[MR] Challenge (fwd)

[Craig Levin]

Lord Charles Fleming:

> Duke Logan just observed:
> 
> "the end result is this, the sca as a living history organization is a joke.
> the sca is, and has been for some time, a social club were some people dress
> up.  but thats not what the charter of the organization says."

I would say, rather, that the SCA has a social component to its
existence. That goes without saying, since anytime you get two or
more people together, there's a social element. I've been to a
couple of the conferences in Kalamazoo for professional
mediaevalists-there's definitely an educational atmosphere there,
but there's definitely a social component. There are planned and
impromptu parties, people who haven't seen one another since the
last conference will hang out in the reception area to await
their friends, and so on.

> Ouch! 
> 
> I don't know anyone who wants the SCA to become like some Civil War groups,
> where they quite literally inspect the inside of your hat to make sure that
> it has the right label and has the correct amount of dirt and horse hair on
> it.  But, neither do I know anyone who wants us to be a laughingstock.

I know of a few, actually. Mostly, it seems to be a way of
saying, "I'd like to have the power to say who plays and who
doesn't."

> The puzzle appears to be how to become less of a joke, historically, without
> alienating those of limited means or knowledge.
> 
> Atlantia includes some of the most wonderfully bright and creative people I
> have ever had the privilege to know.  If ever a group could solve that
> puzzle, surely this one can.
> 
> I'd like to challenge the Tavern to name ten ways to make authenticity more
> desirable and attainable.

Dunno about ten, but here's what I've done or am doing:

- Written something for the Oak

- Written something for another SCA newsletter

- Edited an SCA newsletter (Heralds' Point)

- Lectured at a session of the Atlantian University

- Lectured at other events

- Put up research papers at my own website

- Put up research papers at other websites

Pedro