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Information for
If you are new to the SCA, welcome! We hope you'll consider joining us! There's a lot of information below, but the best way to get a sense of what the SCA is "all about" is to try it for yourself!
Please
note that we have a special office, the Chatelaine (aka Hospitaller,
Castellan, or Gold Key) for helping newcomers get oriented. Feel free
to contact our Chatelaine, Lady Rosanella Vespucci: 
.
About the SCA
SCA stands for "Society for Creative Anachronism," which is a fancy way of saying we're a group of people who explore pre-1600 cultures through re-creation rather than just studying; sort of like a hands-on version of Medieval History 101. (Most of our focus is on European cultures post-CE, but not all!) It's often said that "if they did it in the Middle Ages, someone in the SCA has tried it!" - and that's probably true. Martial activities, costuming, cooking, needlework, animal husbandry, weaving, beadmaking, lacemaking, leatherwork, carpentry - the SCA has something for everyone!
The SCA is organized geographically; the world is divided into several Kingdoms, which are further subdivided into smaller groups (e.g. Baronies, Shires) which are themselves often further subdivided. (In other words, even if you're not local to Buckston-on-Eno, there's probably a group near you!) While the SCA does offer paid memberships, you don't need one in order to participate.
Kingdoms are ruled by a King and Queen, one of whom has won the title in a tournament. Unlike the Middle Ages, our monarchs have term limits - and that's more for their benefit, since serving as King and Queen, while fun and rewarding, can also be a highly stressful (not to mention expensive) experience. Also, our monarchs don't rule with absolute power; in fact, it's probably fair to say that they have political influence rather than actual power. The SCA is 'ruled' by a Board of Directors (BoD), whose members are nominated and commented upon by SCA members before being selected (by the seated BoD) for appointment.
As members of the Society, we pursue a lot of medieval activities at home in our spare time. In order to see what other people are up to, show off our handiwork and generally immerse ourselves in the Current Middle Ages, we hold 'events' - day or weekend-long gatherings hosted by an individual group. These events may have particular themes, e.g. a particular time or culture, a particular craft or activity, etc. People come from across the Kingdom for these gatherings; depending on how far you're willing to drive, you could probably go to an event every weekend! The only thing required to participate in an event is payment of the entrance fee (usually very minimal; just enough to cover building rental costs) and an attempt at pre-17th century clothing.
What to Expect at Local Meetings
Local weekly meetings, at least in Buckston, have a number of parts. We often have fighting practice; we sometimes have dance practice; we'll sometimes have someone teach a class. In general, though, the purpose of the meeting is the business side of running the SCA. Sometimes this is minimal; other times (such as when we're making plans for an event we'd like to host), it's much more involved. Many groups, Buckston included, often go out for dinner and socializing after meeting - after all, the main point of the SCA is to have a good time!
The SCA uses some specialized language in order to help create a medieval atmosphere. We absolutely do not expect newcomers to memorize this information! Rather, this included so that newcomers can understand the conversations around them.
| Persona | All our members develop "personas," identities as people who could have lived in the Middle Ages. Personas may not be actual people from the Middle Ages. |
| Period; Out of Period | 'Period' refers to the time period we're trying to recreate, i.e. the middle ages and renaissance. This can be used in reference to just about anything: period cooking, period music, period period remedies... just checking to see if you're still paying attention! 'Out of period,' then, refers to things that are not from that time period. This is often abbreviated 'OoP.' |
| SCAdian, SCAfolk | Participants in the SCA. |
| Gentle(s) | Just means "people," as in "all good gentles should attend the event this weekend, it's going to be a lot of fun!" |
| Mundane | Refers to that which is modern/not part of the Society (e.g. mundane job, mundane name). |
| (My) Lord/Lady; Milord/Milady | Common form of address in the SCA. Officially, people are not titled "Lord" or "Lady" So-and-So until they have received their Award of Arms (see below); however, many people use "Milord/Milady" as a title of courtesy. |
| Award | Lots of people in the SCA do really cool stuff. Awards are given as a form of recognition for their spiffiness. Kingdoms, principalities, and baronies have different categories and levels of awards. An "Award of Arms" (or AoA) is often the first award a gentle receives. |
| Scroll | Awards are given in the form of scrolls, beautiful pieces of artwork in the form of medieval calligraphy and illumination, saying who the award is for and why it was given. |
| Court | Formal audiences held by sitting Royalty. This sometimes involves Kingdom (or principality, or barony, or... etc....) business; most courts are primarily taken up by the giving of awards. |
| Garb | Pre-17th century clothing. |
| Event | Gatherings of SCAdians; usually held on weekends and hosted by an individual group. |
| Feast | The main meal at an event (usually dinner), prepared in a period style/from period sources. |
| Feastgear | Plates, bowls, silverware, etc. used at feasts; usually pre-17th century style. |
| Site | The place where an event is held. "Site fee" = fee to participate in an event. |
| Gate | The place where you check in and pay fees at an event. (Many people call this "troll;" this is a holdover from the early days of the SCA, when fantasy roleplaying was also included; it is not a medieval term and should be avoided.) |
| Host; Event Steward | The person who plans and runs an event. (Many people use the term "autocrat" - this is not an accurate representation of the role of a Host, given its despotic connotations, and should be avoided.) |
| Head Cook | The person who plans and runs a feast. (Many people use the term "feastocrat" - this is not an accurate representation of the role of a Head Cook, given its despotic connotations, and should be avoided.) |
| A&S | Arts & Sciences - pretty much any non-martial activity pursued by SCAdians; common A&S activities include costuming, needlework, cooking, and calligraphy/illumination. |
| MoAS | Minister of Arts & Sciences - the group officer responsible for promoting A&S activities. |
| Seneschal | Group administrative officer; similar to club president. |
| Chatelaine | Group officer responsible for welcoming newcomers and maintaining collection of loaner garb and feastgear. |
| Herald | Group officer responsible for making announcements and helping people register names and devices. |
| Device | Medieval-style arms or heraldry. Any participant can register arms; officially, you must have an "Award of Arms" to display your arms. |
| Exchequer | The group financial officer or treasurer. |
| Chronicler | The group officer responsible for the local newsletter. |
| Marshall | The group officer responsible for oversight of martial activities. Some groups have specific Rapier Marshalls, Armored Combat Marshalls, and Equestrian Marshalls. |
| Armored Combat | Martial activity with swords and shields (and some other weapons); distinct from Rapier Fighting. Sometimes called heavy fighting. |
| King | The co-head of a kingdom; either someone who has won a Crown Tournament ("king by right of arms") or who has been made King by a Queen-by-right-of-arms, aka King Consort (less common). Courteously addressed/referred to as Your/His Majesty. |
| Queen | The co-head of a kingdom; either someone who has been made Queen by a King-by-right-of-arms, aka Queen Consort (usually described as 'Queen of Love & Beauty'), or someone who has won a Crown Tournament ("queen by right of arms," less common). Courteously addressed/referred to as Your/Her Majesty. |
| Prince | Either the next person in line to be King (by right of arms or consort as described above) OR the head of a territorial principality (geographical subdivision of a kingdom). Courteously addressed/referred to as Your/His Highness. |
| Princess | Either the next person in line to be Queen (by right of arms or consort as described above) OR the head of a territorial principality (geographical subdivision of a kingdom). Usually addressed/referred to as Your/Her Highness. |
| Count/Countess | Someone who has served as King or Queen once; courteously addressed/referred to as Your/His/Her Excellency. |
| Duke/Duchess | Someone who has served as King or Queen twice; courteously addressed/referred to as Your/His/Her Grace. |
| Crazy | Someone who has been King or Queen three or more times (it's a lot of work!). (...ok, not really. You're still a Duke/Duchess if you're Crazy.) |
| Baron/Baroness | Either the head of a Barony (geographical subdivision of a kingdom) OR someone who has received the award of a "Court Baronage" from the King and Queen. Courteously addressed/referred to as Your/His/Her Excellency. |
| Knight | Someone who has been recognized for mastery of armored fighting (and has sworn Fealty to the Crown; someone recognized for mastery but who for personal reasons chooses not to swear fealty is called a Master/Mistress of Arms). Knights are courteously addressed as "Sir So-and So;" they have the right to wear spurs, white belts, and gold chain necklaces. Masters or Mistresses of Arms wear a white baldric instead of a white belt. |
| Squire | Someone who has entered into a formal relationship with a Knight to study armored fighting. Squires have the right wear a red belt and a silver chain. |
| Laurel | Someone who has been recognized for mastery in the Arts & Sciences; courteously addressed as "Master/Mistress So-and-So," or occasionally "Dame So-and-So." Laurels have the right to wear a laurel wreath. |
| Apprentice | Someone who has entered into a formal relationship with a Laurel to study the Arts & Sciences; usually the particular area of expertise of that Laurel. Apprentices have the right to wear a green belt. |
| Pelican | Someone who has been recognized for exceptional service to the Society; courteously addressed as "Master/Mistress So-and-So." Pelicans have the right to wear a pelican badge and a chapeau (also called a cap of maintenance). Pelicans are so called because of the medieval myth that a female pelican pierced her own breast to feed her young. |
| Protege | Someone who has entered into a formal relationship with a Pelican in order to target and guide how they may serve the Society. Proteges have the right to wear a yellow belt. |
| Peer | "Peer" is a general term for those gentles who have proven themselves among the most chivalrous and learned participants in the Society; includes Knights and Masters/Mistress of Arms, Laurels, Pelicans. "Royal Peers" are specifically Kings/Queens, Counts/Countesses, and Dukes/Duchesses. |
| Anno Societatis | The SCA measures time since the founding of the Society in May 1966, so June of 2007 is A.A XLI. |
Basic Kit means something to wear and (usually) something to eat off of. Easy enough, right?
Participation in an SCA event requires an attempt at pre-17th century clothing. Note the word attempt. This means you make an effort. It does not mean your garb has to be painstakingly researched; it does not not mean you have to make it yourself; it does not mean it has to be particularly pretty. (If it is all of these things, and you have a good time: great! But attempt really does just mean 'attempt'.)
A personal note from the webminister: I highly recommend waiting a while before you create your own first garb, or at least before you put together something you're really excited about. Borrow from your group's loaner gear or from friends, or wear something less than perfect for a while. It takes a while for you to get a sense of what's out there, what you want, and how you want to get it (particularly if you don't want to sew it yourself). This also gives you some time to develop a persona and then get garb to match that persona - rather than buying some beautiful Elizabethan outfit from your local Laurel and then discovering that no, really you want to be Middle Eastern... or have an early Norse persona... or whatever. Basically, don't invest a lot of time or money into your first garb - first decide what it is your really want.
All of that said - what DO you wear to your first event?
Suggestion the first: borrow! That's what loaner gear is for.
Suggestion the second: cobble something together out of your closet. Pants (not jeans!) with no obvious modern fastenings or pockets (cargo pants are right out) and in a believable medieval color (doesn't have to be 'boring' or neutral, but avoid anything that suggests you've dipped your clothing in nuclear waste) plus a loose, 'peasant style' shirt will work. Some patterned pants work well, too; plaid or striped pajama pants from your local Target would probably fit this bill.
Suggestion the third: make something! A basic 'T-Tunic' is pretty much a longer, slightly fuller T-shirt and is more than acceptable as beginner (or later!) garb. (See links below for some how-tos.) There are also plenty of commercial patterns out there for medieval and renaissance-style outfits (although beware: some are more accurate than others; if you want SCA opinions on commercial patterns, search the web - we can be an opinionated bunch sometimes!).
A note on shoes: getting accurate medieval shoes can be expensive, time consuming, or both. Many people spend their lives in the SCA without period footwear. It's okay to wear modern footwear. However, if you can avoid tennis shoes, you should. The white color makes them look particularly modern; clogs, loafers, sometimes even bedroom slippers are all a fair sight better (and still easy to get!).
Something to eat off of - only necessary if you choose to eat feast! Again, you can probably borrow period-esque feastgear. If not, however, a bowl, spoon, knife (something reasonably sharp - steak knives generally work well) and cup are all you need. Add a plate if you're feeling decadent. If you have something that doesn't look intrusively modern, so much the better.
So - you have garb. You have feastgear. You're all set for your first event. You get to site, check in at gate... and then what?
The most basic answer here is 'have fun.' The SCA is a hobby and we participate for entertainment. If you're not having a good time, something is wrong!
The more complicated answer... explore the event! Check everything out! See what's going on... there might be a tourney, where armored or rapier fighters challenge each other and complete glorious feats in pursuit of victory. There might be classes on everything from actual history to 'how to run the SCA' to different A&S activities. There might be performances of period music or the opportunity to learn some period dances. There will probably be court, which is one of the best places to witness the pageantry and splendor of the SCA.
Despite all this, you may want to bring something to do. It's nice to have something to occupy your hands while you watch fighting, chat with friends, or just chill out. Events are often a great time to get some work done on your SCA projects.
Wander around. Check everything out. Go up to people and say "Hi, I'm So-and-So. I'm new and this is my first event! Can you tell me more about what you're doing/what's going on here?" Chances are, they were just waiting to be asked!
- http://www.nordskogen.northshield.org/newcomers.html - Barony of Nordskogen's Newcomer Page (general introductory information).
- http://www.sca.org/sca-intro.html - Life in the Current Middle Ages by Mistress Siobhan Medhbh O'Roarke; general introductory information and some SCA history.
- http://hospitaler.ansteorra.org/articles/fip.htm - Forward into the Past; general introductory information from the Kingdom of Ansteorra.
- http://www.sca.org/newcomers.html - SCA Corporate newcomers' page; primarily a collection of links.
- http://homepage.ntlworld.com/trevor.barker/farisles/begin/costume1.htm - very general information on making easy early-period garb; includes dead-stupid-easy and just-plain-easy variations.
E-mail our
webminister to suggest a link: 
.