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The Æthelmearc Gazette

~ Covering the Kingdom of Æthelmearc of the SCA

The Æthelmearc Gazette

Category Archives: SCA History

Happy Æthelmearc Day!

20 Tuesday Sep 2016

Posted by aethgazette in Æthelmearc History, Kingdom News, SCA History, Tidings

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AEthelmearc Day

On this day in A.S. XXXII (1997), the Kingdom of Æthelmearc was born. Happy Æthelmearc Day!

AEthelmearc“So it was in the presence of the Crowns of the East, Hanse and Moruadh, and the Crowns of Atlantia, CuÆn III and Bera, Susan of Fox Meadow witnessed as Sir Yngvar the Dismal, 2nd and 14th Viscount of Æthelmearc, prevailed over a field of 41 entrants to win the Crown for his soon-to-be-bride, Caryl Olesdottir, 14th Viscountess of Æthelmearc. Finally, on September 20, A.S. XXXII (1997), Hanse and Moruadh, King and Queen of the East held Their final court in the Principality of Æthelmearc. They released the landed Barons & Baronesses, peers, and officers of Æthelmearc from their oaths of fealty; They awarded Arms to Bethoc of Ravenswood; and created Susan of Fox Meadow as the last Viscountess and last Lady of the Garnet. With this business being taken care of, Hanse and Moruadh then closed the Principality.”

From An Introduction to the History of the Kingdom of Æthelmearc, by THL Hfrena Ulfvarrinsdottir.

In addition (though a matter of the Principality but still our history) the following was just presented to The Barony of the Rhydderich Hael by Sir Dedawyr of Avaricum at Summers End. It is a Principality Poll by Sir Hak (1988).

(Images provided by Land of the Golden Dragon)

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The Art of Pre-Registering for Events, Demystified

14 Wednesday Sep 2016

Posted by Krista in Æthelmearc History, Corporate News, Event Announcements & Updates, SCA History

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NMS, pre-registration

Or, How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Event Announcements

With the the busy fall event season kicking into high gear, reservations clerks, head cooks, gate keepers, and autocrats across the Kingdom are waiting with bated breath for friendly little envelopes full of your money. How can you bring joyous smiles to these hard-working peoples’ faces, with minimal effort on your part?

The Æthelmearc Gazette is here to help! We’ll answer all your burning questions, including:

  • Why Pre-Register at all?
  • How do I know what to pay, especially with this new wording?
  • Sometimes I’m confused about how much to pay. What do I do?
  • Who do I make the check out to?
  • What do I include with my check?
  • How do I know they got my check?
  • When can I expect the check to be cashed?
  • Can I pay any other way besides a check?
  • How else can I make the process go smoothly?
  • Advanced class: Why did the wording change in the money section of event announcements?
  • Advanced class: So, what happened to the NMS (non-member surcharge) then? They said it was important, are they not collecting it?

Been around for 40 years and think you know all these answers? Well, they may surprise you! Read on!

Why Pre-Register at all?
On your end, it makes check-in super fast and easy. Sometimes there’s even a separate line for those who have pre-registered. Skip to the head of the class! Sometimes space is limited for feast, lunch, or the nice camping facilities… if you don’t pre-reg, you could (and for some events, will) miss out on fabulous food, or a warm, dry bed for the weekend.

On the event staff end, it is so, so, soooo much easier to plan if they know how many people are coming! Really. Planning ahead can mean the difference between losing money and making money for the local group (which they need for supplies and so forth). Help them out!

Planning is particularly important for the food. Ever been to an event that has a lunch that runs out of food, or there seems to be way too much? It’s because they didn’t know how many people to plan for. Be part of the solution! Sometimes, the feast cook will adjust how many people he or she is cooking for, based on the number of pre-regs. If you pre-reg, more people can eat! It will warm the cockles of our cooks’ hearts.

How do I know what to pay, especially with this new wording?
It’s right in the event announcement! Handy! Skim down to the money bit of the announcement. If you’ve been around a while you will notice that it looks different now than it did a few months ago. The Corporate Office asked the local groups to change the way we word the money bits. (More on that below). But don’t worry, read it carefully, and it will make sense. Here’s the important part:

If you are a member of the SCA, you qualify for the member discount! Yay! So send that amount (“Adult Member Discount Registration” usually), not what we are referring to as the “Adult Registration” amount. That is for non-members.

Also, pay attention to what the registration pays for… don’t stop at the number. Most event announcements will say. It’s common for the registration amount to pay for entry and maybe lunch, but it won’t include feast. That’s usually a separate line, and you have to keep reading to get to it. Same for camping or cabin fees, if there are any.

For example: The event announcement says, “Adult Event Registration, $15. Adult Member Discount Registration, $10. Registration includes lunch. Feast is an additional $10”. What do you send?

  • If you are a member of the SCA over 18, and you want to eat feast, you send a check for $20.
  • If you are a member over 18 and don’t want feast, you send a check for $10.
  • If you are not a member, are over 18, and you want to eat feast, you send a check for $25.
  • If you not a member, are over 18, and you don’t want feast, you send $15.

Sometimes I’m confused about how much to pay. What do I do?
Don’t guess! Just send a quick email or message to the reservations clerk or autocrat and ask. Or call. That’s just a few minutes of your and their time. Easy and fast.

Guessing and getting it wrong, or being incautious with the math and getting it wrong, can cause a headache for the reservations clerk, gatekeeper, possibly the exchequer, and you when you arrive at the event. Confusion and time wasted! It will make the gate folks sad. No one likes sad trolls! If you’re not sure, ask before you send the reservation.

Who do I make the check out to?
That’s in the event announcement, too! Take a quick look at it. Scan for the money section – it’s usually before or after that. You’ll see the phrase “Make checks payable to: SCA [state] Inc, – [Name of local group].” Never make a check out to the name of the autocrat or reservations clerk. It’ll always be to a group. A couple examples: SCA NY, Inc – Shire of Coppertree; SCA PA, Inc – Debatable Lands; SCA WV, Inc – Shire of Sylvan Glen.

While you’re writing the check, don’t forget to sign and date it! And it can be helpful to write your phone number on it, too (if you’re so inclined), in case the reservations clerk has questions. It will make his or her eyes sparkle with joy.

What should I include with my check?
You should include a note saying who you are and what you’re paying for. Don’t laugh! People don’t! Please do send a note. It should include the full mundane names of everyone you’re paying for, their SCA names if they got ’em, exactly what you think you’re paying for, and the amounts (this helps with your math, too!). If you’re paying for kids, it’s also helpful to include their ages. Also, your contact info – phone number and email address.

Here’s a bad example (don’t do this!):
Hey, looking forward to it, bringing the kids and mom, see you then! Love, Mary [includes a check for $89]

Here’s a good example:
Enclosed is a check for $89 for the Feast of Awesome on Oct 1:
Lady Mariah du Jardin (Mary Contrary-Smythe): $12 + $ 8 feast ($20)
Lord Hugo Oaksplitter (Jack Contrary): $12 + $8 feast ($20)
(no SCA name) (Evelyn Smythe): $17 (non member) + $8 feast ($25)
Bucky Oaksplitter (Bucky Contrary, age 9), $6 + $8 feast ($14)
Mimi Oaksplitter (Mimi Contrary, age 3), $0 + $0 feast, will need a feast seat, please
Also, 5 beds in a cabin for one night (Saturday), 5 x $2 ($10)
Any questions, please call (412) 555-5555 or email mary.contrary@gmail.com. We’ll show our membership cards at the door. Thanks!

Send something like that, and you may get a smiley face and a star next to your name. The gatekeeper might even wink at you in appreciation.

How do I know if they got my check?
You won’t necessarily. But if you include a polite note with your check (for example, “Can you please email or FB message me when you get this? mary.contrary@gmail.com”), most reservations clerks are happy to take a moment and drop you a note.

When can I expect the check to be cashed?
Within a week of when it is received. That’s what’s supposed to happen. In reality, sometimes it can take longer. Feel free to contact the autocrat, exchequer, or seneschal of the group holding the event, if something seems to have gone awry.

Is there any other way to pay besides a check?
If you’re mailing it, you’ll have to write a check. Or you could send a money order. Sending cash through the mail isn’t a good idea. If the person taking pre-regs is local to you, they may be willing to take cash in person.

We know, we know… you can pay online for, like, everything these days, why not events? Short answer: it’s against SCA policy for local groups to set up that sort of thing, so we don’t. There’s a PayPal experiment going on in other Kingdoms right now. If it works out, we may implement here, but it’s still in a testing phase right now.

An alternative to physically writing check is to ask your bank if you can do online requests for physical checks to be sent. Basically, you enter the info on their website, and the reservations clerk will get a physical check in the mail. This service does exist, and some banks do it. You need to enter the “payable to” and physical address correctly! And please do request it in enough time, since it sends a check through the mail… Not as fast as PayPal, but hey, it’s online!

What else can I do to make the process work smoothly?
The best thing you can do is send your pre-registration in early enough. Feast (or cabin) spaces can sell out pretty fast, and event staff really hates to disappoint people. In fact, the number of feast spaces available may be dependent on how many pre-regs there are! And if you’ve asked if there’s space and they say “yes”, don’t dawdle! There may be space that day, but if you wait a week to send your check, it may be sold out by then. Ensure a cheerful check-in and send in early!

Advanced class: Why did the wording change in the money section of event announcements?
The short answer: so that the SCA isn’t taxed by states inappropriately.

There was a state that wanted to tax SCA event fees, since the wording of the event announcement made it sound like we do entertainment stuff, like Ren Faires. Entertainment stuff can be taxed. As you all know, we are not entertainment; we are a participatory organization. Such things are not taxed. The change was needed in order to make it super clear that our events are participatory in nature, not entertainment or some other taxable thing. SCA Corporate rolled it out to all the Kingdoms because, as we learned from creating subsidiaries, such things (like new ways to levy taxes) tend to spread from state to state, and they wanted to head it off at the pass.

Bonus is that the new wording is friendlier to new folks, and more inclusive than “non-member surcharge”. That’s been a Corporate-level discussion for years. It was a good time to make the change.

Advanced class: So, what happened to the NMS (non-member surcharge) then? They said it was important, are they not collecting it?
Remember how the NMS was $5? Well, you may notice that the “adult event registration” prices and the “adult member discount registration” prices are exactly $5 different! This is not a coincidence!

That difference of $5 per non-member is still collected and sent to Corporate, just like the NMS was. On the back end (that the exchequers, autocrats, and seneschals worry about), it gets reported and sent the same way it always has. They’re renaming it to NMR (non-member registration). It’s just a front end nomenclature change, and it doesn’t change the way we’re collecting and reporting anything. It’ll take some getting used to, but we’ll get there!

This article was written by Baroness Hilda Hugelmann, so any mistakes are hers. Thanks to Master Bataar Sogdo, Deputy Kingdom Exchequer, for contributing information used in writing the advanced class information, and to Duchess Dorinda Courtenay for ideas and FAQs.

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Call For Donations To SCA 50 Volunteers

18 Monday Apr 2016

Posted by aethgazette in 50 Year, Event Announcements & Updates, SCA History

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donations, Volunteer

SCA 50 logo

Attention, Talented Artisans of the Society for Creative Anachronism

In the Society for Creative Anachronism, we are a collective of volunteers, each serving in their own way at one point or another so that all may have a chance to play, enjoy, learn and have fun. It is on this mantra that the SCA has gone on for 50 years now, and shall continue to do so.

As we Celebrate 50 Years of the Society, many of our SCA family will be considering attending the SCA 50 Year Celebration Event, June 17th through the 27th of this year and many of them will be giving their time and service to the event, staffing the Gate, serving on the Watch, Marshalling the Lists.

We wish to show appreciation to the Volunteers who give of themselves, from the newest member giving their first hour of service to the Multi-Peer who serves alongside that newest member. The Society works because our Volunteers continue to turn the wheels and drive us forward to fun, adventure, knowledge and my personal favorites, Family and Friendship.

Everyone who volunteers on site during the event will receive a ticket for each hour they serve. These tickets can be dropped into boxes that will labeled with the items you’ve donated: items that our volunteers would proudly use or displayed long after the event is over.

And Artisans, this is where you are most needed. We come seeking donations from the Amazingly Talented populace of the Known World: we are asking you to please consider donating handmade items that people would Buy/Trade/Commission for themselves.
No matter your rank, Laurel or student; professional crasftsperson or astonishingly talented amateur: we’re asking all of you to help us recognize the volunteers in service to the Society’s 50th Year Celebration. Please, put forth your beautiful work to be a cherished gift for a Volunteer.

If you’re considering a specialized item (something that must be custom sized or fit, for instance) or you aren’t sure how to submit it to the cause, please contact my Coordinator, THL Justice McArtain, at justice.napier@gmail.com
All donations can be mailed to His Lordship Justice ahead of the Event or delivered at the SCA 50 Year Celebration Event if you are attending.

To Donate, or if you have any additional questions, simply email the following details to justice.napier@gmail.com

  • SCA Title and Name
  • Mundane Name
  • Item to be Donated
  • To be mailed or delivered at 50 Year
  • Mailing Address
  • Any additional information / description of your item you wish to include (including pictures of our work if it’s a ‘after raffle’ item.

As a thank you to everyone who contributes, His Lordship Justice will be doing a raffle of his own.
Two artists will be drawn to receive a Gift Card each to get more supplies (or whatever you want to do with the money).
We thank you for your time and hope that you will reach out to offer your talent to support the Volunteers who give of theirs for this once in a lifetime Event.

In Service,

Herr Alexander Adelbrecht von Markelingen

SCA 50 Year Celebration – Volunteer Relations Coordinator

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East Orders of High Merit to Become Grant Level

21 Wednesday Oct 2015

Posted by Krista in Æthelmearc History, Heraldry, Kingdom News, SCA History

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grant level awards

Their Majesties of the East have announced that the current Eastern Orders of High Merit will become Grant level Orders. As our fair Kingdom was once a Principality of the East, this news may be of interest to many Æthelmearcers. Additionally, They are creating four new AoA level awards.

Read the details here, courtesy of the East Kingdom Gazette.

 

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A Remembrance of Dave Cooper

28 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by aethgazette in Pennsic, SCA History, Tidings

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In remembrance, Memorial

by Baron Master Devon Adair Bartholemy and Baroness Mistress Daedez of the Dark Horde Moritu

Dave Cooper

Like his father before him, Dave Cooper was one hard worker. Like his father before him, he helped run Coopers’ Lake Campground and expand it into the amazing event site it is today. Dave was one of our hosts for 39 of the 44 Pennsic Wars to date. In the process, his service and courtesy more than earned the Court Baronetcy earlier royalty bestowed on him. Oh, and like Mac before him, Dave was a man of few words.

Some years back, Dave joined us at a campfire on the final night of Æthelmearc War Practice. Dae and I considered it a singular honor. Between the pleasantries and companionable silences that ensued, I said: “You know, Dave, your home has a pretty special place in the hearts and minds of a lot of SCAdians. Quite a few of us have said that if the modern world ever fell apart, this is where we’d want to head. What do you think about that?”

Dave looked at us and then gave me the Cooper nod. (That’s several seconds of concerted thought, followed by a single decisive bob of the head.) “Bring seed,” Dave said.

Well, by Pennsic 24, I had acquired a few hundred packets of flower and vegetable seeds. I passed them out to everyone I knew who could pick Dave out of a crowd. Dave couldn’t go anywhere that War without having some random attendee walk up and give him a big grin or hug, and a packet of seeds. Dave took the joke with remarkably good grace.

At Pennsic 25, there were new flower beds next to the camp store and under the bath house balcony. There was also a vegetable garden out by the old stone house.   Dave mentioned that he had considered labeling the rows NOT with what the packets said they contained, but with the names of the friends who had given them to him. I figure I’d have been the pumpkins, Eddy the zucchini, Melkor the squash, and so on.

I’m going to miss Dave something fierce. But if hard work, valor, and kindness can be said to grow, then (I don’t care whether you call him Heimdallr or St. Peter) I’m willing to bet that the gatekeeper greeted Dave Cooper’s arrival with a knowing nod and the words: ”You brought seed.”

With heartfelt condolences to Betty Cooper, and all of Dave’s family,

Baron Master Devon Adair Bartholomy, Mayor of Pennsics 32 and 40, and

Baroness Mistress Daedez of the Dark Horde Moritu.

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Æthelmearc Æcademy and War College plus Equestrian Champions’ Tourney

27 Saturday Jun 2015

Posted by aethgazette in Arts & Sciences, Equestrian, Heavy List, Music, SCA History, Scribal, Youth Activities, Youth combat

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Academy, Army muster, Æcademy, Dance, Stormsport, War College

For this session, we promised classes that are icky, sticky, smelly, noisy, and messy. And boy, will we deliver!

This event combines 3 events: Stormsport’s Annual Army Muster, Their Majesties’ Equestrian Championship Tournament, and the Æthelmearc Æcademy and War College. It is sure to offer something for everyone!

In addition to the heavy fighting, archery, fencing, thrown weapons, youth combat, and equestrian activities, there will be classes a-plenty!

Not even Pennsic can boast such a wide variety as we will provide: hands-on classes, history classes, music and dance classes, martial and equestrian classes …. Who could ask for more?

Check out the class descriptions here.

Then mark your calendar for Saturday, July 4th, and we’ll see you at the Albion Borough Park /Fairgrounds in Albion, PA! For additional event details, please visit the event’s website.

War College/Martial

  • Atlatl Practicum ( THL Anlaith ingen Trena )
  • Basics of the Japanese Sword ( Lord Alessandro Devereaux )
  • German Sword and Buckler ( Mistress Fredeburg von Katzenellenbogen )
  • Meisterhau in Practical Use ( Don Donnan MacDubhsidhe )
  • Morning Heavy Instruction Muster ( Baron Liam MacantSaoir )
  • Rapier Combat Body Mechanics ( Master Diego Miguel Munoz de Castilla )

Equestrian

  • Fashion Parade — A Trip through the History of Horse Barding ( Lady Maeve Ni Siurtain)
  • Groundcrewing at Equestrian Events ( Lady Aaliz de Gant )
  • Heraldry for Horses ( THL Meadhbh Inghean Ui Bhaoighill )
  • Riding to the Obstacle — A Practical Training Session for Equestrian Activities. ( Mistress Shishido Tora, called Gozen )

Demonstration/Hands-on

  • Beginning Pewter – Cold and Hot Pewter Look the Same (Lady Edana the Red)
  • Chests, Boxes, Straps and Locks ( Baron Langdon of Greymorne )
  • Inlaid Floor Tiles ( Lord Ian Campbell of Glen Mor )
  • Introduction to Green Woodworking ( Master Gille MacDhnouill )
  • Paternosters, Rosaries and Payres of Beades ( Mistress Aidan ni Leir )
  • Roman Food and Dining: A Roman Picnic ( Lady Ottilige von Rappoltsweiler )
  • Teaching in the SCA ( Mistress Alicia Langland )
  • Viking Age Women’s Beads ( Mistress Aidan ni Leir )

History

  • Everybody Dies ( THL Beatrice de Winter )
  • Hangmen, Headsmen, and Other Fun Ways to Die ( THL Beatrice de Winter )
  • How to Look Like You Have Stepped Out of a Renaissance Painting (Baroness Oddkatla Jonsdottir )
  • Islamic Science ( Master Gille MacDhnouill )
  • Period Card Games: Losing Loadem ( Lady Margaret of Enniscorthy )

Music & Dance

  • European Dance in the 15th and 16th Centuries — An Introduction ( THL sionn, the lost )
  • European Dance in the 15th and 16th Centuries — Intermediate Dances ( THL sionn, the lost )
  • Hammered Dulcimer ( Lady Brigette de Sainte Mere-Eglise )
  • Loud Band – Shawm and Rauschpiefe ( Master Remus Fletcher )
  • Pennsic Choir Sneak Peek ( Mistress Arianna of Wynthrope )
  • The Cornett and the Serpent: Renaissance Brass? ( Master Remus Fletcher )

Scribal

  • Baby Steps for Beginner Illumination ( Lady Edana the Red )
  • Developing a Flourished Hand by Bocskay ( THL Kieran MacRae )
  • Fixing Mistakes on Scrolls ( Mistress Arianna of Wynthrope )
  • Painting White Flowers ( Mistress Antoinette de la Croix )
  • Scribal Arts: Shading/Drapery ( Mistress Antoinette de la Croix )
Photo by Kathleen Haag

Photo by Kathleen Haag

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The SCA Diffusion Study

12 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by aethgazette in Esoterica, Interviews, SCA History

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Interviews

THLord Thomas the Green

THLord Thomas the Green

THLord Thomas the Green recently created a survey he calls the “SCA Diffusion Study,” in which he is attempting to determine how the Society has spread over its 50 years. You can contribute to the survey here. Mistress Arianna of Wynthrope interviewed His Lordship about the project.

When did you join the SCA? Where are you from?

I joined the SCA in 1993 at the Shire of Dernehealde, Barony of the Middle Marches, Midrealm, in Athens Ohio, (Ohio University). Oddly enough, I’ve always lived in the Midrealm.

What sorts of activities do you like to do in the SCA?

Over the years I have been a group Seneschal for the Shire of Drakelaw, in Ashland, KY, a group Herald (same), a Herald at Large within the North and South Oaken region of the Midrealm, and a Silent Herald. I’ve also been a Fencing Marshal and the baronial fencing Champion for the Barony of the Middle Marches, as well as a heavy weapon spearman. Principally, though, I’m a scribe. I’m apprenticed to Mistress Katarina Helene von Schoenborn. So I’ve been pushing ink / graphite / lead for … nearly 15 years or so. It’s part of my monastic persona.

What do you do in the real world?

In real life I’m a doctoral student in sociology at Kent State University. Before enrolling here, I was a full-time instructor of sociology at Shawnee State University for the past 8 years (which seems sort of backwards, but it’s a long story).

What made you decide to do the SCA Diffusion Study?

The idea for the SCA Diffusion Study is one of those “No kidding, there I was” stories. Like many things in the SCA, it all began with a road trip. I was on the road with a good friend of mine who is also a Scadian. Mundanely she’s Dr. Amy Rock, Humboldt State University Department of Geography; in the SCA she’s Lady Catriona MacRath. Originally from the Middle Marches and the Midrealm like me – we met back in college – now she’s a transplant out to the West Kingdom. Her big focus both within and outside of the SCA is cartography so it’s a natural fit to ask for her help in the project. We were talking about how we’re now in A.S. 50, and I commented about how the SCA spread around the country and the world. Both of us knew the stories that the Society started in California and then moved around as people relocated either to or from universities or military bases. But, being a doctoral student, I came up with the idea of actually studying the process as a measure of cultural diffusion; how an idea, like the SCA, moves throughout society. Since Catriona is a cultural geographer and I’m a cultural sociologist., between the two of us we basically came up with the idea of putting the data (when groups were founded) on a map to track how the idea of the SCA spread.

Diffusion survey

I’ve done on-line research before and after a quick survey of what was available on sites like Midrealm Wiki, I figured that the best way to collect the data was to let SCAdians help me out. There’s enough “living history” out there that someone would be most likely to know when a group, barony, principality, etc. was formed. Once the form was completed on Google Docs, it was a simple matter of getting it out into the SCAdian hive-mind.

Other than social media, how are you distributing this study?

 Currently the survey form is being sent around through social media like Facebook, with email sent to a few people I knew in other kingdoms who could spread it on their end, since I’m only a member of the Midrealm and SCA Facebook groups.

Have you thought about how to find information on defunct groups?

The topic of defunct groups is why, specifically, I hit social media. I can dig through records like Gandalf in Minas Tirith but it seemed logical and efficient to ask the SCAdian population at large to help identify which groups are no longer in operation. I would have no idea where to even look for groups who aren’t currently reporting – especially groups that may have formed and gone cold twenty or thirty years ago.

When did you initiate the survey, and how many responses have you received to date? How has it been received?

So far people have been fairly curious about the project and I’ve received a lot of comments from people who were trying to pull in some of those ‘living history’ members who would know the history of the SCA within their region. So far I’ve received 40 responses and the project has only been live for 24 hours (since June 10 at 9 a.m.). I’m going to be tracking the progress on a weekly basis by kingdom, so if I know the total number of active groups (shires, baronies, etc.) within a given kingdom, I can measure how close I am to having data on all of the current groups for each kingdom. I already have responses from Middle, East, Caid, Calontir, Atlantia, and Ansteorra to just name a few, so the word is definitely getting out.

Have you contacted anyone at the Society level to gain additional data?

There was a post on one of the Facebook pages from someone mentioning that I should review the Board meeting minutes since any new group’s origin would be listed in them as an official point of business. I have no idea how to access those minutes but they would be a great resource. I’ll probably use them to fill in the gaps as needed and serve as a comparison between what was reported.

The Board minutes would only indicate when the group became official. That could be years after its founding. However, they would also list any groups that had been dissolved.

Right. Defunct groups will be plugged in as we get them. That may be what I look for in the Board’s minutes – to find where groups did exist but have gone dormant. There may be pockets of a kingdom’s territory that may have been active at one time but are now generally quiet.

You’ll probably also find groups that spring up and then die over and over again in the same location. Small towns and college groups are prone to that.

Yup. which hopefully we can track. What began as a brain teaser of “I wonder how the SCA spread around the world” will probably turn into a much larger project once I start digging through the responses and putting the information in order.

What sort of information do you expect or hope to learn from it, besides the obvious of how the SCA spread over time?

The study of diffusion is a lengthy one. I’m basically tracking an idea. This method only tracks the path the idea took, which is not exactly the same thing as the process. Many people have already told me stories of how one principality was founded when Duke-Sir-Someone broke down on the road and was helped by some people. They asked about the medieval stuff in his car and voila… the idea is passed from person to person.

What do you plan to do with the information you gain?

The idea is to take all of the information on the form (group’s name, area, first year, etc.) and plug it into a GIS (Geographical Information Systems) program. This is where my friend Lady Catriona, the Cultural Geographer, comes in. We can then plot, by year, where certain areas (probably by county) ‘went active’. Since we have 50 years of the SCA, I’d have 50 layers of map, and each one would show which counties light up (are active) or fade (go inactive) over that time period. There will most likely be various iterations of this mapping project where we track active groups over the years and then compare that information to the location of college campuses and military bases around the country/world.

Do you see this information as having a practical application? Or is it mostly of historical / social interest?

As far as practical applications for the research, there are a few things that we’re playing with. An interesting feature of GIS is that we can use existing trends (the spread of a cultural trend like the SCA) not only to see where the trend has come from but also to predict where it will most likely originate next. And that’s the really interesting stuff. Basically, this project will help shed light on questions like: “What is necessary to facilitate the creation of an SCA group?”

So could have predictive value?

I’m not as clear on how that part works, that’s where Catriona’s work in Cultural Geography kicks in. You would assume that SCA groups are formed in proximity to other SCA groups; so that you could have some degree of mentoring.

A lot of people have expressed concern that the Society is shrinking. The numbers I’ve seen on the Society’s membership levels seem to indicate that it’s increasing slightly in the past few months, with some kingdoms stronger than others. I wonder how your study results might correlate with that?

That’s also what I was curious about as well. With the economy being as it is – how much can people afford to “live the dream”? When I helped found the shire of Drakelaw in Ashland KY, we were across the river from an existing group in Ohio and only 30 minutes away from a group in Æthelmearc (Port Oasis). So we had a lot of other SCAdians around to help us build the idea of what the SCA was.

To participate in the survey, click here. If you have any questions about the survey, please email THLord Thomas. His Lordship has promised to update the Gazette once he has the data crunched from the survey. To see regular updates on the status of the study, you can Like its Facebook page.

Diff study Facebook page

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Happy New Year!

01 Friday May 2015

Posted by aethgazette in SCA History

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First Tourney, May Day, SCA History, SCA New Year

Happy SCA New Year! It’s Anno Societatis L (or A.S. 50).

On a day of new beginnings, with a new SCA year starting and the historic elevation of Duchess Dorinda Courtenay as Æthelmearc’s first Master of Defense taking place tonight, it seems like a fine time to look back at where the SCA began.

You can go to the West Kingdom website for an account of the first tournament, which took place on May 1, 1966.

The flyer for the first SCA tournament, courtesy of the West Kingdom.

The flyer for the first SCA tournament, courtesy of the West Kingdom.

Have a great new year, everyone!

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The SCA and Recruiting in the World of Live-Action Roleplaying Games

22 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by aethgazette in Esoterica, Gaming & Fun, SCA History

≈ 9 Comments

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live action role playing, recruitment

hawkcreek07011During a meeting of Chatelaines, the subject of live action role playing games (LARP) and SCA recruitment came up for discussion. The term live action role playing games is often met with mixed reactions in groups like the Society of Creative Anachronism, but what really defines a LARP, how close is LARP to the SCA, and what are the prospects for recruiting new members from LARP groups? Prior to joining the SCA I spent 16 years running and playing in various live action role playing games. I don’t consider myself an expert in either activity, but I believe my experience gives me an interesting perspective on how the SCA and LARP can mutually benefit from associating with each other.

What is a live action role playing game?

In the broadest sense of the term a LARP is defined as any activity where participants assume the roles of fictional characters (fictional in the sense that they are not playing themselves) and act out the lives of these characters in a real world setting. The “game” aspect of the LARP typically comes in the form of an objective of the game (completing quests, gathering treasurer, defeating enemies, etc.). How the players achieve this objective is determined by a mutually agreed upon set of rules. Many of the original LARP games involved fantasy settings, but over the years have grown to include a wide range of genre including horror, mystery, science fiction, and modern military simulations. Some LARP games involve a high level of physical activity including simulated combat (not unlike the SCA) with padded weapons. Many games use fictional skills and abilities to compensate for talents or abilities not possessed by the actual players (such as casting magic spells, playing fantastic races like Elves, etc.). Some LARP games require little physical activity and discourage direct physical contact between players. Games like this are typically meant for venues where things like mock combat are not permitted; schools and colleges for example. Live action role playing games are not a new concept and many of the original live action games started as early as the late seventies before spreading into international interest in the early eighties. Today LARP games of all sorts are played all over the world by millions of players.

Why does the term “LARP” make certain people cringe?

The term LARP is often met with disfavor in groups like the SCA and many people become upset when they hear the SCA described as a LARP. A large part of the issue comes from the public’s perception of LARP and the people who play LARP games. LARP has held a stigma in society since the eighties when movies such as “Mazes and Monsters” and books like “The Game Master” gave many people the perception that LARP was a secretive game played by people on the fringes of society. At the time most people had limited access to information about LARP games and as a result the media found it easy to paint LARP as the “boogeyman” out to corrupt the minds of its players. Many years have passed, but this stigma still exists. Where the media once used LARP games as precautionary tales, modern media paints LARP in an almost humorous or childish light with movies such as “Role Models”. It is reasonable to assume the average modern SCA member is informed enough to grin at such public perceptions, but this negative stereotype can still hurt recruitment with the general public who are not as use to the concept. Further complicating the issue is the fact that many LARP games involve a higher level of fantasy elements (monsters, magic, etc.) not common to more low fantasy/historical based groups like the SCA. While the SCA is not purely historically correct, many SCA members do not want to be associated with dragons, wizards, and elves. LARP games also allow players to replace real world ability with fictional skills. Instead of spending hours at practice learning to fight or perfect a craft, a LARP player can simply buy a fictional ability giving them similar advantage in the “game”. Often people feel calling the SCA a LARP lessens the dedication and time invested in SCA activities. The level of differences between a given LARP and the SCA will differ from LARP group to LARP group, but the perception is still there. Combine all these elements and it is easy to understand why the average SCA group will shy away from association with LARP. While increased public exposure to LARP has lessened this stigma over time, people are still gun shy about associated group like the SCA with LARP games. In turn many in the SCA seek to separate the SCA from LARP as much as possible to prevent any connection with the negative stereotypes of LARP. Sadly this can also result in alienation of LARP players and in turn rob the SCA of possible new members.

Is the SCA a LARP?

Looking at the SCA using the simple description of LARP mentioned earlier, one might see the confusion newcomers have when looking at the SCA; participants assuming the roles of fictional characters, acting out the lives of these character in a live setting, and doing so with a mutually agreed upon set of rules. On the surface the average SCA event does not look all that different from the average LARP event. However the SCA is only considered a LARP if you stop at the point of simple surface comparison and fail to include the many aspects that make the SCA unique from other activities. Is the SCA a LARP? No, it is the SCA. Part of the problem is that the term “LARP” is an outdated concept that no longer adequately describes the activities (including most LARP games) that get lumped under the LARP “umbrella”. It’s no different than trying to describe every athletic activity as simply “sport”. The interesting fact is that even groups closer to the general description of LARP dislike being called a LARP and all for the same reasons that many in the SCA dislike the label.

The world of LARP started to spread out.

LARP games in the early eighties tended to remain isolated from each other. In part this was because of player loyalty to local games, but also because it was harder to find and participate in other groups due to distance and lack of easy communication. While not as common, some groups would encourage isolation to prevent losing players to rival games and did not take kindly to any attempts to recruit their members. Recruiting in this environment was difficult because players that became interested in a new group would often leave one game completely to go play another. This isolationism started to decline as the number of games started to grow making it easier to travel to more games and the internet made contacting these groups easier. Slowly the LARP player base started to spread out. At the same time it became more common for people to participate in multiple games at once based on their interests or location; a practice called “cross-gaming”. The important aspect of cross-gaming and recruitment is that groups no longer have to force players to choose between groups, but instead could encourage them to participate in multiple games at the same time.

What makes recruiting in LARP groups a viable possibility for the SCA?

Whatever the genre of the local LARP group (horror, fantasy, etc.) the average LARP player shares enough in common with the average SCA member that they might find the SCA interesting. Most LARP participants travel to events, go camping, struggle with packing too much into small cars, rushing to finish last minute projects, and have war stories to share just like SCA members. If you ignore the little details of how and where, most of the experiences are the same. The SCA might offer activities that the person’s local LARP group does not offer such as martial activities, archery, thrown weapons, and arts and sciences. The SCA also has activities that interest a wide range of ages, lifestyles, and different levels of physical abilities. This allows the SCA to recruit people who have a hard time fitting into LARP groups; families with children for example. Another nice feature of the SCA is that it is international. Over the years LARP has grown into an international pastime, but many groups remain local or at best regional. The international aspect of the SCA might interest migrating people such as college students, members of the military, or people who travel for work. Since the SCA is virtually everywhere and for the most part shares the same traditions and rules, a traveler can easily and quickly fit in wherever they end up in their travels. Lastly many LARP players already know about or participate in the SCA on some level and might be interested in getting more involved or returning after an absence.

What are the best ways and the worst ways to recruit LARP players?

Like any recruitment there are pitfalls to avoid and good and bad ways to proceed. The most important thing to keep in mind when recruiting around LARP groups (or any group really) is to remain open and honest. Never make it seem like the SCA is trying to convert or recruit by subterfuge. Showing up and pretending to be new to the concept of LARP or the SCA (or just acting willfully oblivious) is a guaranteed way to alienate people. The truth will come out down the road and that will ruin any chance of a good relationship with the group. Instead open with something like, “I’m with another group called the Society for Creative Anachronism and I am curious about your group”. Ask questions about the LARP and if people seem interested, explain the differences between LARP and the SCA. Avoid talking down about LARP when comparing it to the SCA. As mentioned before try to focus on the things that the two activities have in common instead of talking about the pros and cons of each. Each person’s view of what constitutes a pro and con is different. Understand that when members of two groups come together there is a natural tendency to try and compete. Falling into this competitive trap might win some sort of perceived short term moral victory, but really helps no one in the long term.  Don’t go in trying to recruit the whole group. Some people might be interested in the SCA, but this does not mean the whole group has to come and try it. Support the individuals who are interested and avoid putting them in a position where they have to choose between activities. In most cases, forcing a person to make a choice will result in the person choosing the group they are currently with. People go with the things they know. The important thing to remember is that recruitment is not an all or nothing deal. The modern LARP player base enjoys playing a large variety of games and many will loyally participate in multiple groups at the same time (remember the trend of cross-gaming).  Avoid the mindset that people who LARP do so because they have not experienced the “magic” of the SCA, or worse yet, picked LARP because they can’t handle or “cut it” in the SCA. It is important to keep in mind that many LARP players are fully aware of the SCA and simply prefer LARP. A specific example of this is fighting. Most LARP groups use padded weapons for combat (boffer weapons), but in the SCA padded weapons are typically reserved for children. It is easy to assume that LARP fighters use padded weapons because they can’t handle heavier fighting styles, but in reality most groups use padded weapons because that is what they know. Granted using padded weapons allows a larger number of people participate because it is cheaper and requires less protective gear, but this does not mean LARP fighters don’t take their fighting seriously. Many spend just as many hours practicing as your average SCA fighter; it just happens they use a different type of weapon. There are also some LARP people who avoid the SCA because they received incorrect or biased information about what the SCA is about or had (or heard about) a bad experience in the past. How many times has someone responded to talk about the SCA with “I heard they complain about people that are not historically accurate” or “getting involved is just too expensive”? This misinformation is often the reason the person started playing LARP instead of exploring the SCA. If the person is interested, this is a great opportunity to give people the correct information about what the SCA has to offer. Try not to push or oversell the SCA if the person is not interested. Simply meeting and getting to know people is often the best form of recruitment. A small seed of mutual interaction now can lead to new SCA members down the road. If nothing else the person may come away with a new and hopefully positive experience to replace the earlier negative one. Lastly, don’t go into a group assuming they like being called a LARP any more than the SCA does. There are new subgroups of LARP like activities that do not consider themselves LARP. Many of these are groups that focus on combat and battle activities and limit the fantasy elements seen in most LARP groups. These games are sometimes called live action battle games. This might seem like a fine line but being aware of this will help avoid pitfalls that could hurt another otherwise beneficial meeting.

Recruitment can work both ways and that is not a bad thing.

A reoccurring theme in this article is the development of a good relationship with local LARP groups, often to the point it might seem a lopsided effort, but the advantage is not as one sided as it might seem. Developing a working relationship with local LARP groups can help with recruiting for all groups involved. Remember recruiting is not an all or nothing deal. If the SCA maintains a good relationship with local LARP groups, it creates a self-maintained recruiting ground for all groups involved. New people that come in contact with the LARP group but have interests more geared to the SCA can be put in contact with the SCA. People who come in contact with the SCA but are a better fit for LARP can be sent in that direction. In the end it is better for everyone involved to keep interested people involved in the hobby on some level instead of losing them altogether. Plus, as their interests or levels of participation change (age, families), the person already have a good point of contact to seek the group that fits them best at the time. This also increases the public exposure of both groups because working as a team they can attend more events and demonstrations than one group working alone and in turn can cover more ground and meet more potential new people. There is also the advantage of the two groups attending the same event and supporting each other’s recruitment efforts. With growing concerns about getting new blood into the SCA, looking for potential sources of new members is more important than ever and LARP groups are part of that potential. Hopefully this article sheds some light on that value and gives some insight on how to recruit in that environment. I am always interested in feedback, suggestions, and tales of personal experience with the subject and welcome people to contact me.

YIS,

Lord Magnus de Lyons

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