SC - Re: SCA Dinner & Court Schedules

[Christine A Seelye-King]

At 10:48 AM 2/28/2000 +0000, you wrote:
>I do pewter casting using the period technique of using molds carved out
>of soapstone. The main reason I took this craft up was to do site tokens.
>I was getting tired of the multitude of site tokens made of bits of yarn
>or leather that were indistinguishable from each other and that six months
>later I couldn't remember which event I had gotten them at. They typically
>cost 15 cents to 25 cents in pewter to make. While it would be nice to be
>able to provide them for free, this adds up for a 200 to 300 person event.
>What I do however, is provide a set price that is at cost or a little
>below and then buy back any tokens that aren't used. These can be melted
>down again, although you never get back 100 percent because of processing
>losses.

COOL!  Where can I learn to do this?  That sounds like fun.  I have Bronze 
eagle that I cast when I took Metal Shop in high school (I've always had 
many varied interests!) but haven't really done anything with any sort of 
metal since then.  I'm afraid it's been more years than I care to admit 
since I took that class!  I suspect our Shire would be delighted to have 
someone (or a team of someones?) who would make really nice tokens for 
local events though...  That would be neat!

>Unfortunately, I sometimes lose out to the cheaper bits of leather or
>string. And my barony, at least, has recently been doing without the
>site tokens at all. Autocrats choice I guess.
>
>There was one fair-type event where I wandered the fair selling the
>tokens rather than those at the event getting them at the door.
>
>Along those lines, I've often wondered why there must be just one
>big feast at an SCA event. Why not have the one big feast, be it
>whatever, and have a second, perhaps more expensive feast, of period
>foods for those interested in this. But the logistics of having only
>one kitchen may rule this out. But I think it is worth considering.
>Free-enterprise and all that.
>- --

The very few Big events that I have been to, when there was a feast served 
it was always ONLY for the crown and entourage.  NEVER open to the 
populace, even for a fee.  I remember once there was this impressive HUGE 
roast beef in a delicious smelling ... au jus? that permeated the entire 
encampment.  I inquired about it, and was treated rather shortly and told 
that it was ONLY for the Corwn and Nobles.  That the peasantry would be 
allowed to purchase a bowl of onion soup if they had signed up ahead of 
time.  (We had not, because we knew nothing of it!)  It was rather 
disapointing, and seemed exclusive and... clickish.  I think it is one of 
the things that had soured my husband's taste for the SCA. They claim it is 
open to everyone, and indeed everyone is welcome to pay the grounds fee and 
walk around and look, but you have to be a special member of "the club" to 
really take part in the extra fun stuff.  Anyway... I like your 
idea.  There could be a sign-up sheet at the gate at registration/ check-in 
time (I Do in fact understand the need to know how much food to buy!) which 
would serve as additional notification of the existence of the feast.  It 
sounds like fun!

- -Laurene
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