WOR SCA group (Lemons and Crap)

[^]

They say when life hands you Lemons you should make lemonade, so I guess when life hands you shit you make fertilizer. So basically I've failed to complete my graduate degree, although I don't really care which is likely one of the reasons I failed to complete it. So now with little or nothing left on my plate and even less things that I care about its time to put a big idea out there and see if it goes anywhere.

I want to start a 15th century WOR campaigning style group, campaigning for those that don't know is when you only bring those things which you would have had and those things you need for personal health. Since the world is so spread out between the mountains and the SCA is just about everywhere and holds events many places it seems prudent to piggy back such a group on the SCA plus it would allow for a military like activity. Since I live in Texas this is obviously the region it would be based. I'm thinking generally the region south of KC and west of Mississippish.

Standards would basically be low end re-enactment standards plus allowing for any safety needs required by the SCA. There will be a lot of emphasis on culture as that is really a big interest of mine.

Any interest.

[Donal Mac Ruiseart]

<~~thought from the title that this was gonna be a rant on contaminated lemons in restaurant iced tea glasses.

[MJBlazek]

They say when life hands you Lemons you should make lemonade, so I guess when life hands you shit you make fertilizer. So basically I've failed to complete my graduate degree, although I don't really care which is likely one of the reasons I failed to complete it. So now with little or nothing left on my plate and even less things that I care about its time to put a big idea out there and see if it goes anywhere.

I want to start a 15th century WOR campaigning style group, campaigning for those that don't know is when you only bring those things which you would have had and those things you need for personal health. Since the world is so spread out between the mountains and the SCA is just about everywhere and holds events many places it seems prudent to piggy back such a group on the SCA plus it would allow for a military like activity. Since I live in Texas this is obviously the region it would be based. I'm thinking generally the region south of KC and west of Mississippish.

Standards would basically be low end re-enactment standards plus allowing for any safety needs required by the SCA. There will be a lot of emphasis on culture as that is really a big interest of mine.

Any interest.

I for one am interested, but you're in the wrong part of the country for me... I'm up in Maine.

[Glaukos the Athenian]

Peder,

I don't know the details of your graduate studies, or the circumstances. I am sincerely sorry, especially because I went through the same issue (I was in PhD track and left with an MA, pretty but useless in the academic world if you are applying for serious, scarce and expensive grants that involve travelling with a cast of dozens)

Depending on the circumstances, you may want to consider regrouping, taking a break and approaching the same issue in a different place and time.

Whatever you decide to do, don't grow bitter about it. Grow from it, but don't grow bitter or regretful. The future is ahead, not behind.

Macte animo.

Rowan of Needwood

[Rittmeister Frye]

Peder;

I say go for broke. Been there done that, and you rise from the ashes. So you don't get to throw your all into an academic plum job that would be almost financially viable, but instead throw your all into something else just as worthwhile, if not as well respected in the "real world". You still get to do some serious research, published or not, and you really can research into what YOU want to learn about, rather than what someone else dictates that you study, learn and teach. (That whole "He who pays the piper calls the tune" bit.)

Put together your Campaigner group. I have nothing but respect for the ACW groups who do that sort of thing (I'm sure your familiar with the "Hard Core" types, and their website). The best ACW events I've attended have been when I've only had what I packed on my saddle. Saves a WHOLE lot of packing, unpacking, and setting up, then reverse.

The two ways of going about this of course are A.) totally on campaign as an archer, with really minimal kit, or B.) on campaign as a gentleman with a few servants. Even as a minimalist, the gentleman part would require a certain level of kit, unless the portrayal is that of a lightening chevaucheé, and you're caught in the field without a local village to impose upon for shelter. But that has it's own appeal.

The only real downside of it is that there really aren't many women who are into the whole "minimalist" approach to camping out. There are a few, but they are rare and valuable commodities! Most for some reason want some privacy and cover from rain and other weather. Go figure. Of course, not a whole lot of women out on chevaucheé either, come to think about it.

If the ACW fellows can do Campaigner-style events on their own within the much larger "More Junk is Better Family Camping" type events and grow, then I think you should be able to do so too.

Go for it. And try to attend Jehan's event this June to try it out. It ought to be a very cool (in many respects!) event, and a great place to experiment! ( But do bring sufficient blankets etc. since it do get cold in NM at night, and no local villages to billet in.) Good Luck!

Cheers!

Gordon

[Baron Alejandro]

Standards would basically be low end re-enactment standards plus allowing for any safety needs required by the SCA.

I don't know you other than from what some have told me of you, and what you write here. Based on that, I think that the above statement will lead to you getting seriously cheesed off and frustrated on down the road.

That being said, I think you should go for it because better efforts are always needed.

Edited to add - P.S. - I hope you won't take it hard if i advise you to change the title of this thread, based on JT's general (very general ) policy of this being a family-friendly board.

[^]

MJ, nothing stops you from doing your kit that way in fact I would recommend it as you are close enough to some of the LH groups that the more of your kit that works for both the better.

I don't know the details of your graduate studies, or the circumstances. I am sincerely sorry, especially because I went through the same issue (I was in PhD track and left with an MA, pretty but useless in the academic world if you are applying for serious, scarce and expensive grants that involve travelling with a cast of dozens)

I gave up on any sort of career in academia a long time ago, there are no jobs in my area and I'm certainly not cut throat enough to fight for the scraps that exist. At some point I stuck with it because I really didn't have anything else to do.

[^]

Standards would basically be low end re-enactment standards plus allowing for any safety needs required by the SCA.

I don't know you other than from what some have told me of you, and what you write here. Based on that, I think that the above statement will lead to you getting seriously cheesed off and frustrated on down the road.

I have actually been discussing this idea with a couple of people for a while now and there is a greater chance that I will simply not go forward with it then for me to get frustrated later. Almost no one actually seeks to understand what 'cheeses' me off especially when they themselves are involved. One of my number one things is honesty. Some of the people I get along best with in the SCA are not authenticity people but are honest about what they do, and some of the authenticity people I can't stand because they really aren't honest about what they do. More often then not it is about people not being honest with themselves, sometimes it is about people not thinking about what they are saying or doing and sometimes it is just people not being clear.

[MJBlazek]

MJ, nothing stops you from doing your kit that way in fact I would recommend it as you are close enough to some of the LH groups that the more of your kit that works for both the better.

Thats the plan man... thats the plan...

[Effingham]

Peder,

I don't know the details of your graduate studies, or the circumstances. I am sincerely sorry, especially because I went through the same issue (I was in PhD track and left with an MA, pretty but useless in the academic world if you are applying for serious, scarce and expensive grants that involve travelling with a cast of dozens)

Brother!!!!!

Ditto -- MA in Japanese, gave up on the PhD.


Effingham

[Talbot]

If you are able to make it a viable thing, I'd build a WOR kit and com out to play. I'm on the wrong side of the mississippi though to do anything regular.

[RenJunkie]

I'm in central Virginia, but it sounds like a hoot, and maybe even a blast or two.

Don't know if I could play from out here, but I'd be willing to build the kit.

I love WOR armour more than any other type.

Any side in particular?

Christopher

[Talbot]

Peder,

I don't know the details of your graduate studies, or the circumstances. I am sincerely sorry, especially because I went through the same issue (I was in PhD track and left with an MA, pretty but useless in the academic world if you are applying for serious, scarce and expensive grants that involve travelling with a cast of dozens)

Brother!!!!!

Ditto -- MA in Japanese, gave up on the PhD.


Effingham

I did that more than once.
Masters in Communication education because I was not fitting in the mold of the PhD prgram.
Then went back and got a masters in Special Ed (I intended that one to be a masters)
Then went back to get a doctorate in administration. The university was in partnership with University of Illinois. about 1/2 through the program UofI backed out over a disagreement about which university name went on the dipplomas. Wound up with a 3rd masters
Went back 3 years ago and just inished the doctorate in Educational leadership last December. I feel your pain!

[^]

I'm in central Virginia, but it sounds like a hoot, and maybe even a blast or two.

Don't know if I could play from out here, but I'd be willing to build the kit.

Well with your proximity to Greys I would guess your a member there. No reason you can't double kit like MJ.

Any side in particular?

The English side. By and large there weren't sides as we want to look at the conflict through modern eyes. It is really more a system of affinities and other reasons for one group supporting a particular candidate then I'm a Yorkist and my neighbor is a Lancastrian.

[Wolf]

I'm in central Virginia, but it sounds like a hoot, and maybe even a blast or two.

Don't know if I could play from out here, but I'd be willing to build the kit.

I love WOR armour more than any other type.

Any side in particular?

Christopher

hey Christopher, come check us out at www.lordgreys.org there is a forum link on the site.

[Miles_H_J]

I'm in central Virginia, but it sounds like a hoot, and maybe even a blast or two.

Don't know if I could play from out here, but I'd be willing to build the kit.

I love WOR armour more than any other type.

Any side in particular?

Christopher

hey Christopher, come check us out at www.lordgreys.org there is a forum link on the site.

Hi Christopher WOR there's a guy name Dustin in Lord Greys going to Lynchburg College that's just down the road from you.

Miles Household Retinue member of Lord Henry Grey of Codnor

[Jehan de Pelham]

Best of luck Brent.

It would be of educational interest to me to see how you execute a portrayal according to your exacting vision, however unlikely it may be that you would find your way to New Mexico (or other points in the future) to show me.

The invitation is still open, your protestations agin them otherwise.

John
Jehan de Pelham, ecuyer and servant of Sir Vitus
www.mron.org

[MJBlazek]

Remember....


Yorkists Rule.... Lancastrians drool!

[Charlotte J]

Standards would basically be low end re-enactment standards plus allowing for any safety needs required by the SCA.

I don't know you other than from what some have told me of you, and what you write here. Based on that, I think that the above statement will lead to you getting seriously cheesed off and frustrated on down the road.

I'm curious as to why. If a person wants a "household" with certain standards, what's stopping them?

[Baron Alejandro]

I'm curious as to why. If a person wants a "household" with certain standards, what's stopping them?

Nothing. Nothing at all. But Brent, in my limited and second-hand experience, has a very exacting standard and can be very blunt sometimes. I don't think that those are things that will lead to success in this. Caveats; I'd love to be proven wrong, and I still think he should try. Trying and failing is WAY better than not trying at all.

I hope I haven't been insulting - I've written very carefully to try not to be.

[^]

Nothing. Nothing at all. But Brent, in my limited and second-hand experience, has a very exacting standard and can be very blunt sometimes. I don't think that those are things that will lead to success in this.

The reputation of having exacting standards is kinda amusing to me because among the 15th century crowd I have one of the lowest sets of material standards. I'm very much about inclusion and trying to make the bottom line very accessible. I do tend to be more difficult on non-material stuff then most of the rest of them though. But yea I'm about as blunt as using a sledge hammer to cut down a tree.

I think what you are trying to say is that because the idea is so against the grain of the SCA that I will quickly be done with it. Possibly. I can then just go and do my real true dream of being a jock/womanizer which does seem to be with the grain of the SCA.

I hope I haven't been insulting - I've written very carefully to try not to be.

LOL. There is only one person on this board who can actually get under my skin in any meaningful kind of way.

[Baron Alejandro]

I think what you are trying to say is that because the idea is so against the grain of the SCA that I will quickly be done with it. Possibly. I can then just go and do my real true dream of being a jock/womanizer which does seem to be with the grain of the SCA.

You must have a very different type of culture of SCA where you are. Your ideas about the group you want to form would fly very well out here (partially through the efforts of people like Char, Jeff, and James B.), presuming you could find people interested in that specific time period; there's a lot of time periods tugging for people's attention. And hopefully, the style of culture and the demands for a greater effort at what's considered an accurate presentation are spreading over the SCA. Who knows? You could be the standard-bearer where you are for it, and I encourage you to give it your best shot.

There are still pleny of jock/womanizers, but I'd be willing to bet their numbers are significantly down. That's a guess.

[^]

You must have a very different type of culture of SCA where you are.

We have had this conversation. I'd be surprised if anyone has the level of things that have developed in parts of Atlantia.

Your ideas about the group you want to form would fly very well out here (partially through the efforts of people like Char, Jeff, and James B.), presuming you could find people interested in that specific time period;

Frankly if I was there I wouldn't waste my time with it. One of the main reasons I think this is the way to go is because given the distances involved with doing anything in this part of the country you have to start with the intersection of travel and organization. If you have enough people centered in one area you can have regular meetings, find good sites, and recruit readily from different sources. When your spread out over a large area this becomes much more difficult. I can only name two medieval living history/re-enactment groups that do not have Markland, SCA or renfairs in their background. This would seem to indicate that these are the natural places for groups to form, a likely problem with my idea is that I am being artificial and using it as a place for a piggy back.

there's a lot of time periods tugging for people's attention. And hopefully, the style of culture and the demands for a greater effort at what's considered an accurate presentation are spreading over the SCA.

Honestly I doubt the average SCA will pay us much mind other then the occasional scoul. I'm looking to attract those who have an interest in more but find that the SCA is the only thing local to them.

There are still pleny of jock/womanizers, but I'd be willing to bet their numbers are significantly down. That's a guess.

Well apparently around here numbers are down all around. As long as there is competitive fighting and a reward for the women who are with the better fighters there will be plenty of jock/womanizers, now granted they may look better or be more sophisticated then they once were.

[Halvgrimr]

Standards would basically be low end re-enactment standards plus allowing for any safety needs required by the SCA. There will be a lot of emphasis on culture as that is really a big interest of mine.

Peder

I dont know you personally but I do know of your presence on the AA.
It has been my impression that you are one of the hard core LH types
Which is why the above suprised me a bit.
Why would you want to start a LH group but then allow for SCA saftey standards which in general are all ''what if..' allowances.

IF you want to go full blows LH I suggest not limiting yourself in such ways.

Take these saftey issues on a case by case basis, dont just assume that certain standards are neccesary to garner interest.

This is no slam on the SCA, I understand why they have all the standards the do (for the most part), its a bigger world and they need to cover all their bases

If your worried about limited numbers I wouldnt
As a fledgling LH group your gonna have small numbers to begin with.
Our (Norsteads) motto is "quality over quantity"
We'd rather have 10 great kits than 20 sub par kits.

IMO allowing in one SCAism opens the doors for another, and then another, and then another...etc

Then what you have is SCA with steel (if you do combat) and there isnt a shortage of these groups from what Ive seen in the last few years

Go for broke and avoid this, it wont happen quick but it can happen:)