Seeking topics for SCA 201

[jducoeur]

As part of Carolingia's upcoming Novice Schola, I'm planning on teaching a new class called "SCA 201". We've had "SCA 101" for a while -- that's an introduction to the Society, aimed primarily at the true novice, giving useful information for getting up and running. This is a little different. The target audience here is people who have been around for a year or three and have their feet under them. It is intended to get into a bit more detail about life in the SCA, and how to survive and thrive within it.

To that end, I'm seeking ideas for topics. Any and all ideas will be considered, but I'm especially looking for ideas from the people who *have* been in for 1-5 years. What questions have you had in the back of your mind for a while? What would have been useful for you to know about, that you learned only through painful experience? This class has a very broad remit -- the primary constraint is that it about SCA culture, *not* about history. Don't be shy about tossing ideas into the pot, and don't be afraid of "me, too" in this case -- if a bunch of people think a topic would be useful, that will bump it up the priority list. (Just bear in mind that I only have an hour, so I can't cover everything.)

Comments

[lakshmi-amman.livejournal.com]

A couple (hopefully) originals:
- among the various ways to participate in the Society, may things tend to fall under the "three pillars" of the Society - arts, arms, service. Running through some of the ways to be involved within this structure might be useful.

For example, if I was focusing on the A&S community with someone who wanted to be more involved in that "track", or else who was clearly an artist or researcher who was looking for good ways to get involved, I'd probably point out that among the ways to play are:

- A&S displays/compeitions - what are the "big ones"? what's the difference? how do you enter? other points of protocol
- teaching classes - how do you volunteer? when? what makes a good class?
- writing articles - how? what types of articles are generally good?
- performance opportunities
- pure participation - wearing and using stuff you make in a medieval way
- starting or running long-term classes or guilds

I suspect that folks more focused on other areas would also have thoughts for their areas. In many of these things, there's a generally good "process" that is more likely to get you a good outcome if you adhere to it... for example - volunteering for a class at least a month in advance is "good form". Documenting the who/what/when/where/why/how is often a reasonable structure.

Another thought - Championships and Honorary Positions - they aren't "awards" per se, but some level of proficiency is involved. What are the Kingdom and Baronial Championships and how do you compete/sign up? How about the Guards (King's, Queen's, Baron's)?

On the same topics - being involved in a Royal Household. What does being "a retainer" mean? how do you do it? How about making stuff for the royalty? Or for the Barony or Kingdom? This is stuff I only started doing after I'd been around for a few years... and I only really clued in because I had friends who were in the know who filled me in on how to do it.

Households and Tourney Companies are other good ones... the whys and wherefors of joining, things to think about, as they can have their own personalities, and it could be argued that in households there's a few noticeable archetypes.


Hmm... It seems like my experience may be "not normal". I did fall in with the hardcore set pretty early on, and so I think my tenure in the SCA was pretty condensed, as I got really involved in 1999 and so it's really only been 6 years... But I'm trying to dredge up things I started caring about around years 2-4...

Looking at the clump of thoughts, I can see that you'd probably end up choosing some of these, not all. A class on "how to get involved in A&S in the East" could easily run an hour all by itself!!

[tpau]

and if he doesn't cover it, can you tell ME hwo to get involvedin retaining and makign stuff for royalty? :)

[jdulac.livejournal.com]

ya volunteer :)

http://www.eastkingdom.org/trh/

[tpau]

yes, thank you. when i do that i get ignored. ti is all about knowing the right people.

[jdulac.livejournal.com]

you've got one of the major Right People at the other end of your yellow belt. She knows everyone.

contact their head lady-in-waiting. If you want an introduction, I can provide one.

check out their list of "needs." Offer to make something specific for them -- it really helps to let them know exactly what you can do. Seems to me there's some possibilities in the "personal device" category.

if you want to make something, show them (or their Chief Retainer) examples of your work, find out exactly what they want, and deliver it on time. Don't offer them things that they don't need.

if you want to retain, let them know your availability. The Winter king has gruelling schedule with out-of-kingdom events (Kingdom Crusades, Estrella, Gulf Wars). If you're willing to travel, I'm sure it would be helpful. Often retainers are based around the royalty's existing friends and household, because that is just easier for them to organize. You need to make the extra effort to be where they need you to be.

offer to make royal room food for an event that they'll be at. Keep in mind that this royalty has extremely limited diets, but their servants don't.

that's a start.

[new-man.livejournal.com]

"It's all about who you know" is absolutely incorrect. It's all about volunteering in some specific way which is actually useful. Simply saying "I want to help" is not enough. Say "I want to make order medallions" -- maybe they'll say "Thanks, we've already got plenty" (they don't), but you've given them something specific to react to. TRM/TRH get a lot of vague offers of help; managing all of them puts an extra burden on the royalty which is often enough for them to table the vague offers in favor of the concrete ones.

[hfcougar.livejournal.com]

Hell, it's a burden on us peons too.

One thing I've already really learned strongly is vague offers = not my friend.

[new-man.livejournal.com]

Yes, making a vague offer of help is a lot less effective than a specific offer of help -- regardless of the rank of the person to whom you're making the offer. This isn't just an SCA-ism; it's true in most situations.

[new-man.livejournal.com]

Write a letter to the prince and princess (trh@eastkingdom.org).

Say "Hello, I'm Tpau from Carolingia. Id' like to do this specific thing for you (make you a choli, coordinate your travel when you're coming into the area, coordinatre the making of new baldrics for the Queen's Guard -- whatever. Just be specific). If this is alright with you, I expect to be able to deliver it by XX. YiS, Tpau".

It's that easy.

[jducoeur]

Yep, but this is definitely good food for thought. You're right that some of these are too large for the topic, but as others have mentioned, they may be worth quickly glossing over and giving people some pointers. Thanks!