ANST - Fw: Stuff

[joelight]

-----Original Message-----
From: J Light <joelight at lx.net>
To: Rosario <rosario at camalott.com>
Date: Sunday, November 02, 1997 4:11 PM
Subject: Stuff


This article was written by one of our "Oldtimers" for our local newletter.  Thought you would all enjoy it.  Ulrica



Journey Through Some S.C.A. Thoughts


I was talking to some friends on the start of my society life of some 16 years. The whole thing began for me suddenly enough. I was at work at a local movie theater at the ticket booth, when "NO KIDDING" a man in a kilt, white long sleeve shirt, and knee high suede boots comes walking in. In West Texas of all places! I thought this man was looking for someone to beat him up. He handed me a paper with basic S.C.A. 101 information on it and tells me the highlights along with a meeting time for the following week end. I went. 

The Rotary Room at the local Library was packed. This man must have walked both cities to get this much of an attendance. That meeting was when our group had its first appointing of officers and that following week end we held our first fighter practice. We were informed about fighting, squires, and knights. Two "FOR REAL" Knights came up from El Paso (Citadel) to give us our first introduction to the fighting game. We all got a chance to play and after that the fire was on! We had our gifted welding buddies make us our first ugly bucket helms. 

This time in our group was truly a Renaissance. We held all sorts of classes on armoring, costuming, etc. We wore carpet armor for about the first 7 years with hockey gloves for hand protection. (Try getting those kinds of gloves in West Texas.) We heard about the "S.C.A. Knight," we all had visions of a fighter who didn’t need any armor and who’s shield was nothing more than decoration. This legendary person was so focused as to be able to parry any blow and return a strike with lightning accuracy. To face a knight in battle was certain defeat. We trained ourselves to fight, we became good at being self-taught. We also had what was known back then as the "Trick of the Month." This technique was based on faking out your opponent rather than using skill. 

We finally worked our way up to our first major event. A "War." The War was set to take place in San Angelo (Treloch), a battle setting Ansteorra against Atenveldt. We planned for the event for months. When we finally left, we packed like Gypsies on a long move and with the call "Wagons Ho!" we left for the site. As we arrived, the sun had already set some 30 minutes back and the setting was magical. A low foggy mist curled around low to the ground as we pulled up to the gate. We paid our fees and got our first ever "Site" token, a yellow and black yarn braid. We entered slowly, then spotted a man sporting a "Gasp" White Belt. He was wearing a monk’s robe...could this be the first encounter with the ultimate fighter? 

We looked for a place to camp and noticed a sign that read "Camping for Royalty Only." We gazed at the encampment from our position on the road. The Royalty Camp was surrounded by trees. Period tents and pavilions filled the area and a fog floated on the edges. We wondered how they managed to pluck this scene from somewhere out of time. We settled in nearby and sat in our store bought lawn chairs, watching as persona after persona passed by. The night sky displayed the stars in a wondrous way...yes...we were in the Dream. 

The next day was one rarely reproduced in my memory. We grunted and scratched as we armored up. We outnumbered the other army 20 to 1. Our fighting force was close and tight, our eager bunch swatted at everything. Our visions of a Society Knight was not shaken as a later famous Duke ran a gauntlet of 100 fighters and made it out alive. 

Since that magical time, many tourneys have come and gone. I have made lots of friends, joined households, and held offices. But, there is something extra special about a Society friend. You can count on them as family. So, as you read this, I ask you to reflect on a starry night or chilly evening with the smell of smoke from a distant fire calling back memories from long ago. Of friends to see and of some we lost somewhere along the way. Tell your story of what the Dream is to you or ask someone to tell theirs. I say have fun, enjoy each other, fight well, fight clean, say you’re sorry when you’re wrong. Help those less knowledgeable than yourself or those not as strong. Help make these times in which we live your Golden Years.


Yours in the Dream,

Lord Samuel Carrillo

Blacklake

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.ansteorra.org/pipermail/ansteorra-ansteorra.org/attachments/19971102/098dcd53/attachment-0002.htm>