Lost property

Lost property that has been handed in is kept for 4 events after hand-in. If unclaimed after this period items will get moved in to “freecycle”, which will take place on the Sunday of each event. Monster get first dibs, followed by GOD, followed by a free-for-all. Lost property items are labelled, ribbon colour-coded and stored according to the event at which they were handed in.

All valuable lost property (jewellery, watches, wallets, phones, iPads &c.) should be logged by a department head and kept in a secure location. All identifiable and valuable property should be returned to a player ASAP, by contacting the player themself, the nominated contact for their banner/coven/sect, or -- if necessary -- their nation’s Egregore, usually by radio.

⚠️Caution

Players are not allowed to rummage through lost property themselves – they must be able to accurately describe the missing item and a member of GOD crew must be present to assist with finding it.

Organisation

Storage

• Unidentified lost property should be sorted by item type. Colour-code containers according to the event its contents were found at, using ribbons. For crates, tie a piece of ribbon to each end. For long items, tie ribbon around the object.
  • Lidded security crates are best used for soft kit.
  • 9L RUB with appropriate inserts are best used for small items (you can combine small items and valuables into a single container)
  • Bread crates are best used for everything else (that will fit in them). It usually works out well to sort them as drinking vessels and lights, short weapons/latex, leather/armour/protective gear, and misc.
  • Arrows, long weapons, and other long objects should be stored in bins.
• Identified lost property should be tagged or labelled with a PID or name. Crates marked with a rainbow of ribbon contain IDed lost property.
• Inside the ISO, try keep crates from the same events near each other.

Stationery

• A5 arrows catalogue.
• A5 booklets for lost property slips, organised on a per-event basis. Currently these are discbound notebooks, with the binding discs and the laminated covers in (roughly) the same colour as the ribbon for each event. At time of writing each book is divided into six sections: OOC valuables, arms & armoury, jewellery, soft kit, bags & boxes, and miscellaneous.
• Lost property slips. A5, low-weight paper. The easiest way to manage these (that we've worked out so far) is to have a stack pre-printed and pre-punched, sitting in the very front (i.e. before the first divider) of the current event's booklet.
• Found property envelopes (C5) to put valuables into and record what steps have been taken to identify and contact owners.
• UV torch.
• UV marker.
• Sharpie.
• Biro.
• Price tags, for recording locations where objects were found and labelling IDed items that don't fit in envelopes.
• Hole punch. As of 2024, using Alex's Atoma disc binding punch.

During events

Set up

• Let players know we have their things (check that name and PID on envelope match the ones on the relevant list!).
  • Add small, non-stabby, non-valuable items directly to packs.
  • Stamp relevant packs with "Arrows to collect", and mark them as stamped on the big list.
  • Stamp relevant packs with "Lost property to collect", and mark them as stamped on the big list.
• Set out IDed lost property and arrows near the exit, with a box for objects handed in this event.

Limited service

Before 4 p.m. on Friday:

• new reports of lost objects can be made
• objects handed in to us this event can be returned
• objects lost at previous events can be returned if we have IDed the owner and stamped their character pack
• special case: if someone wants to rummage through the arrows and does not mark their arrows with their PID, let them -- but record both their PID and their symbol!

Normal service

Things we do:

• give people back their objects, if they come in to ask for something we already have
• take lost property reports, if people ask about an object and we don't have it
• accept hand-ins of lost property
• wrangle the coach sign-up sheet: make sure it's out on the front desk with a pen
• sell condoms: as whole packs only

Packdown

• This event's lost property goes into the crate last, so we can keep handing things back until the bitter end.
• Try to check every single item for PIDs or other identifying labels before sorting them into containers. If you're not able to, make it clear which boxes have been checked and which haven't.
• Sort objects where you know there's a matching report into their own box.
• For objects where you think there might be a matching report, take photographs.
• This is a point at which people often pop up asking if there is anything they can do to help. Set them to sorting arrows.

Detailed processes

There are two main workflows plus some auxiliary bits.

Incoming

When a new object is handed in:

1. If the person handing it in found it in an IC area of the field, and wishes to keep hold of IC valuables:
   1. note their PID and name
   2. note the location where they found the object
   3. note what they looted (on a "found property" envelope if the object fits inside it, or on a price tag if it doesn't)
2. Place the item in the inbox/box of unsorted new lost property. (Realistically, you won't always be able to keep up with the rate that new objects come in.)
3. Work out whether it is possible to ID the owner
   • does it have a PID or name indicating an owner written anywhere on it? (use the UV torch; if it’s a phone, there might be useful info in the emergency contacts; even if all it has is initials, make a note of that because we might be able to shake the details out of the database)
   • does it have a ribbon attached to it? (write down the ribbon ID on a price tag or similar and attach the tag to the item immediately)
   • does it have any other names written in it? (e.g. promissory notes, notebooks that are clearly linked to a specific in-game group, …)
   • does it match any open lost property reports?
4. If the owner can be identified, move over to the outgoing process.
5. If the owner can't be identified, prep the object for storage:
   • attach a ribbon to the object (in the colour corresponding to the event the item was lost at)
   • for valuable but non-IDable items, fill out a found property envelope and place the item within it in a dedicated container (use your initiative if the item is too large to fit in an envelope)
6. Sort the item into an appropriate container

Prioritise getting valuable items where the owner is identifiable through the outgoing process over everything else -- players are generally very understanding about waiting if you explain that someone's wallet has just been handed in and you want to let the owner know ASAP!

Outgoing

This section is made up of several similar jobs.

If you have an item that is valuable, or where the owner is identifiable (because there's a report ticket or the object is labelled in some way):

1. If necessary, look up the owner's details (e.g. carry out a player search to find out the participant's PID).
2. Attach the owner's PID to the object, and place it in the appropriate IDed lost property container.
   • For most objects, you can use a price tag.
   • For small valuable objects, fill out a Found property envelope.
3. Locate the lost property report, if there is one.
4. Contact the owner using the GOD phone or a PD e-mail account.
   • For some valuable objects, it's appropriate to radio for the participant's nation's egregore. This should be a last resort, and is usually only necessary for phones.
   • If you can't see people's contact details in the database, and there isn't contact information on the report slip (if it exists), get Alex, Erin or Adam to look up contact details.
5. If there's a lost property report:
   1. On the ticket, note the time that the object was handed in/processed.
   2. Note the time that the participant was contacted, along with how they were contacted.
   3. Move the ticket from the event reports booklet to the found objects booklet.

For valuable items where it's possible to identify the owner, prioritise this workflow over any other tasks.

If a participant has a “lost property to collect” stamp on their pack:

1. Check the big list. This should give you a rough idea of what you're looking for. Rummage through the boxes/bins of IDed lost property until you find the item, which should be tagged with the player’s PID. if something is on this list, it’s because Alex has actually held it in their own personal hands – if you can’t find it, get the player to wait while you grab either Alex or Erin.
2. Hand over the item, removing any lost property ribbons (and ideally the price tag).
3. Tick the "collected" box next to the item on the printed list.
4. Ideally: mark any report slips with “returned”, and move the completed slip to the Done box.

If a participant has an "arrows to collect" stamp on their pack:

1. Ask whether they're bolts or arrows.
2. Check the list for the number of arrows (and broken parts) you're looking for.
3. Check the arrows catalogue so you know what design you're looking for.
4. Check the appropriate arrows bin - inviting the player to help is fine.
5. If the player has broken bits but doesn't want them, move them to a dedicated container for humane disposal.
6. Tick the arrows off the list!

If a participant describes an object that has already been handed in:

1. Ask them to describe it in enough detail you're confident the one you have is theirs.
   • For valuables, this might include describing the type of bank card or the lock screen photo on a phone. For phones, ask them to unlock the screen in front of you if relevant.
2. Hand it over!
3. Bonus points: click the clicker.

If a participant describes an object that might have been handed in:

1. Ask them to describe it in enough detail that they can't just go "yep, that one, that one is definitely mine" about whatever in the box takes their fancy.
2. Check which event they lost it at.
3. Bring the relevant storage box over to the front desk. Don't let them rummage indiscriminately, but do let them watch as you go through it.
4. If we have their object, hand it over!
5. Bonus points: click the clicker.

If a participant is reporting a lost object that is not yet in our possession:

1. Once you've gone through the relevant boxes with them, fill out a lost property form.
   • Offer to do the writing yourself -- this lets you ensure you can read the report, and that there's sufficient detail.
2. Get both name and PID, so we can cross-reference in case one of them is ambiguous or incorrect!
3. Get contact details -- this means people who don't have access to contact details in the PD database can still contact players using the GOD phone, and people who do don't have to spend time looking them up.
   • Ideally, get a phone number -- anyone can use the GOD phone, but not everyone has an @pd e-mail address.
   • If the thing they've lost is their phone, ask if there's someone else on the field we can get in touch with, who'll know where to find them. (You'll almost certainly need to look up their contact number.)
   • Reassure them that we'll text, not call!
4. Get as much description as you can -- you will probably need to prompt them.
   • Drawings are enormously helpful. Even if they're 'bad', they'll emphasise the most distinctive features of the object!
   • Ask the player to e-mail in any photos they have to lostproperty@.
5. Move the form to the appropriate section of the booklet (preferably organised by PID).
   • OOC valuables include (but are not limited to) medication, wallets, phones, mobility aids, non-costume jewelry, and emotionally significant objects including stuffed toys.
6. Explain what to expect to the participant:
   • We'll do our best to get in touch as soon as possible after we realise we've got the object.
   • We're not infallible and we're often running several hours behind on contacting people -- if you're passing GOD, please feel free to stop by and double-check whether your thing has shown up yet.
   • If the item turns up, we'd love to know. (Emphasise this for valuables!)
   • We'll keep the report for a year.

Arrows

• Arrows: wait until the post-battle rush has died down before you start sorting. You want to be able to tell people "everything from this morning is in this bin" or "everything marked with a PID over 12000 is in this bin", to minimise the number of containers they need to sort through to find their stuff.
• Arrows: have the end of the arrow with the IDable features uppermost. If the only place the arrow is marked is on the fletches, have them head-down in the bin with their fletchings at the top.
• It would be lovely if we could maintain a record of where each item was found. We haven't yet worked out a good way to do so. Ideas welcome!
• Arrows (sorting): grab an empty bin and a notebook. Write yourself headings. Grab an arrow, write down the PID associated with it, make a tally mark, and move it to the empty bin. Try to keep PIDs clustered in clumps -- all the 12000s in the same rough list, for example. At the moment bins usually want separating out into PIDs < 10000, PIDs between 10000 and 13000, and PIDs over 13000.

Between events

Immediately before an event:

• make sure that everything in the IDed property boxes is in the spreadsheet of things to give back
  • sometimes objects people recognise will get dumped in the IDed property box without tags, and will need matching back up with their report. this most frequently happens with stuff handed in late on Sunday.
• sort the arrows
• go through all lost property booklets and all lost property storage
  • first go through the objects from the previous event
  • you then have two options: if you've got lots of time, go through all the crates in order from most to least recent (ideally you want one person doing all of this so you can spot objects that were found/handed in late); if you haven't, prioritise the least recent event i.e. the one that's going to go out on freecycle
• reconcile handed-in property with lost property reports

TODO:

• Logging details of lost property
• Reconciliation of handed-in found property with lost property records
• Detailed process for freecycle
• Colour coding table

Notes & advice

• Pre-punch a pile of lost property slips and keep them at the very front of this event's booklet. Use a bookmark to keep your place between the last filled and first empty slip. This way the slips *are* all in the book, even if they're coming in too fast to file appropriately.
• The mud sometimes disgorges things long after they were lost. It's definitely worth checking booklets for lost property reports for events before the one you're currently at.
• "Please don't rummage/talk to me first; you're probably looking in the wrong place" is always awkward to say, but participants do generally respond positively when they then get to the front of the queue and you can explain that there's no way the thing they're looking for would have been in the place they were looking for it (our organisation system is not usually particularly comprehensible from the outside!)

Behind the scenes

We know that from the outside lost property often looks like a chaotic jumble – so we want to tell you a bit more about how the system works!

When you tell us you've lost something, the first thing we do is look through items we've had handed in. These are organised by the event they were lost at and the type of item – if you lost a goblet two events ago, we'll grab the box of drinking vessels that were handed in two events ago and go through it with you. We'll also double-check the boxes from more recent events, because items sometimes get found in the woods/other people's kit bags/the Academy storage container quite a while after they went missing!

If we don't have your item, we'll ask you to fill out a lost property form with us, even if you don't think it's worth it – it's incredibly frustrating to have something handed in and realise we know exactly who it belongs to, but didn't get them to leave their details! We keep these reports for a full year.

When items are handed in, we check whether we can ID their owner. This means that we look for a PID, name, or contact details, or even initials – in normal light and using a UV torch. We also check whether they seem like any of the lost property reports we have on record. If we find a match, we'll get in touch (via a text message from a PD phone, or e-mail) as soon as we can. This does sometimes take a while and we don't always realise when something that's been handed in matches a description, so even if we haven't contacted you, please do feel free to swing by to check any time when full lost property service is open!

In addition to matching up missing property reports with lost items during events, we are sometimes able to spend a few days before an event sorting through lost property. This lets us thoroughly double-check everything we have in storage against all lost property reports from the last four events – this means that we try to check every single piece of lost property from each event at least four separate times. If we find something we think belongs to you, we'll do our best to let you know by e-mail, and we'll stamp a reminder that there's something for you to collect (or inspect) on your character pack. Again, if we don't get in touch it doesn't mean we definitely don't have your stuff – it just means we haven't recognised it!

When we return an item, if it's not already got your details on we'll encourage you to label it with identifying information, e.g. your PID or your name. If it comes in again, we'll be able to get it back to you faster.