or the SCA as it is often refered to. Is an educational group at it’s core, dedicated to researching and recreating and re-enacting mediaval life and topics. Because everyone takes it to the level they can acheive it isn’t as “hardcore” or dedicated as some of the other re-enactment groups (Civil War, Rev War, Etc.) that exist but it is a neat stepping stone into that hobby. Most folks have a niche interest in something and pursue that. The true folks that achieve honors in the Society take it pretty seriously and are Medieval scholars and craftsmen in their own right. I personally pale in comparison and marvel at the things that some of the folks I’ve met do and research.

I had posted years ago on another forum that being a small part of the SCA was a hobby of mine and behold I found another Large Scaler that was a member of the SCA too! We conversed for a while about the largest event that takes place and arranged to meet up at that event. With approximately 12,000 people at Pennsic that year we managed to find each other and talk trains for a bit. We have kept in touch off and on even though both of ourlives have kept us from trains over the last few years.

Some of my interests and activities in the SCA piggyback into projects for the railroad. OR they will eventually. I enjoy making sawdast from pieces of wood and making that wood be functional. I’ve built a few pieces of furniture that, while not wholly accurate to medieval pieces, have been inspired by and represent my interpretation of them given the limitations that I have (resources, materials, tools, etc.). Since I camp in a medieval style canvas tent I decided that there was no way I was sleeping on an air mattress or on the ground. I researched and designed a Viking slat bed that I could breakdown and transport to camping events. I purchased a high end futon mattress that goes on it and designed it a bit taller so that the plastic totes I transport clothes and suplies in get stored (& hidden) underneath. There have been several other woodworking projects for my encampment that are community pieces and have moved from camp to camp with me. Some are long gone now and only exist in photographs, design drawings, and concept sketches.
The power tools are the anachronism as I’ve got limited hand tools that would have been used i woodworking back then. I compromised on Materials too. Still what I have serves me well outside of the SCA and will be used and has been used for my Railroad.

Another part of the SCA that I enjoy is participating in Thrown Weapons Tournaments. That is Throwing Knives, Axes, Spears, and Atlatl. I am not a great Thrower but I do alright against folks in my area. IF I practiced more I’d be much more competitive.

There are many othe aspects to the SCA though and I find it all fascinating. At certain events during certain times you can put on some rose colored glasses and suspend disbelief for a time and see the beauty and pageantry of a mediaval re-enactment.

Chas

During the late 80s through the 90s I was an SCA member. Pennsic, er, 13 through 29. Still have the badges around here somewhere. I did heavy list, dumb shows, worked in Le Poulet Gauche when it was around, and a bunch of woodworking/furniture making. Got tired of all the people that live their lives around it and took it WAY to seriously, and left.

I did a short stint in the sca. To protect the innocent I’ll leave out names but the group I belonged to were less than good ambassadors. It drove me away which bummed me out. I still get the itch to join but now I think my wife would kill me.

T

Cool … a beheading!

Like ANY hobby or interest the politics and the people CAN be a detriment. Life also changes. I find that I cannot take it as seriously as some of the folks I have met. I have gotten to the point I do what I enjoy to the level I think I can do it to and let the folks that are conern with everything else deal with it.

Funny you should post this. I’m friends with the Mayor of the upcoming Pennsic, and am trying to find time to turn the napkin sketch into a DXF file for this years medallion! I did the file for the 2009 medallion too. (trumpets and masques) I went to a practice once, but have never been an official member of the SCA.

I was SCA for about a year. That was about as long as I could stand it.

Perhaps it was the Barony who knows. Just got a lot of that is not historically correct and when it was got well it is creative.

Randy! Cool! Thanks for that. I enjoy Pennsic the most but I can pick and chose or just relax which is what I’ve done the last three years. Other events I try to do things I enjoy or to help out.

Like others have said, most hobbies have people who seem to care only about criticizing others for supposed indiscretions and lapses in seriousness or exactitude. In modeling it is “Rivet Counters” who always seem to find something wrong with other people’s work, but somehow never put their own stuff up for the same scrutiny. In the SCA, it is those that have no actual lives beyond the middle ages. They are forever looking down on those that are not “living history” correctly. SCA , like many hobbies or interests is very clannish and it almost gets to the level of middle school where the supposed elites make the others feel unwanted. Civil War reenactors are very bad about looking down on members they feel are “farby”. Being farby means you don’t spend enough money on props and costume to look absolutely “period correct”. SCA is bad about this too. If you are there just to have fun and enjoy yourself, you will probably finish enjoying yourself rather quickly because of these “correctness police” and leave the particular hobby, or interest where you don’t feel welcome.