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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!brad
From: brad@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Brad Spear)
Newsgroups: net.rec
Subject: Re: Re: A SCAdian Call to Arms
Message-ID: <1426@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Oct-84 20:35:32 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.1426
Posted: Mon Oct 29 20:35:32 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 1-Nov-84 05:17:19 EST
References: <697@sunybcs.UUCP> <500@plus5.UUCP> <763@sunybcs.UUCP> <2566@rochester.UUCP>
Reply-To: brad@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Brad Spear)
Distribution: net
Organization: System Development Corp. R+D, Santa Monica
Lines: 71
Summary: 

In article <2566@rochester.UUCP> lee@rochester.UUCP (Lee Moore) writes:

>    ...    I attended meetings for several months at which time I went to
> a feast.  At this feast, several of the officers asked me "Who are you?".
> They thought I was some stranger from out of town.  The reason they didn't
> know who I was is because they were too busy plotting over who was to be
> King.  Apparently there was a debated call by one of the referees in the
> final match to determine who was to be king.  So now there were two contenders
> each of which had his own supporters.  Even though everbody talked about
> the succession, nobody was willing to give details... "if you don't know
> already, we can't tell you".  Great.

You say several officers asked who you were?  How well did you get to know
them during the several months?  If they only saw you once or twice, there is
no reason to expect them to remember your name.  After all, they have to deal
with many SCA people, in addition to their real life.  Most people can't
remember names and faces readily, unless there is something special about the
meeting or the person.

At the Crown Tournament, (when the King & Queen are chosen, for those who
don't know), tension can get quite high, it is by far the most important
tournament in the SCA.  Yes, it is only a hobby, but how many people become
obstinate and un-talkative in the last few minutes of a hotly contested
professional sport, say football or basketball, or after the game when they
feel that 'their' team lost because of what the person considered a bad call
by the referee?  The problem is not intrinsic to the SCA.

> The SCA is the only organization that I know of that actually LIKES to create
> bureaucracy.  You can only wear approved colors and you must act your
> station in life.  While authenticity is a reasonable goal, it is often
> used as a means to put down people.
>   ...

There is no SCA regulation forcing people to wear approved colors, which
makes us a little more lenient than the age we are trying to recreate.  If
one wanted to wear certain colors in the medieval world, or certain metals
or gems, one had to be in the proper class, or at least willing to pay
through the nose.  The only true 'dress code' in effect is that one must
"wear pre-17th century dress of any period or culture" (Corpora of the
Society for Creative Anachronism, 8 Nov 80 Revision), or at least to have
made a serious attempt at it.  This is only natural, since we are trying to
recreate something of a pre-17th century environment.  Actually, this is
usually stretched up to about the mid-17th century, to allow Cavaliers.

As far as acting your station in life, that is up to the individual.  Everyone
is considered to be a noble until proven otherwise.  If one wishes to show up
as a peasant, it is one's option.  It is reasonable to expect at least the
manners of modern civilization however.  Putting down people is not a goal of
the SCA.  There are 'snobs' everywhere.  Since the SCA has a lot of people,
with a lot of different tastes and abilities, we also have snobs.  Just do
what you would do in normal life.  After all, like the saying goes, "you can
choose your friends ...".  A lot of people have found a lot of friends in the
SCA, and they have found it to be a worthwile hobby.  I hope you do too.

> They should remember (that like Science Fiction Fandom) it's just a
> goddamm hobby.

I know of Fans that forget to drop the act when they go home.

> Here is an SCA joke that I heard in my Markland days:
>	Q: Why can't SCA women get pregnant?
>	A: They can't stand to be out of period for nine months.

Heh, Heh!  I'll have to remember to tell that to my girlfriend. ...  On
second thought, maybe I'd better not.

All in all, the SCA has been around for over 18 years, we must be doing
something right.

Brad Spear
sdcrdcf!brad