[Ansteorra] Re: Questions 7/18

[Ben & Liz]

In an effort to try to figure out how to attract new people and keep 
them in, here are a series of questions that I'd like as many of you as 
possible to answer...so that I can get a good "demographic"... keep 
answers brief...please...

...For brevity, we two shall answer in one response. 

1. What attracted you to the SCA?
(A)  Lifelong interests in research and in writing historical-fiction 
and medieval fantasy.
In July 1976, being unaware yet of The Stargate 1 hour to our west,
we caught a local newspaper item about the SCA chapter in Draconia, 
Baton Rouge, 3 hours east of us, with a contact name and address.

2. What is your perspective of what the SCA is to you?
(A)  SCA is a pleasurable investment of time, energies, resources, etc. 
for the enjoyment of a hobby.
It was a path to help train our young sons in responsibilities, 
courtesies, culture studies, to travel and camp together as a family, 
and to form some endearing friendships.  Although we do take part in 
reunions/conventions/programs of religious, civic, fraternal, and 
professional natures, SCA experiences involve an entire other wardrobe 
and gear which we enjoy planning and making.
Our health in general is strengthened by physical labor given to prepare 
site/s for events, by physical training for combat, and by eating those 
good fresh herbs we grow.

3. Where do you invest the most time and energy in the SCA (household,
local group, kingdom, specific activity)?
(A)  All levels.  Immediate House Mountain-Gate pila and friends 
frequently travel together around the length and breadth of Ansteorra or 
beyond. 
Locally, we host Armory and Cooking guilds at our home on Mondays.  We 
are local KM and Hist.  For region or Kingdom, we help spearhead the 
existence of the BorderKeep "castle" that is available for any SCA group 
to use.  We are each a deputy officer at Region or Kingdom.  Between us, 
we have served in every shire or baronial office locally, in positions 
that did not use to "be" offices but are now; as regional deputies; in 
principality offices at length, also as P & P; and as K & Q.  We have 
autocratted (and do steward) events for shire, barony, region, 
principality, and kingdom (in Atenveldt and Ansteorra).

4. How long before you started to take initiative in the SCA (applying for
an office, organizing an activity, etc.?)
(A)  Immediately. In summer 1976 we established the local incipient 
Bordermarch, being its Sen/Chron and KMarsh and began meetings in our 
home.  With planning and persons with like ideas, we have organized the 
making of a physical castle for fighting purposes, for the knowne worlde 
to play on.  In the 1980's we, the local group, initiated the BorderKeep 
as two different wooden versions at Claibourne West - Vidor; then in the 
1990's, one wooden structure was upkept, renovated, and painted like 
stones at Jones Campground - Colmesneil; and now, behold, the mortared 
block version of BorderKeep at Jones Campground.  Y'all come play on it.

5. Were there instances that could have "run you out of the SCA"..why did
they not...or why did you come back?
(A)  Negative.  We are both still here after 28 years.

6. How long before you burned out? Why did you burn out? Is there anything
anyone could have done to help keep you from "burning out"?
(A)  Priorities, pacing, and budgeting help a person avoid burnout in 
anything.
Not as a result of "burnout" but of life's choices, after serving as 
founding baron+baroness for 12 years, we retired from that post in 1989; 
although, not completely from SCA.  Tessa directed more time and 
energies to the growing sons at home and their other activities; 
therefore, we traveled less as a family to SCA.  Simonn practiced sword 
skills and attended some meetings; we attended events sparsely and held 
no offices.
In 1991, we entered in the deep valley of the shadow of death, bereft of 
our older son Aarion Kyrkwood Mountain-Gate.  Without him here, we 
sought "a new normal" in life.  Until 1994 we did not do SCA enough to 
mention.  However, some SCA family and friends were of immense comfort.

7. What do you get out of the SCA?
(A)  One gets from something in direct proportion to what one puts into 
it.  We get the pride of having watched our younger son Zayin ap Simonn 
(born in 1978 into the principality business calendar) grow to full 
manhood as a man of conviction, courtesy and service, engaging in both 
rapier and chivalric training.  We get fun.  Also endearing friendships; 
"You Were There" experiences for our sons when young (and their 
extremely high history grades); travel throughout Oklahoma and Texas, to 
Tennessee, Arizona, Kansas... and many points in between;  world-wide 
pen pals;  cultural awareness, camping, learning in varied topics; 
arenas for service, creativity or teaching; cooking for large or small 
crowds; gardening and beautifying sites; the pleasure of research and 
enactments; background material for writing projects; the availability 
of lots and lots of image albums and relics; the community connection at 
demos; and bringing methods of chivalry and grace into the mundane 
community on a day-to-day basis.  In the later instance, when we can 
improve the real world around us in the 21st century, then The Dream 
really lives.
 

8. If you have your AoA...how long did you get it after starting to
participate in the SCA? 
(A)  Get out the wayback-time machine.
1976 until 2000, Tessa, AoA.
1976 until 2004, Simonn, AoA.
However, our initial awards were a kingdom grant and a peerage, summer 
1977, within 11 months of participation, before being named founding 
baron+baroness 14 months after we started.


and last but not least...why do you think that people should join the SCA
and stay in it?
(A)  The SCA might not be for all people.  We recommend it to those who 
enjoy pacing themselves in sociological exchanges combined with the 
ideas of history, garb, court, feasting, battlefields, challenges, 
communications, or opportunities to polish some service-leadership 
skills.  "Staying" is not necessarily always in positive connotation. 
Some people go into and through the SCA.  By comparrison, the two of us 
did not "stay in" the valley of the shadow of death- -   we were able to 
move "through it" and come out on the other side, if forever changed.
We've known several who did quit SCA due to preference or life-altering 
situations and later become active again; known others who left due to 
personal preference, bereavement, or health causes, and did not return. 
 Perhaps it could be said that we are "committed" to the Dream.  As long 
as one keeps his/her eyes on the Dream and what it can become, one 
doesn't lose heart but forges ahead regardless of obstacles, hindrances, 
or disappointments.  The Dream lives!

Lorainne, thank you for presenting this forum for interesting discussions.
Simonn & Tessa