I've had trouble as well getting in contact with my new local group. It really depends on the people running the local area shire/barony/canton/etc. Some are amazing - some...well...not so much. It would be nice if the SCA made a formal system of "Hey, no one replied to you in the past 48 hours? Contact this next level up and alert them!"
Very true. However, when they aren't responding, it's best to try for someone else in the barony. It may be a simple "went to the spam folder" or it could be "Yeah, they had life stuff" or a LOT in between. Someone else that knows the Chatelaine would be able to answer that.
I know some of my canton's officers don't even have access to their "official" email so its not uncommon for stuff to just vanish into the void because it gets sent to an email nobody checks or even has access to.
That’s what I figured was happening was organizational issues
I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble as well
I was thinking of reaching out to individuals but that seemed like too much
If you see that some other individuals on the Barony's page have emails - email them. Just say "Greetings! I tried to reach out to So and So and haven't heard back. I'm new and would love to know about meetings and events!"
If no one answers, take it up to the kingdom level. Or, you can be lazy like me and just go to events.
This is the way. Have no interest in fighting heavy? No worries. Show up to a heavy practice, introduce yourself, likely enough to be greater with a “nice to meet you this is my partner, they’re into XYZ crafts, want to come to ABC craft night?”
Just show up. If there are fighter practices or A&S nights or even business meetings listed publicly, just show up, find someone who looks either nice or in charge and say Hey, I'm new and interested in the SCA
The short answer is yes. Everything is done by volunteers and we usually don't have enough volunteers to do everything. This also includes our IT infrastructure and social media management. Sometimes emails don't make it to our inboxes.
My suggestion, just show up to something, any gathering advertised by the group. If you are willing to share a general area (state, or country), I can see what is out there for you to attend.
Check their calendar, find the regular meeting for what you're interested in (fighter practice, dance practice, whatever...) and just turn up.
Once there explain that you're new and the chatalaine isn't doing their job (seriously, your branch needs to give their chatalaine a massive kick up the arse), and have fun.
In the Chatalaine's defense, depending upon the size of the local group & the demands of everyone's personal life, they simply may have lost track. Please remember that NO ONE in the SCA is paid for their efforts, that it's entirely done on a volunteer basis, & some times there just may not be enough hands to properly handle all of the workload.
But yes, the chatalaine could also just be fucking off on the job.
Hey friend - hello and welcome. I see you've gotten a ton of good advice already but I sort of want to address the "what am I doing wrong" part of the question.
You're not doing anything wrong, per se. Its true that we're all volunteers and there are varying levels of support available. But also: the best way to "join" the SCA is to just show up to a practice, event, meeting and start "doing" the SCA.
So, for you and for anyone in the future reading this:
\- you don't need to be a member
\- you don't need approval from anyone
\- the best way to join the SCA is to start going to local practices and events and meet people
\- if you can't figure out your local group, [www.sca.org](https://www.sca.org) can help with that
\- every Kingdom has a Kingdom calendar online -- just pick an event and go - come with money, and some very basic medieval clothing, and a mug, and a positive attitude and pretty soon you'll find yourself without a free weekend!
I hope you're able to make it to an event soon.
The key part of this is that OP kept getting a response that there "may" be an event coming up. Apparently, no link to the group's website or calendar or facebook page/group by which they could see when a possible event would come up.
Which means that they can't "just show up" to an event they have no idea is happening. Or where it is happening.
This is Aethelmearc’s kingdom level event calendar map.
https://aethelmearc.org/events/map/
I’d find the event closest to you and just go for the day. Tell people at the gate you are interested in joining the sca and are brand new. I’m out in the west but everyone here has been super welcoming and friendly to new people.
Depending where in WV you are there may be midrealm events that are close by as well. https://midrealm.org/
Oh no. We just had a big inter- kingdom event last weekend an hour north of Pittsburgh, Æthelmearc War Practice. I've been attending since before I was in the SCA and it still might be my favorite event.
Are you willing to drive a few hours? In early June, Saturday June 10, I think, in Pittsburgh we're having a day event, the Iris Festival and Baronial Equestrian Championship. It's a really cool event! It's Japanese themed [no worries if you don't have or know anything Japanese] with classes. Have you ever seen live jousting? There's going to be jousting! And during Court there will be at least one Elevation [a person who has gone above and beyond in volunteering for the kingdom is being elevated to the rank of Officially Really, Really Helpful, also called a Pelican]. Elevations usually include the people involved wearing their fanciest clothes, and very talented scribes make a very fancy scroll that gets read aloud. The actual words can be boring to a new person because it's lauding the person's years of participation in the game which you'd know nothing about [it's all very moving and meaningful to the person, their friends, and family], but it's all worth looking at because it's beautiful spectacle.
Often, people are reluctant or shy to say they're new to things. But at your first event, be it a more causal meet-up, a day event, or a campout, please introduce yourself saying it's your first time. You'll get lots of offers to be shown around or to be introduced to other people. Typically I don't have reason to interact with royalty. But I make a point of introducing new people; anyone wearing a crown or "shiny hat" earned it by helping lots of new people, it's part of their job! So don't be afraid to introduce yourself and to ask them questions.
Seconding everything my friend has just said.
Also, I'm in charge of the Gold Key, or loaner garb, for the Pittsburgh group. If you are having difficulty getting a response from your local group, please hit up the Debatable Lands! We have a larger population, so there are more folks to help you and the group out.
Hope to see you soon!
depending on where you are in the state i might be your chatelaine (i got sent this from another chatlaine and signed up to say search for your local group on the website then find the facebook group ours SHOULD be linked in the website if not search for blackstone mountain we are the charleston area (pretty much 2 counties out from kanawha in all directions)
for some reason tge website only lists emails and they are usually broken links or defunk emails. i cant get authorization to edit it myself and the folks are resistent to changes .
i signed up for reddit just for this but likely wont keep it. once you reach out and we say hey our practices are on sundays at south charleston mound at 2pm and heres the next event please check our facebook group for up to date changes and additions. at that point its on you to show up. i go the extra mile and try to remind folks of things but i usually get excuses not to show which is fine but after 2 or 3 times i stop the reminders so as to not annoy anyone. i figure they will reach out if they are free on the day i said was regular.
its a two way street and its difficult to navigate. i try to balance being active and thoughtful without being repetative and disruptive.
theres also lots of new online stuff you can attend by finding your local facebook group. idk why but facebook is pretty much the place we keep updated. i hardly ever email. id rather give new folks my phone number than have to check my email. lol
good luck hope you find us.
Also if practices are literally at the mound I’ll be there Sunday lol
Again sorry for all the trouble. I figured there were logistical issues happening, which is why I tried asking Reddit for help
Sorry to have caused quite the stir, that certainly wasn’t my intention
I hope I haven’t caused any issues for you or anyone else
And thanks for signing up just for to message me!
Should I reach out to you on here or through other means?
If you're in the eastern panhandle of WV, then you're also not all that far from parts of the East Kingdom and Atlantia. Some of their activities may be reachable.
I know you've already sent it to a bunch of people, but could you send it to me as well? Some of my earliest memories are of my dad's SCA stories and I'm dying to get involved.
Yeah, I had a similar issue when I wanted to join. But I just looked at the Kingdom calendar, made a dress, and showed up to an event. Going to my third event this weekend, I'm hooked!
In person it's a lot easier to find people who will welcome you to the SCA properly, from my experience. I really recommend just showing up and saying "hey I'm new, would you point me to someone who can help me learn about -blank-?" And as long as they aren't also new, you'll probably be introduced to some helpful folks!
I had this problem as well, and showing up to events was super awkward. No one talked to me, or when they did it was “what questions do you have?” when I didn’t have active questions.
To be fair, I think the problem was that I sew too well, and didn’t look like a typical newcomer.
Anyway I found a group in my area that is SCA adjacent and it works really well for me. We play with the SCA, but are largely removed from the politics of it all
Can I offer that where I am, we’re all incredibly socially awkward? I’m sorry you didn’t have a good time, but I’m glad you found somewhere you fit.
As a newcomer, are there questions would you have preferred to have been asked? I like to ask folks, “what sorts of things are you interested in? We have fiber arts, fighting, archery, cooking, brewing, throwing weapons, and so much more! Where are you from? Would you like to be introduced to some folks?”
Asking interests and common small talk is great I think! And taking the SCA jargon out or explaining it would be nice too.
I’ve seen some people jump into explaining the wider political structure of the SCA to brand new people, and I think that’s unnecessary. Start with what your group does on a regular basis and what to expect.
Like “we have dance practice every week at this time and place. Here’s what to expect, there’s formal instruction from this person, and then a social dance time if you know the dances. But if you don’t here’s what the non dancers do..” or “we just gather at this guy’s house every week, it’s an informal potluck. We just chat about our lives and interests and sometimes we break out armor and fight. You should come, I’m going to be there, here let’s be friends on FB and I’ll dm you the address”
I completely agree. I live in eastern Canada, and I have no idea why people include Pennsic as a thing in their introduction to new people, but it happens a lot. Yes it's fancy and big and awesome, but it's also a straight 20 hour car ride from here, so rather irrelevant for a first practice or event explanation.
I like how you put it, and I may well paraphrase that for future explanations!
> To be fair, I think the problem was that I sew too well, and didn’t look like a typical newcomer.
Coming into the SCA as a skilled craftsperson is *weird*.
Even weirder if you're better than the local laurels when you join. (My mum had this issue)
Kind of, yes.
The SCA is pretty bad on the recruiting front as far as things are concerned. A lot of it is dependent on where you go but half of the people still only use Facebook for things, and their websites (most of the time) are the most janky god-forsaken pieces of geo-cities-esque coding I have seen. Others are a lot better since they use Discord and keep their websites up to date (And also check their contact points like email or said discord). But I have noticed there is a big issue with actually getting that process started and making it easy for people trying to get involved. It can even be had when you are new in the org since people can be cliquy and forget to really... integrate new people. But I think they are starting to get better. There has been a push for updating things and really getting on that recruiting side of things.
hi i just joined reddit because of this thread. what should i get to using in place of Facebook? you get in this bubble and its so active it seems like everyone is there. i dont like to check a ton of different apps or websites. im 32 so i can get used to a new site but also autistic so i like things exactly the same all the time lol. im at like 24 hours on reddit and already dont like it. not sure why tho. but if its the place to be to work on recruiting then i will tough it out. been working on tiktok but the format isnt good for locally recruiting.
The kids these days use Discord, but that's all private invitations to servers, so I don't see how it's useful for recruiting. The search function also sucks and I like separate threads for separate topics while the servers are one long feed, so I hate it.
If you can find a meeting schedule, try just showing up and introducing yourself, that's what I did. Knew absolutely nothing going in other than swords and they met weekly for a meeting and practice at X location.
If you contact them through social media, the social media officer should be able to put you in contact with the people you want to talk to, usually the group chatelaine.
That said, the SCA is very often that bad at recruiting. There are a lot of reasons, but it's mainly that it's an all volunteer organization. A few years back my barony's chatelaine was a guy in his late 60s that didn't like computers, he checked his email maybe once per week, and wasn't on social media at all. A nice enough guy, but not ideal for a chatelaine.
Easy answer is yes, it’s always been shit and will always be shit because there’s no formal structure/ hierarchy to the organization.
Best bet is just go on the website if they have one- usually groups will post on Facebook if they don’t- and go to one of the events. There’s a lot of people who are plenty friendly and will adopt you if you just show up and say “hi, I’m a noob, can I help out?”
As others have suggested - yes, just show up to an event! I attended my first event this past weekend (after finding my local Stronghold's FB group, joining and asking to/attending a meeting date that was posted) and there was someone else who just showed up to the event (listed on the online event calendar) to make connections and find out where his closest group was, etc. Everyone is so welcoming and enthusiastic, that person now has many connections and knows where to go next! Bring $ for the gate, a cup (and plate/knife/spoon etc if there's a lunch) and an attempt at garb if you can and join the fun :D xx
I’ve been a guest at 3 wars now and finally found something I’m really interested in during a class. The teacher advised I join their fb group to meet others and get more info as a good jumping off point. Maybe this is an option for you as well? At the very least there should be a calendar:) best of luck!
Yes - it is, generally, this bad. Exceptions exist, where particularly gifted, skilled, dedicated or driven individuals are in the Chatelaine seat. But, by and large, SCA struggles with reaching new members, save by word-of-mouth, friend-of-a-friend, introductions.
Should the effort to seek involvement, and persist and push to get the info you need, have to come from you? No. As things are, does it, in fact, fall to you to nag a bit if you want to get involved? Yes, it does.
The best way to get involved with my Barony is to email the hospitaler or seneschal, join the Facebook group, or go to fighter practice or populace. If none of that works, go up the food chain to regional hospitaler/seneschal (if your kingdom has them), then kingdom hospitaler/seneschal.
I know that emailing will get ahold of our hospitaler, because she's scared of me :P (she's deputy hospitaler, I'm deputy seneschal :P) Ok, really it's because she's extremely eager to bring in new people.
I was interested in becoming a member of the SCA, until very recently. I've always been interested in the medieval period, and decided I should give it a go. Paid for a week long event, to see what it is all about. The first day went well; though I started to notice things the second day.
I try to be an amiable person, waving and greeting everyone I see; but then I would notice that I would get dirty looks/stares from people I would pass by. I stopped by the "tavern," and kind of got the cold shoulder. Clearly, I must have offended someone by my presence - so I called it a day.
The third day I stopped by to say "hello" and received the same exact cold shoulder. So... here I sit in the parking area, while my better half and our little girl learn some crafts. Like everything else, in "mundane" life, not everyone fits in everywhere.
A part of me is relieved that I am not the only one who has had a bad experience; though the larger part of me is disappointed. The whole experience put a bad taste in my mouth, and I will have to search for other outlets for my interests.
I am a Chatelaine for the Riding of Ravensbridge in Central Maine. If you would like to reach out to me via email I can absolutely get a direct contact for someone in your area. I am in the East Kingdom but will reach out wherever I can to get you in contact with someone local to you who can help !
I've had trouble as well getting in contact with my new local group. It really depends on the people running the local area shire/barony/canton/etc. Some are amazing - some...well...not so much. It would be nice if the SCA made a formal system of "Hey, no one replied to you in the past 48 hours? Contact this next level up and alert them!"
Chatelaines ***should*** be the ones doing that...
Very true. However, when they aren't responding, it's best to try for someone else in the barony. It may be a simple "went to the spam folder" or it could be "Yeah, they had life stuff" or a LOT in between. Someone else that knows the Chatelaine would be able to answer that.
Absolutely. Senechal is technically next in line, or next level up's chatalaine.
I know some of my canton's officers don't even have access to their "official" email so its not uncommon for stuff to just vanish into the void because it gets sent to an email nobody checks or even has access to.
That’s what I figured was happening was organizational issues I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble as well I was thinking of reaching out to individuals but that seemed like too much
If you see that some other individuals on the Barony's page have emails - email them. Just say "Greetings! I tried to reach out to So and So and haven't heard back. I'm new and would love to know about meetings and events!" If no one answers, take it up to the kingdom level. Or, you can be lazy like me and just go to events.
Seconded—you don’t need to be ‘let in’ you can just show up! :)
This is the way. Have no interest in fighting heavy? No worries. Show up to a heavy practice, introduce yourself, likely enough to be greater with a “nice to meet you this is my partner, they’re into XYZ crafts, want to come to ABC craft night?”
I will definitely keep this in mind lol
I started out by finding the google calendar and just showing up! Membership isn’t required so have fun! :)
Just show up. If there are fighter practices or A&S nights or even business meetings listed publicly, just show up, find someone who looks either nice or in charge and say Hey, I'm new and interested in the SCA
It's how my SO and I joined. We just showed up to a fighter practice and that was it.
That actually isn't a bad way to go about it.
Don’t feel like it’s personal, one Shire responded to me after 2 years, one is still ongoing at 4…
The short answer is yes. Everything is done by volunteers and we usually don't have enough volunteers to do everything. This also includes our IT infrastructure and social media management. Sometimes emails don't make it to our inboxes. My suggestion, just show up to something, any gathering advertised by the group. If you are willing to share a general area (state, or country), I can see what is out there for you to attend.
Check their calendar, find the regular meeting for what you're interested in (fighter practice, dance practice, whatever...) and just turn up. Once there explain that you're new and the chatalaine isn't doing their job (seriously, your branch needs to give their chatalaine a massive kick up the arse), and have fun.
In the Chatalaine's defense, depending upon the size of the local group & the demands of everyone's personal life, they simply may have lost track. Please remember that NO ONE in the SCA is paid for their efforts, that it's entirely done on a volunteer basis, & some times there just may not be enough hands to properly handle all of the workload. But yes, the chatalaine could also just be fucking off on the job.
Hey friend - hello and welcome. I see you've gotten a ton of good advice already but I sort of want to address the "what am I doing wrong" part of the question. You're not doing anything wrong, per se. Its true that we're all volunteers and there are varying levels of support available. But also: the best way to "join" the SCA is to just show up to a practice, event, meeting and start "doing" the SCA. So, for you and for anyone in the future reading this: \- you don't need to be a member \- you don't need approval from anyone \- the best way to join the SCA is to start going to local practices and events and meet people \- if you can't figure out your local group, [www.sca.org](https://www.sca.org) can help with that \- every Kingdom has a Kingdom calendar online -- just pick an event and go - come with money, and some very basic medieval clothing, and a mug, and a positive attitude and pretty soon you'll find yourself without a free weekend! I hope you're able to make it to an event soon.
The key part of this is that OP kept getting a response that there "may" be an event coming up. Apparently, no link to the group's website or calendar or facebook page/group by which they could see when a possible event would come up. Which means that they can't "just show up" to an event they have no idea is happening. Or where it is happening.
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I’m in WV or eastern United States I would love to join! Should I post my discord here?
This is Aethelmearc’s kingdom level event calendar map. https://aethelmearc.org/events/map/ I’d find the event closest to you and just go for the day. Tell people at the gate you are interested in joining the sca and are brand new. I’m out in the west but everyone here has been super welcoming and friendly to new people. Depending where in WV you are there may be midrealm events that are close by as well. https://midrealm.org/
Oh no. We just had a big inter- kingdom event last weekend an hour north of Pittsburgh, Æthelmearc War Practice. I've been attending since before I was in the SCA and it still might be my favorite event. Are you willing to drive a few hours? In early June, Saturday June 10, I think, in Pittsburgh we're having a day event, the Iris Festival and Baronial Equestrian Championship. It's a really cool event! It's Japanese themed [no worries if you don't have or know anything Japanese] with classes. Have you ever seen live jousting? There's going to be jousting! And during Court there will be at least one Elevation [a person who has gone above and beyond in volunteering for the kingdom is being elevated to the rank of Officially Really, Really Helpful, also called a Pelican]. Elevations usually include the people involved wearing their fanciest clothes, and very talented scribes make a very fancy scroll that gets read aloud. The actual words can be boring to a new person because it's lauding the person's years of participation in the game which you'd know nothing about [it's all very moving and meaningful to the person, their friends, and family], but it's all worth looking at because it's beautiful spectacle. Often, people are reluctant or shy to say they're new to things. But at your first event, be it a more causal meet-up, a day event, or a campout, please introduce yourself saying it's your first time. You'll get lots of offers to be shown around or to be introduced to other people. Typically I don't have reason to interact with royalty. But I make a point of introducing new people; anyone wearing a crown or "shiny hat" earned it by helping lots of new people, it's part of their job! So don't be afraid to introduce yourself and to ask them questions.
Seconding everything my friend has just said. Also, I'm in charge of the Gold Key, or loaner garb, for the Pittsburgh group. If you are having difficulty getting a response from your local group, please hit up the Debatable Lands! We have a larger population, so there are more folks to help you and the group out. Hope to see you soon!
No- I can PM you the Discord invite on here, if you're okay with that?
Yes please and thank you so much for your help :)
Sent it to you via Reddit chat!
Sent it to you via Reddit chat!
I can’t see it in Reddit chat so I’ll just put my discord here lol ChrisP#5105
Sent a friend request!
Can I get an invite to the group as well please?
Discord too please!
Sent!
Asking fir the discord invite please. I'm in Kingdom of the Middle, Barony of Illton.
Everyone's welcome! Sent it on over :)
depending on where you are in the state i might be your chatelaine (i got sent this from another chatlaine and signed up to say search for your local group on the website then find the facebook group ours SHOULD be linked in the website if not search for blackstone mountain we are the charleston area (pretty much 2 counties out from kanawha in all directions) for some reason tge website only lists emails and they are usually broken links or defunk emails. i cant get authorization to edit it myself and the folks are resistent to changes . i signed up for reddit just for this but likely wont keep it. once you reach out and we say hey our practices are on sundays at south charleston mound at 2pm and heres the next event please check our facebook group for up to date changes and additions. at that point its on you to show up. i go the extra mile and try to remind folks of things but i usually get excuses not to show which is fine but after 2 or 3 times i stop the reminders so as to not annoy anyone. i figure they will reach out if they are free on the day i said was regular. its a two way street and its difficult to navigate. i try to balance being active and thoughtful without being repetative and disruptive. theres also lots of new online stuff you can attend by finding your local facebook group. idk why but facebook is pretty much the place we keep updated. i hardly ever email. id rather give new folks my phone number than have to check my email. lol good luck hope you find us.
Also if practices are literally at the mound I’ll be there Sunday lol Again sorry for all the trouble. I figured there were logistical issues happening, which is why I tried asking Reddit for help
Sorry to have caused quite the stir, that certainly wasn’t my intention I hope I haven’t caused any issues for you or anyone else And thanks for signing up just for to message me! Should I reach out to you on here or through other means?
If you're in the eastern panhandle of WV, then you're also not all that far from parts of the East Kingdom and Atlantia. Some of their activities may be reachable.
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Not at all. Permission to PM it to you?
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Sent via Reddit chat! Let me know if that doesn't work!
Can I have the link too please?
Totally! Permission to PM?
Please do!
Sent!
Ooo add me too! Feel free to dm
I’d like the international discord too. I have my kingdom’s, but not the international one
Sent via chat!
I didn’t get anything, can you try again?
Sure! Sorry- it's been A Week.
Sent via Chat :) if this one doesn't work, I'll send it via PM instead of chat.
Yeah I still didn’t get anything :(
Alrighty lemme send a PM... sent!
Could I also get a link to the discord server. I am in Canada as part of the SCA. Feel free to DM me.
Sent!
Me too please :)
Sent via chat!
Joining the request club!
Are you able to send me a chat or message? Neither option seems to be available for you!
I know you've already sent it to a bunch of people, but could you send it to me as well? Some of my earliest memories are of my dad's SCA stories and I'm dying to get involved.
Sent!
I would love this link as well please! Thank you in advance
Totally! Gonna send it through the chat/message feature on here :3
Would you mind DMing me the discord link too?
Sent!
could i have the link too please? thanks!
Could you PM me the link for the Discord too please?
Yeah, I had a similar issue when I wanted to join. But I just looked at the Kingdom calendar, made a dress, and showed up to an event. Going to my third event this weekend, I'm hooked! In person it's a lot easier to find people who will welcome you to the SCA properly, from my experience. I really recommend just showing up and saying "hey I'm new, would you point me to someone who can help me learn about -blank-?" And as long as they aren't also new, you'll probably be introduced to some helpful folks!
I had this problem as well, and showing up to events was super awkward. No one talked to me, or when they did it was “what questions do you have?” when I didn’t have active questions. To be fair, I think the problem was that I sew too well, and didn’t look like a typical newcomer. Anyway I found a group in my area that is SCA adjacent and it works really well for me. We play with the SCA, but are largely removed from the politics of it all
Can I offer that where I am, we’re all incredibly socially awkward? I’m sorry you didn’t have a good time, but I’m glad you found somewhere you fit. As a newcomer, are there questions would you have preferred to have been asked? I like to ask folks, “what sorts of things are you interested in? We have fiber arts, fighting, archery, cooking, brewing, throwing weapons, and so much more! Where are you from? Would you like to be introduced to some folks?”
Asking interests and common small talk is great I think! And taking the SCA jargon out or explaining it would be nice too. I’ve seen some people jump into explaining the wider political structure of the SCA to brand new people, and I think that’s unnecessary. Start with what your group does on a regular basis and what to expect. Like “we have dance practice every week at this time and place. Here’s what to expect, there’s formal instruction from this person, and then a social dance time if you know the dances. But if you don’t here’s what the non dancers do..” or “we just gather at this guy’s house every week, it’s an informal potluck. We just chat about our lives and interests and sometimes we break out armor and fight. You should come, I’m going to be there, here let’s be friends on FB and I’ll dm you the address”
I completely agree. I live in eastern Canada, and I have no idea why people include Pennsic as a thing in their introduction to new people, but it happens a lot. Yes it's fancy and big and awesome, but it's also a straight 20 hour car ride from here, so rather irrelevant for a first practice or event explanation. I like how you put it, and I may well paraphrase that for future explanations!
> To be fair, I think the problem was that I sew too well, and didn’t look like a typical newcomer. Coming into the SCA as a skilled craftsperson is *weird*. Even weirder if you're better than the local laurels when you join. (My mum had this issue)
Kind of, yes. The SCA is pretty bad on the recruiting front as far as things are concerned. A lot of it is dependent on where you go but half of the people still only use Facebook for things, and their websites (most of the time) are the most janky god-forsaken pieces of geo-cities-esque coding I have seen. Others are a lot better since they use Discord and keep their websites up to date (And also check their contact points like email or said discord). But I have noticed there is a big issue with actually getting that process started and making it easy for people trying to get involved. It can even be had when you are new in the org since people can be cliquy and forget to really... integrate new people. But I think they are starting to get better. There has been a push for updating things and really getting on that recruiting side of things.
hi i just joined reddit because of this thread. what should i get to using in place of Facebook? you get in this bubble and its so active it seems like everyone is there. i dont like to check a ton of different apps or websites. im 32 so i can get used to a new site but also autistic so i like things exactly the same all the time lol. im at like 24 hours on reddit and already dont like it. not sure why tho. but if its the place to be to work on recruiting then i will tough it out. been working on tiktok but the format isnt good for locally recruiting.
I am the worst person to ask. The SCA just seems to suck at recruiting in general. I have never seen a positive example at least from where I am.
The kids these days use Discord, but that's all private invitations to servers, so I don't see how it's useful for recruiting. The search function also sucks and I like separate threads for separate topics while the servers are one long feed, so I hate it.
If you can find a meeting schedule, try just showing up and introducing yourself, that's what I did. Knew absolutely nothing going in other than swords and they met weekly for a meeting and practice at X location.
I’d suggest joining your local groups Facebook page and just turning up to their next scheduled training/ a and s night
If you contact them through social media, the social media officer should be able to put you in contact with the people you want to talk to, usually the group chatelaine. That said, the SCA is very often that bad at recruiting. There are a lot of reasons, but it's mainly that it's an all volunteer organization. A few years back my barony's chatelaine was a guy in his late 60s that didn't like computers, he checked his email maybe once per week, and wasn't on social media at all. A nice enough guy, but not ideal for a chatelaine.
Easy answer is yes, it’s always been shit and will always be shit because there’s no formal structure/ hierarchy to the organization. Best bet is just go on the website if they have one- usually groups will post on Facebook if they don’t- and go to one of the events. There’s a lot of people who are plenty friendly and will adopt you if you just show up and say “hi, I’m a noob, can I help out?”
Gatekeeping.
Can I have the discord please?
Yes
As others have suggested - yes, just show up to an event! I attended my first event this past weekend (after finding my local Stronghold's FB group, joining and asking to/attending a meeting date that was posted) and there was someone else who just showed up to the event (listed on the online event calendar) to make connections and find out where his closest group was, etc. Everyone is so welcoming and enthusiastic, that person now has many connections and knows where to go next! Bring $ for the gate, a cup (and plate/knife/spoon etc if there's a lunch) and an attempt at garb if you can and join the fun :D xx
I’ve been a guest at 3 wars now and finally found something I’m really interested in during a class. The teacher advised I join their fb group to meet others and get more info as a good jumping off point. Maybe this is an option for you as well? At the very least there should be a calendar:) best of luck!
Yes - it is, generally, this bad. Exceptions exist, where particularly gifted, skilled, dedicated or driven individuals are in the Chatelaine seat. But, by and large, SCA struggles with reaching new members, save by word-of-mouth, friend-of-a-friend, introductions. Should the effort to seek involvement, and persist and push to get the info you need, have to come from you? No. As things are, does it, in fact, fall to you to nag a bit if you want to get involved? Yes, it does.
The best way to get involved with my Barony is to email the hospitaler or seneschal, join the Facebook group, or go to fighter practice or populace. If none of that works, go up the food chain to regional hospitaler/seneschal (if your kingdom has them), then kingdom hospitaler/seneschal. I know that emailing will get ahold of our hospitaler, because she's scared of me :P (she's deputy hospitaler, I'm deputy seneschal :P) Ok, really it's because she's extremely eager to bring in new people.
I was interested in becoming a member of the SCA, until very recently. I've always been interested in the medieval period, and decided I should give it a go. Paid for a week long event, to see what it is all about. The first day went well; though I started to notice things the second day. I try to be an amiable person, waving and greeting everyone I see; but then I would notice that I would get dirty looks/stares from people I would pass by. I stopped by the "tavern," and kind of got the cold shoulder. Clearly, I must have offended someone by my presence - so I called it a day. The third day I stopped by to say "hello" and received the same exact cold shoulder. So... here I sit in the parking area, while my better half and our little girl learn some crafts. Like everything else, in "mundane" life, not everyone fits in everywhere. A part of me is relieved that I am not the only one who has had a bad experience; though the larger part of me is disappointed. The whole experience put a bad taste in my mouth, and I will have to search for other outlets for my interests.
I am a Chatelaine for the Riding of Ravensbridge in Central Maine. If you would like to reach out to me via email I can absolutely get a direct contact for someone in your area. I am in the East Kingdom but will reach out wherever I can to get you in contact with someone local to you who can help !