[Ansteorra] Re: Fossil memories

[Dyan Ford]

 >>>So, considering how thinly the SCA was spread in AS VI, how did you 
hear of the SCA?
What do you see as having changed the most since then? What stands out 
the most in your memories of the SCA in the last thirty years?
Stefan<<<<

Oh Boy,  what a set of questions!  Let's see how I can answer....

First, I 'heard of the SCA in college, in the back of the book 'The 
Broken Sword' by Poul Anderson <sigh>.  From what I recall, it mentioned 
a group of  people who spent their summer vacations near Chicago, 
playing 'medieval'.  I remember telling my roommate than I was going as 
soon as I got out of school & got a job -- that was in 1969.  (I _still_ 
have yet to attend Pensic!)

In 1972, I decided that if I couldn't get to Chicago, I'd try to find 
like-minded folk in the Houston area.  So, I hand-lettered a 
'recruitment' poster & posted it at a local Comics Convention.  An old 
friend, JL3, saw it & asked why didn't I just join the group that was 
already in Houston.  I almost freaked, demanding more info.  He said 
that a group had formed some months earlier but had only 3 three 
people.  He offered to make some calls & see about setting up a meeting 
-- which he did.  We all met on the next Sunday to try to restart the 
Barony, 7 in person & 2 by proxy.

And since the group (then known only as 'The Barony in Houston') needed 
a name, we proceeded to debate possibilities.  In those days, groups 
were often named for a predominant local landmark.  Well, we sure didn't 
want the Bayou Barony!  So I thought of NASA and suggested 'StarGate' 
because a reporter had earlier dubbed Houston as the Gateway to the 
Stars.... everyone seemed to like it so the name stuck.  The device 
became a nine pointed star with 3 greater points for the original 
founders & 6 smaller points for the rest of us -- and 1 point was 
'supposed' to be a 'binary' because JL3 was the only married founder (at 
the time) & we wanted to include his Lady (which she now denies --- hey, 
that's how _I_ remember it! )

As to how has it changed..... oh, there are not words to properly 
describe the differences!  I mean, this was years before the Texas 
RenFaire, & we _lived_ the joke of "Are you in a Play?".  No one took us 
seriously and communications with others in the SCA just didn't exist -- 
the nearest groups were Draconia (Baton Rouge, LA) to the East and the 
Atenveldt Barony/Kingdom (Tempe, AZ) to the West.  In those days, there 
were only 4 Kingdoms & Atenveldt extended from the southern Atlantic 
States across to the border of California.  I remember how we struggled 
to find references and information about historical practices.  We truly 
did 'wing it' and things were accepted for the 'effort' involved in the 
making, not the 'historical accuracy' that is demanded today.   The 
Dream was almost a tangible thing in those days & anyone who even made 
the attempt was welcome to play.  I truly miss some of that 'tolerance'.

As to the most 'Memoriables' ... I'm afraid I'll have to put that into 
an article or something.  The email would be much too long!  And this 
email has become too long also!  Thank you for your patience.

Shanahan the Fey, MLA, OLA, OMS, Starholder