From: Bjorn@f120.n109.z1.fidonet.ORG (Bjorn)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: SCA character
Date: 10 Nov 92 05:48:06 GMT
Organization: The Internet

vader@meryl.csd.uu.se ("]ke Eldberg") William de Corbie said:

"E> I honestly do not believe that the SCA as a whole will ever become
"E> the least more authentic than it is today. 

I believe you are right.

"E> Individuals will improve. Some people will meet the Society, learn
"E> things, and make wonderful achievements in medieval re-creation.
"E> We have some men and women here who are truly impressive in their
"E> dedication, skill and knowledge. My hat is off to them; every now
"E> and then, I meet some SCAdian who impresses .... me.

I know some folks in our area who compete in "Military Through The Ages"
at Jamestown, VA, each year.  They do a really good job of recreating
a military encampment of a particular time and place.  The judges make
Mistress Laurel Seamchecker look like Maeven O'Funn.

"E> What surprises me is that there have been so few splinter groups.
"E> There is the Kingdom of Acre, and the Markland Medieval Mercenary
"E> Militia; perhaps they are splinter groups, I don t know. 

Acre is a splinter group from some old East Kingdom politics, which we
won't go into now.  The Markland was an independent group, which started
before the SCA made it to the Washington, D.C. area.

"E> There is the Renaissance Faire which seems to be more of a commercial 
"E> enterprise.  But apart from them, I know of no medieval/renaissance 
"E> groups in America.

In the Washington D.C. area we have the SCA, Markland, Dagohir, Tuchux,
Cambria, Amarthengarth, and maybe one or two others.  I have also heard
of two or three other organiziations scattered around the country.  There
are probably others.  

My observation is that members of the smaller groups tend to gravitate 
to the SCA over time.  First they are exposed to it, and then eventually
they switch, be it gradual or sudden.  Sometime only because they aren't
big enough generate "critical mass."

I started in the Markland, later joining the SCA as well, and eventually 
found myself always choosing to do something in the SCA instead of the
Markland:  I liked it better.  I haven't been a paid Marklander for ten
years, and haven't done anything with them for probably eight.

I have a friend who started in Dagohir, went from there to the Tuchux, 
and is now squired to a knight in the SCA.

I know of a Cambrian knight who laid aside all his rights and regalia
from Cambria to become a squire to a knight in the SCA.

Markland tends to be more authenticity minded than the Society, Acre
and Cambria about the same as the SCA, Tuchux, Dagohir and Amarthengarth
are strongly influenced by an element of fantasy.

I don't include the Confederation or the Dark Horde as seperate groups,
although they are semi-autonomous in some ways.  I consider them to be
mercenary households...*BIG* mercenary households.  The Tuchux DON'T
come into this catagory, because they have a combat system similar to
our heavy weapons, but decidedly different.  We sometimes have difficulty
retraining them so they can authorize for Pennsic.

Bjorn Bjorklund, (who was once Seneshal of Arindale,
which was an inscipient shire in the East Kingdom,
AND an inscipient shire in Atlantia at the same time, 
AND a member group of the Markland at the same time!)

 -- SPEED 1.00 [NR]: rich@aeneas.ims.disa.mil - but you can call me Bjorn.
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca