[Steppes] Is SCA membership declining overall?

[Michael Gunter]

> Does anyone know if SCA membership is declining overall?> I heard somewhere that the SCA is a baby boomer phenomena and
>will die off as the boomers age out of it.Thank you,..Catalina 
Although I don't have hard numbers to back it up I think it is. But I'm not
sure if it is a "Boomer" phenomena or what.  I do think that there are a
couple of factors which make the SCA unappealing to the younger 20's
demographic. The first is that the demographic isn't so much into the
"Middle Ages" and all the New Agey stuff we were into at the time. Look
at 20 or so years ago.  Jethro Tull was popular with their elves and fairies
and things. D&D was big. The opportunity to go out and whack each other
with real swords was freaking awesome. 
 
Nowadays there are other things to attract the 20-something nerd. LARP
and video games are a lot less painful than getting whacked with a club but
still give that viceral impression of being Conan. 
 
Another problem is the SCA was once created and ruled by 20-30 somethings.
The first seneschal of Atenveldt was assigned because he was the only one
old enough to sign legal documents. The SCA was more fantasy then. I've seen
knightings in t-tunics and blue jeans and sandals. 
A guy could join the SCA and hope to be a knight in three or four years. They
were creating the world and the rules. Fighting all day then drinking and leching
all night were the common activities of events. And events were just that, something
special. Months could go by with nothing near so when a tournament occurred
everyone went and enjoyed the coolness of it.  Now we have two or three 
events every weekend. There is nothing special. Look at 12th Night. It used
to be THE dress up event of the winter. Now, it's just another boring court.
 
A 20-something comes to the SCA today and is told they cannot be seneschal
because that lady over there has been doing it for 30 years. If they study hard
and train hard and really work at it they might be a Knight when they hit their
mid-30's. A t-tunic and blue jeans will get them either jeered at or at the best
someone will take them with the words, "Here dear, let's get you dressed properly".
Drinking and partying all night? Please! Our children are trying to sleep!
 
The only really big turnout for our target demographic is big wars like Pennsic and
Estrella. Here things are more like in the early days with a week of parties, drumming,
fighting, really bad garb, hitting on belly dancers and the opportunity to cut loose.
Fighting is frentic and a total rush. This is why our war attendance is growing but
our tournament attendance shrinking. 
 
I love many directions the SCA is going. We are more period, our garb and campsites
and armor and all of that are more "real". But we are starting to become more along
the lines of the Civil War reenactors (whose numbers are also declining) than the
backyard party we started out as.
 
Sorry for the long-winded response.
 
Gunthar
Old fart
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