ANST - Dry sites will kill the SCA

[BSilveraxe]

>Drinking at events is a long-standing tradition.  
>Its an integral part to socializing in mundane society and it had better
>be allowed in the SCA, otherwise people won't socialize here anymore
>and the SCA will die...a most boring death at that!

Yes, drinking at events is a long-standing accepted practice, though I
wouldn't call it a tradition.  

Now, there probably aren't too many people out there who don't know that I
used to drink a great deal.  In fact, you could say that drinking was a very
major part of why I joined the SCA and why I attended events.  Over the years
I have discovered that there is much more to playing this game than drinking
with my buds on the weekends.  If you had told me 15 years ago that I could go
to an event and *not* drink, I would've told you that you were crazy.  While
it is true that I no longer drink alcohol, my friends will tell you that I
don't discourage them from partying in whatever manner they wish.  

Even years ago, I never discriminated between "wet sites" and "dry sites" when
deciding what events to attend.  Spending time with my friends at tournaments
was just too much fun to give it all up because I couldn't have a beer or two
(or 3 or 12 or whatever).  I disagree that if we can't drink at certain events
(in deference to mundane site rules) that the SCA will die a slow, miserable
death.  On the contrary, I think there are more than enough of us who are here
for this game, rather than just the party.  I sure would hate for my friends
to tell me I shouldn't attend an event because I *don't* drink.  

On a side-note, I *do* get a little upset when I have to pay $3.50 for a coke
when we can't bring drinks onto a site because of the wet-bar that was
required by the site owners in order to allow alcohol.

>A question...
>Is the SCA supposed to meet the needs of the people, or are the
>people supposed to meet the needs of the SCA?

People find the SCA and play because it meets some need in their life.
However, without people working to meet the needs of the SCA, nothing that
goes on at an event could happen.  It is through people working to fulfill the
SCA's needs (for feastocrats, servers, heralds, marshals, autocrats, etc.)
that events can be fun for those who are not working. For those who serve,
what they do is personally fulfilling.  The same is true for Arts & Sciences:
people work to present their arts (bardic, dance, music, costuming, brewing,
etc.) because it meets a personal need of theirs.  Fortunately for the rest of
us (who like to learn to dance, or just listen to music) it also meets the
needs of the SCA.
I guess my point is this: without people meeting the SCA's needs, the personal
needs of those who play would not be met.  

Plain and simple, what we do is about much more than just partying.

>Ld.Johan Bjornsson

Just my opinion...

HRH Barn
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