[Ansteorra] Group status changes

[David J. Hughes]

Chris Zakes wrote:
> At 08:39 AM 7/17/2008, you wrote:
>
> (snip)
>
>> As far as the terrorist "thing," I once heard that every member of 
>> the SCA
>> has a file at the FBI because the SCA is listed as a "subversive
>> organization," for no other reason than that our organization 
>> structure is
>> modeled on a mundane political structure (we've set up kingdoms and
>> principalities in the United States).  I've never been able to 
>> confirm that
>> claim, so I wouldn't say for sure whether it's true or not.  Some people
>> just get really uncomfortable when they see something unusual, and the
>> kneejerk response is to conclude that something unusual automatically 
>> means
>> something wrong.
>
> This came up in "Tournaments Illuminated" some years ago. The fellow 
> who wrote the article started out as a newspaper reporter who'd been 
> assigned to do a story about Pennsic and ended up joining the SCA.  He 
> filed a Freedom of Information Act request to see what files the FBI 
> actually had on the SCA.
>
> The result was (quoting from his comments on the Rialto):
>
> "As I wrote in TI a few years ago, after filing a Freedom of 
> Information request with the FBI, there were, at the time, TWO of them 
> - both requests for any information on the SCA from military folks to 
> the FBI, and two replies:
>
> #1 stated that the SCA was an educational not-for-profit group with an 
> interest in history,
>
> #2 said "we have no derogatory information about the SCA on file."
>
>
> So... it's a nice urban legend, but there's nothing factual behind it 
> (unless you're the rabid conspiracy theorist-type who just *knows* 
> that the government is always lying to and spying on you. <G>)
>
>         -Tivar Moondragon
My own take on this:
Back around 1978, I got a phone call at home from someone identifying 
himself as an FBI agent, asking if he could stop by and discuss a 
security matter.
I was a bit puzzled, but knew * I * hadn't done anything questionable 
lately, so told him to drop by.
A bit later that evening, two very polite gentlemen showed up at my 
door, presenting proper identification (Yes, I do know what FBI 
credentials look like), and I invited them in.
It seems someone I knew through the SCA had listed me as a personal 
reference while applying for a position that required a high security 
clearance, and they were doing a background check.
Usual questions, Do I know this person, How do I know him, What do I 
think of him, etc.
Turns out they already knew about the SCA, and were visiting me because 
I held an (inactive) security clearance higher than the one he was needing.
IIRC, he got his clearance.

David Gallowglass

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