn up - there's no need for a handout, each mentor could explain points in their own way - the best ways to move between hotels, recommended panels for first time con-goers etc., as long as a certain set of points were covered - that way they mey feel more at ease which then reflects on those being mentored.
The trouble with "follow up" sessions is that those very much depend on the session not conflicting with many (or any) other panels - which might be too much to hope for, unless its in the evening or something when programming is a little lighter.