@@@@@ @ @ @@@@@ @ @ @@@@@@@ @ @ @@@@@ @@@@@ @@@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @@@@@ @@@@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @@@@@ @ @ @ @ @@@@@ @@@@@ @@@ Mt. Holz Science Fiction Society Club Notice - 5/27/88 -- Vol. 6, No. 48 MEETINGS UPCOMING: Unless otherwise stated, all meetings are on Wednesdays at noon. LZ meetings are in LZ 3A-206; MT meetings are in the cafeteria. _D_A_T_E _T_O_P_I_C 06/15 LZ: The Oz Books by Frank L. Baum (Oz) 07/06 LZ: TBA _D_A_T_E _E_X_T_E_R_N_A_L _M_E_E_T_I_N_G_S/_C_O_N_V_E_N_T_I_O_N_S/_E_T_C. 06/11 Science Fiction Association of Bergen County: picnic (phone 201-933-2724 for details) 06/18 New Jersey Science Fiction Society: TBA (phone 201-432-5965 for details) 09/01 NOLACON II (46th World Science Fiction Convention), New Orleans. -09/05 Info: Nolacon II, 921 Canal St., Suite 831, New Orleans LA 70112 (504) 525-6008. HO Chair: John Jetzt HO 1E-525 834-1563 mtuxo!jetzt LZ Chair: Rob Mitchell LZ 1B-306 576-6106 mtuxo!jrrt MT Chair: Mark Leeper MT 3E-433 957-5619 mtgzz!leeper HO Librarian: Tim Schroeder HO 3M-420 949-5866 homxb!tps LZ Librarian: Lance Larsen LZ 3L-312 576-6142 lzfme!lfl MT Librarian: Will Harmon MT 3C-406 957-5128 mtgzz!wch Factotum: Evelyn Leeper MT 1F-329 957-2070 mtgzy!ecl All material copyright by author unless otherwise noted. 1. I don't believe it! Who would have thought it? Nostalgia for those stupid diamond signs people put in the back windows of their cars? No, you're right. That would be going _t_o_o far! Let's just say that something just as stupid has taken their place that I am getting just as sick of. I am speaking, of course, of the hanging Garfields. These are grimacing stuffed Garfield cats with four suction cups on their feet. (Lots of animals have suction cups on their feet, but you rarely find it in a cat.) You stick them on your car's back window and you have Garfield looking like he is so terrified by your driving he has climbed a glass window to jump from a speeding car. Of course, there are now an entire menagerie of animals you can buy, all apparently suffering cardiac arrest and THE MT VOID Page 2 trying to claw their way through solid Libby-Owens. Now the first hanging Garfield I saw, I admit I laughed at. Perhaps even the second one. It is a good joke the first or second time. The question is is how many people want to tell the same joke. You have maybe 500,000 or a million people spending five or ten dollars to tell someone else's joke. Surely one-millionth part of a joke isn't worth that much. Maybe not even of one of my jokes. Now if you really want a joke that will be all yours, pay me just $50,000, I'll put suction cups on my hands and feet, and _I'_l_l stick myself to your window. And you'll have the only one. Boy, what status! 2. There will be no film festival on June 2. Mark Leeper MT 3E-433 957-5619 ...mtgzz!leeper Hugo Nominations Provided by Chuq Von Rospach Novel: THE FORGE OF GOD, Greg Bear (Tor) THE UPLIFT WAR, David Brin (Phantasia/Bantam-Spectra) SEVENTH SON, Orson Scott Card (Tor) WHEN GRAVITY FAILS, George Alec Effinger (Bantam-Spectra) THE URTH OF THE NEW SUN, Gene Wolfe (Tor) Novella: "Eye for Eye," Orson Scott Card (IASFM, March) "The Forest of Time," Michael Flynn (AMAZING, June) "The Blind Geometer," Kim Stanley Robinson (IASFM, Aug) "Mother Goddess of the World," Kim Stanley Robinson (IASFM, Oct) "The Secret Sharer," Robert Silverberg (IASFM, Sep) Novelette: "Buffalo Gals Won't You Come Out Tonight," Ursula K. Le Guin (F&SF, Oct) "Dream Baby," Bruce McAllister (IN THE FIELD OF FIRE, Tor; IASFM, Oct) "Rachel in Love," Pat Murphy (IASFM, Apr) "Flowers of Edo," Bruce Sterling (IASFM, May) "Dinosaurs," Walter Jon Williams (IASFM, Jun) Short Story: "Angel," Pat Cadigan (IASFM, May) "The Faithful Companion at Forth," Karen Joy Fowler (IASFM, Jul) "Cassandra's Photographs," Lisa Goldstein (IASFM, Aug) "Night of the Cooters," Howard Waldrop (OMNI, Apr) "Why I Left Harry's All-Night Hamburgers," Lawrence Watt-Evans (IASFM, Jul) "Forever Yours, Anna," Kate Wilhelm (Omni, Jul) Editors: Ed Ferman, F&SF Stan Schmidt, ANALOG Gardner Dozois, IASFM Dave Hartwell, Arbor House Bryan Thompson, (????) Pro Artist: Mike Whelan J.K. Potter David Cherry Bob Eagleton Tom Kidd Don Maitz Other Forms: WATCHMEN (DC) I, ROBOT, Harlan Ellison (Screenplay, IASFM) CULTURE MADE STUPID WILD CARDS series THE ESSENTIAL ELLISON Hugo Nominations May 19, 1988 Page 2 Non-Fiction: Anatomy of Wonder, 3rd Edition (Bowker) SF/Fantasy/Horror 1988, C. Brown, ed. (Locus Press) Imaginations: The work of David Cherry, Cherry (Starblaze) The Battle of Brazil, Matthews (Crown) Whelen Works of Wonder, Whelan (Del Rey) Best Dramatic Presentation: PREDATOR PRINCESS BRIDE ROBOCOP WITCHES OF EASTWICK STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME Fan Artist: Brad Foster Steve Fox Teddy Harvia Mike Insignia Taral Wayne Diana Gallager Woo Best Semi-Prozine: ABORIGINAL SF INTERZONE LOCUS THRUST SF CHRONICLE Best Fanzine: FILE 770 FOSFAX LAN'S LANTERN MAD 3 PARTY TEXAS SF ENQUIRER Best Fan Writer: Mike Glyer Arthur Hlavaty Dave Langford Guy H. Lillian III Leslie Turek John W. Campbell Award: C.S Friedman Loren MacGregor Judith Moffett* Rebecca Brown Ore* Martha Soukup* * last year of eligibility SSSSTTTTAAAARRRR PPPPRRRROOOODDDD AAAAIIIIRRRR DDDDAAAATTTTEEEE DDDDAAAATTTTEEEE NNNNUUUUMMMMBBBB FFFFiiiirrrrsssstttt SSSSeeeeaaaassssoooonnnn 0 The Cage Pilot unknown 1 1 The Man Trap 9/08/66 1513.1 6 2 Charlie X 9/15/66 1533.6 8 3 Where No Man Has Gone Before 9/22/66 1312.4 2 4 The Naked Time 9/29/66 1704.2 7 5 The Enemy Within 10/06/66 1672.1 5 6 Mudd's Women 10/13/66 1329.1 4 7 What Are Little Girls Made Of 10/20/66 2712.4 10 8 Miri 10/27/66 2713.5 12 9 Dagger Of The Mind 11/03/66 2715.1 11 10 The Corbomite Maneuver 11/10/66 1512.2 3 11 The Menagerie Pt 1 11/17/66 3012.4 16 12 The Menagerie Pt 2 11/24/66 16 13 The Conscience Of The King 12/08/66 2817.6 13 14 Balance Of Terror 12/15/66 1709.1 9 15 Shore Leave 12/29/66 3025.3 17 16 The Galileo Seven 1/05/67 2821.5 14 17 The Squire Of Gothos 1/12/67 2124.5 18 18 Arena 1/19/67 3045.6 19 19 Tomorrow Is Yesterday 1/26/67 3113.2 21 20 Court-Martial 2/02/67 2947.3 15 21 The Return Of The Archons 2/09/67 3156.2 22 22 Space Seed 2/16/67 3141.9 24 23 A Taste Of Armageddon 2/23/67 3192.1 23 24 This Side Of Paradise 3/02/67 3417.3 25 25 The Devil In The Dark 3/09/67 3196.1 26 26 Errand Of Mercy 3/16/67 3198.4 27 27 The Alternative Factor 3/23/67 3087.6 20 28 The City On The Edge Of Forever 4/06/67 3134.0 28 29 Operation - Annihilate 4/13/67 3287.2 29 SSSSeeeeccccoooonnnndddd SSSSeeeeaaaassssoooonnnn 30 Amok Time 9/15/67 3372.7 34 31 Who Morns For Adonais 9/22/67 3468.1 33 32 The Changeling 9/22/67 3451.9 37 33 Mirror, Mirror 10/06/67 Unknown 39 34 The Apple 10/13/67 3715.0 38 35 The Doomsday Machine 10/20/67 4202.9 35 36 Catspaw 10/27/67 3018.2 30 37 I, Mudd 11/03/67 4513.3 41 38 Metamorphosis 11/10/67 3219.4 31 39 Journey To Babel 11/17/67 3842.3 44 40 Friday's Child 12/01/67 3497.2 32 41 The Deadly Years 12/08/67 3478.2 40 42 Obsession 12/15/67 3619.2 42 - 2 - SSSSTTTTAAAARRRR PPPPRRRROOOODDDD AAAAIIIIRRRR DDDDAAAATTTTEEEE DDDDAAAATTTTEEEE NNNNUUUUMMMMBBBB 43 Wolf In The Fold 12/22/67 3614.9 36 44 The Trouble With Tribbles 12/29/67 4523.3 42 45 The Gamesters Of Triskelion 1/05/68 3211.7 46 46 A Piece Of The Action 1/12/68 4598.0 49 47 The Immunity Syndrome 1/19/68 4307.1 48 48 A Private Little War 2/02/68 4211.4 45 49 Return To Tomorrow 2/09/68 4768.3 51 50 Patterns Of Force 2/16/68 2534.0 52 51 By Any Other Name 2/23/68 4657.5 50 52 The Omega Glory 3/01/68 unknown 54 53 The Ultimate Computer 3/08/68 4729.4 53 54 Bread And Circuses 3/15/68 4040.7 43 55 Assignment: Earth 3/29/68 unknown 55 TTTThhhhiiiirrrrdddd SSSSeeeeaaaassssoooonnnn 56 Spock's Brain 9/20/68 5431.4 61 57 The Enterprise Incident 9/27/68 5031.3 59 58 The Paradise Syndrome 10/04/68 4842.6 58 59 And The Children Shall Lead 10/11/68 5027.3 60 60 Is There No Truth In Beauty? 10/18/68 5630.7 62 61 Spectre Of The Gun 10/25/68 4385.3 56 62 Day Of The Dove 11/01/68 unknown 66 63 For The World Is Hollow 11/08/68 5476.3 65 And I Have Touched The Sky 64 The Tholian Web 11/15/68 5693.4 64 65 Plato's Stepchildren 11/22/68 5784.0 67 66 Wink Of An Eye 11/29/68 5710.5 68 67 The Empath 12/06/68 5121.0 63 68 Elaan Of Troyius 12/20/68 4372.5 57 69 Whom Gods Destroy 1/03/69 5718.3 71 70 Let That Be Your Last Battlefield 1/10/69 5730.2 70 71 The Mark Of Gideon 1/17/69 5423.4 72 72 That Which Survives 1/24/69 unknown 69 73 The Lights Of Zetar 1/31/69 5725.3 73 74 Requim For Methuselah 2/14/69 5843.7 76 75 The Way To Eden 2/21/69 5832.3 75 76 The Cloudminders 2/28/69 5818.4 74 77 The Savage Curtain 3/07/69 5906.4 77 78 All Our Yesterdays 3/14/69 5943.7 78 79 Turnabout Intruder 6/03/69 5298.5 79 - 3 - SSSSTTTTAAAARRRR PPPPRRRROOOODDDD AAAAIIIIRRRR DDDDAAAATTTTEEEE DDDDAAAATTTTEEEE NNNNUUUUMMMMBBBB AAAAnnnniiiimmmmaaaattttiiiioooonnnn 1. Yesteryear 9/15/73 5373.4 3A 2. One Of Our Planets Is Missing 9/22/73 5371.3 7A 3. The Lorelei Signal 9/29/73 5483.7 6A 4. More Tribbles, More Troubles 10/06/73 5392.4 1A 5. The Survivor 10/13/73 5143.3 5A 6. The Infinite Vulcan 10/20/73 5554.4 2A 7. The Magicks Of Megas-Tu 10/27/73 1254.4 9A 8. Once Upon A Planet 11/03/73 5591.2 14A 9. Mudd's Passion 11/10/73 4978.5 8A 10. The Terratin Incident 11/17/73 5577.3 15A 11. Time Trap 11/24/73 5267.2 10A 12. The Ambergris Element 12/01/73 5499.9 13A 13. Slaver Weapon 12/15/73 4187.3 11A 14. Beyond The Farthest Star 12/22/73 5521.3 4A 15. The Eye Of The Beholder 1/05/74 5501.2 16A 16. Jihad 1/13/74 5683.1 12A 17. The Pirates Of Orion 9/07/74 6334.1 19A 18. Bem 9/14/74 7403.6 17A 19. Practical Joker 9/21/74 3183.3 20A 20. Albatross 9/28/74 5275.6 18A 21. How Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth10/05/74 6063.4 21A 22. The Counter-Clock Incident 10/12/74 6770.3 22A - 4 - SSSSTTTTAAAARRRR PPPPRRRROOOODDDD AAAAIIIIRRRR DDDDAAAATTTTEEEE DDDDAAAATTTTEEEE NNNNUUUUMMMMBBBB TTTThhhheeee NNNNeeeexxxxtttt GGGGeeeennnneeeerrrraaaattttiiiioooonnnn 1. Encounter at Farpoint 9/26/87 41153.7 721 2. The Naked Now 10/03/87 41209.2 103 3. Code of Honor 10/10/87 41235.25 104 4. The Last Outpost 10/18/87 41386.4 107 5. Where No One Has Gone Before 10/24/87 41263.1 106 6. Lonely Among Us 10/31/87 41249.3 108 7. Justice 11/07/87 41255.6 109 8. The Battle 11/14/87 41723.9 110 9. Hide And Q 11/21/87 41590.5 111 10. Haven 11/28/87 41294.5 105 11. The Big Goodbye 1/10/88 41997.7 113 12. Datalore 1/17/88 41242.4 114 13. Angel One 1/24/88 41636.9 115 14. 11001001 1/31/88 41365.9 116 15. Too Short A Season 2/07/88 41309.5 112 16. When The Bough Breaks 2/15/88 41509.1 118 17. Home Soil 2/22/88 41463.9 117 18. Coming Of Age 3/14/88 41416.2 119 19. Heart of Glory 3/21/88 41503.7 120 20. The Arsenal of Freedom 4/11/88 41798.2 121 21. Symbiosis 4/16/88 unknown 123 22. Skin of Evil 4/23/88 41601.3 122 23. We'll Always Have Paris 4/30/88 41697.9 124 24. Conspiracy 5/07/88 41775.5 125 25. Neutral Zone 5/14/88 41986.0 126 MMMMoooovvvviiiieeeessss 1. Star Trek: The Motion Picture 12/07/79 ST:TMP 2. Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Kahn 6/04/82 TWOK 3. Star Trek III: The Search For Spock 6/01/84 TSFS 4. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 11/23/86 TVH(?) Reference: TTTThhhheeee SSSSttttaaaarrrr TTTTrrrreeeekkkk CCCCoooommmmppppeeeennnnddddiiiiuuuummmm by Allan Asherman Stardate format: csxxx.d where c = least significant digit of century s = season of production xxx = number from 000 to 999 to proceed unevenly d = day counter Example: 41254.5 4 = 24th century 1 = 1st season 254 = random number 5 = day counter The day counter does not indicate absolute days, BUT a progression thru a number of days, i.e. 41254.6 indicates that it is one day later than 41254.5. Introduction to the Society for Creative Anachronism Comments by Siobhan Medhbh O'Roarke (Pat McGregor) _L_i_f_e _i_n _t_h_e _C_u_r_r_e_n_t _M_i_d_d_l_e _A_g_e_s SCA is the Society for Creative Anachronism, which is a group dedicated to recreating the Middle Ages in the present. Many groups meet weekly, and at these meetings we dance, talk, study, learn, revel, and make plans. But first, let's get a little bit of info about the SCA in general. _W_h_e_r_e _d_i_d _t_h_e _S_C_A _c_o_m_e _f_r_o_m? The avowed purpose of the SCA is the study and recreation of the Middle Ages, its crafts, sciences, arts, traditions, literature, etc. The SCA "period" is defined to be 600 AD to 1600 AD. Under the aegis of the SCA we study dance, calligraphy, martial arts, cooking, metalwork, stained glass, costuming, literature...well, if they did it, somebody in the SCA does it (except die of the Plague!). As you can probably guess, the thing that separates the SCA from a Humanities 101 class is the *active* participation in the learning process. To learn costuming, you design and build costumes. To learn SCA infantry fighting, you make armor, weapons, shields, etc., and put them on and go learn how it feels to wear them when somebody is swinging a (rattan) sword at you. To learn brewing, you make (and sample!) your own wines, meads and beers. You will frequently hear a SCA person describe the SCA as recreating the Middle Ages "as they ought to have been." In some ways this is true -- we have few plagues, indoor plumbing, few peasants. In the dead of winter we have other things to eat than King's venison, salt pork and dried tubers. The SCA was invented (? discovered? begun?) in 1966 in Berkeley, California by a group of Science Fiction and Fantasy fans who wanted a "theme" party. Following the party, a group got together to discuss the idea of a medieval re-creation and re-enactment group. (which has ended up being much like the Civil War, Revolutionary War or Buckskinning re- enactment groups that were beginning to form in the US.) In Britain Medieval and British Civil War recreation societies had existed for any number of years. The Californians incorporated as a non-profit educational society, started forming groups, and away they went. Since 1966, the society has grown to include nearly 13,000 paying members in the US, Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, France, Korea, Okinawa, New Zealand, Australia and Greenland. Current demographic estimates indicate that for every dues-paying member there are 4 non-subscribing members active in local groups. SCA May 27, 1988 Page 2 _H_o_w _i_s _t_h_e _S_C_A _O_r_g_a_n_i_z_e_d? The SCA is a feudal society. No democracies for us! The SCA "Knowne World" is divided into twelve Kingdoms, each with a King and Queen (who rule by right of arms), a Prince and Princess (heirs to the throne), and a council or Curia of Great Officers who handle the mundane, day to day details of running the kingdom. A feudal society takes its form from the idea of honor and duty. A noble owes duty of service to his lord, a Baron or Knight. Knights owe in return the duty of protection from danger and food, money, etc. when times are bad. On the next level up, the Knights owe fealty (the word that encompasses this idea of reciprocal responsibilities) to the King. In return for their service as good stewards of the land and readily available warriors, the King owes the Knights and barons protection, honor, and a return of money, food, etc in times of hardship. It is something like the idea of a Pyramid club, but the benefits are greater and the idea of personal honor and mutual responsibility, not profit, tie the structure together (or at least it did in Europe for nearly a thousand years). In the SCA this structure underlies our Society, although not nearly as rigidly as in the medieval days. Our King, the head of our Kingdom and our liege lord, has fought for the right to bear the crown by fighting in a Crown Tourney for the right to make his Lady Queen. In some Kingdoms, like the West (middle California), the King's word is law, and the people willingly obey his every whim. Of course, four months later there is a new King, with different ideas. Life can get interesting. _F_i_g_h_t_i_n_g _i_n _t_h_e _S_C_A, _o_r _W_h_y _a_r_e _t_h_o_s_e _p_e_o_p_l_e _h_i_t_t_i_n_g _e_a_c_h _o_t_h_e_r? Fighting in the SCA evolved from what happened when two armed knights were unhorsed and had to fight on the ground. It resembles nothing so much as medieval infantry fighting. There are two basic types of SCA fights: single combat, and group or team battles, known as melees. SCA fighting does have rules. The first, and most important rule, is that each and every fighter on the field has honor. The fighter keeps faith with his honor by accepting blows that would be killing or wounding (more about this a little later). The second is like unto it; A fighter keeps faith with his brother fighters by acknowledging his opponent's word -- if he says it was light, it was light. Since we prefer that no one get hurt, SCA fighting is done with real armor (made with leather, metal, padding, kydex, etc) and rattan swords. Rattan is that bamboo-y stuff, only with a solid core, that furniture is made of. Rattan, surprisingly enough, is springy enough to absorb some of the force of the blow (although blows SCA May 27, 1988 Page 3 are *real solid*) and light enough to approximate a real steel sword. Swords are made by wrapping rattan staffs with strapping tape, covering them with duct tape (known as silver tape) for esthetic reasons, and attaching some sort of hilt or handle. Armor is much more complex -- some armor, being made of steel, rivets, leather, etc, can take more than 40 hours per piece of armor (for example, a armored "glove" with moving fingers and joints can take upwards of 75 hours to complete). There are several essential and required pieces of armor -- helm, neck and cervical vertebrae protection, elbows and knees, kidneys, hands, groin. After that, most SCA fighters wear chest, leg, arm and forearm, and feet protection. If a blow hits hard enough that a sword would have cloven mail, it is "good." Beginning fighters, as they are being trained, are taught blow calibrations. Fighters are trained, by the way. Aspiring fighters attend some months of fighter practices where they learn the rules and learn how to protect themselves on the field. After some time, they attempt to "authorize" -- they go before a panel of experienced fighters, fight a couple of rounds, and if the panel decides the fighter is safe (not good, you understand, but unlikely to hurt him or herself or an opponent) they are authorized to fight in Tourneys. This process (from starting to fight to being authorized) can take from a couple of months to a year or more. Fighting brings us to *the Chivalry.* The Chivalry is a group of elite fighters -- those who have gotten very very good at fighting, and who at the same time have absorbed the concepts of Honor and Chivalry (they're basically good guys), have learned something of basic Heraldry, Chess, something about the Arts and Sciences, can behave well in public, and are generally good examples for people everywhere. (The word Chivalry comes from the Old French *chevalerie* , meaning horse-fighter, cavalry, "knight." It came to French and Spanish from Latin caballerius, horse rider. As only the wealthy could afford the horse and trappings of a mounted warrior, it became the province of the nobles to be mounted and fighters. Thus the elite status. The word has come down to us from a different route as *cavalry*. Oh, well!) A King (if he is himself a Knight, and not all Kings are) can knight a fighter if he (or she) thinks the candidate is deserving. Usually the other Chivalry have agreed, or it doesn't happen. (If the King isn't a Knight, another member of the Chivalry can hold the sword with the King. Only a Knight can make a Knight.) The Knights swear personal fealty to the Crown. Since some people, for religious reasons, reasons of personal honor, etc, feel that swearing fealty is inappropriate for them, a branch of Chivalry has been created, called Masters, who do not have to swear fealty. Upon receiving the accolade SCA May 27, 1988 Page 4 of Knighthood, the candidate receives a Gold chain to wear about the neck, a white belt, and gold spurs. Some receive a *real* sword, as well. _W_h_y _D_o _y_o_u _a_l_l _h_a_v_e _s_u_c_h _f_u_n_n_y _n_a_m_e_s? Every person in the SCA picks a name to use in the Society. It could be something simple (George of Wardcliff) or something elaborate (Dughall Aislean nic mac Lathurna). Most people pick a time period in the SCA "period" (between 600 and 1600) and a country (any place that can documentably be proven to have had trade with western Europe during the period), and choose a name from that. Some people just pick a name and forget about it; some have elaborate persona stories to go with their names. Even our towns have new names. Lansing, MI, is Northwoods, Toronto is Septentria, Boston is Carolingia, the San Francisco bay area is the Principality of the Mists, etc. Most folk in the SCA register their names and a heraldic device that they design to represent them. Also, later in their SCA careers, they may be given awards and rank, at which time their devices become "Arms" and they are most properly called "Lord" or "Lady So-and-So." _R_a_n_k _i_n _t_h_e _S_C_A, _o_r _H_o_w _C_o_m_e _S_h_e _i_s _W_e_a_r_i_n_g _a _C_r_o_w_n? There are two sorts of peers in the SCA; Royal Peers and Peers. Royal Peers are folk who have worn the crown of a Kingdom or Principality at least once. Ex-Princes are Viscounts, Ex-Princesses Viscountesses, and from there it gets complex. Those who have been King or Queen once are Counts/Countesses. Those who have been King or Queen twice are Dukes/Duchesses. Those who have been King or Queen more than that are generally considered masochistic! (Small in-joke!) Seriously, there are many who have reigned at least three times, and in the West there is a legendary Duke who has been King eight times. Other sorts of Peers are folk who, through dint of talent, hard work, and long effort, are recognized for their contributions and skills. We have already talked about the Knights. There are also the Laurels (Talented craftsmen and artists, recognized for having talents and being willing to teach and be gracious), and the Pelicans (generally skilled bureaucrats -- somebody *has* to do the hard paperwork of running a Kingdom with 3000 people in it, and some people keep working at this sort of task for years.). The Pelican was thought in medieval times to be the most self-sacrificing animal -- it was thought a Pelican would pierce her beast to allow her heart's blood to drip into the mouths of her offspring when food was short. Peers are made by the desire of the King and Queen in accordance with the recommendations of the rest of the order. _F_e_a_s_t_i_n_g, _D_a_n_c_i_n_g _a_n_d _M_e_r_r_y_m_a_k_i_n_g SCA May 27, 1988 Page 5 One of the most interesting parts of the SCA is the Events -- the times when we put on our costumes, go out and dance those dances we've been practicing, flirt, eat, talk, and generally party. Events are held almost every weekend of the year somewhere in the country. Most groups hold at least one event per year; some larger groups will hold two or more. At events there are often tourneys, art exhibits or competitions, dance classes, workshops, and, later in the evening, Royal or Baronial Court, and dancing. Many times there will be a Feast in the evening. Other times, for smaller events or if a newer group is holding the event, there will be a dessert revel (People go out for dinner and then come back for a dessert buffet). The events are the most fun to most folk, because you get to go and show off all the things you have been learning in the past few months. _W_h_a_t _K_i_n_d _o_f _P_e_r_s_o_n _J_o_i_n_s _t_h_e _S_C_A? SCA folk tend to be people like you and me -- just plain folks, but people who enjoy doing something more with their weekends. A high percentage of SCA members are involved in high tech fields -- Computers, Aerospace, high energy physics, etc. This has been attributed to the fact that people who play all week with highly complex, modern technology find it highly relaxing to spend their leisure time working with a different kind of technology, in a less modern setting. There are lots of people in all fields in the SCA -- historians, writers, secretaries, law enforcement personnel, teachers, programmers, insurance agents -- the appeal of the SCA is widespread. A housemate of a SCA person recently said: "From what I can tell about these wild and crazy SCA people, they do more than just this fighting thing. They really like to make and wear the medieval clothes (garb), eat the medieval food, dance the medieval dances to the medieval music, maybe even make their own medieval music, and other medieval party type activities. They also seem to like to be medieval so they can relax and have a good time. They are quite willing to talk about SCA or invite you to the SCA stuff or whatever." _H_o_w _Y_o_u _C_a_n _G_e_t _I_n_v_o_l_v_e_d We welcome you to our local meetings and our events. You needn't join the SCA, Inc, to attend and participate (although if you decide to be with us regularly you may wish to join). The only requirement to come to an event is that you make some attempt at pre-1600 costume -- and most groups have "loaner" costumes for people who want to come to their first event. If you want more information about groups near you, you can call our corporate office in Milpitas, CA, at (408) 262-5250, or send a notice to this mailing list or newsgroup, or contact the Society Chronicler (Pat McGregor) at (517) 351-4962 (email: smor@um.cc.umich.edu) Welcome to the current Middle Ages! THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT ALMOST BLANK