SCA's NEXT GENERATION

[Elyh at aol.com]

>> I liked to ask a question. How many of us had someone special who helped 
us when we first joined the SCA?  

Oh Boy!....This could last forever...

Well, after my best friend talked me into going to a meeting (not very
difficult), and talked my mother into *letting* me (VERY difficult), I was
hooked--on one evening's populace and court.  There was an event coming up,
so my friend loaned me some garb, gave me a ride, and we took off for my
first event.  It was a great weekend.  

A fighter asked to fight for my honor, a bard discovered I could sing and
spent three hours teaching and singing with me, some gentle got down on his
knees on merchants row to tell me poetic things about my beauty, and the
local dance mistress drug me everywhere and introduced me as "one of the new
children" (I was 14).  Everyone she introduced me to, fawned over me and
spent at least half and hour talking to me.  I made zillions of friends, and
knew that I would never ever leave the SCA.

To this day, that weekend is fuzzy in my memory.  I met so many people and
did so much!  I can't remember it all.  But people came up to me and say
"Ghia, remeber at your first event...we met that weekend...."  I just smile
and nod!

Maybe it was because I was a cute, 14 year-old girl.  But I'd like to think
that my local shire would show that same welcome to *any* new person.  I know
I do.  For the record, that was Octavian, many years ago, in the Barony of
Bonwicke, Western Region of Ansteorra--where newcomers are routinely
smothered with affection!

Ghia