Event Information FAQ

SCA Iowa - What Happens at SCA Events and Meetings

Site Information

SCA events are not restricted to paid members. SCA members as well as guests can attend events. The only requirements to attend are:

• paying the Site Registration to get in (discount for paid members) and
• “an attempt” at clothing from before 1600 CE (often, loaner clothing is available, message the Event Steward or inquire at Gate when checking in).
• play nice:
  • The SCA has policies in place to remove people who bully or harass others based on ethnicity, sex, or sexual preference.
  • The SCA has policies in place for those who sexually harass others.
  • Members or non-members who violate the established standards of behavior can be barred from participating at events.

Location

• Address for Google/Garmin,
• written directions,
• map screen shot/sketch,
• grid coordinates for GPS

Beverage Options

• Dry Site - No alcohol allowed. Most churches and schools, also venues that have a liquor license.
• Damp Site aka Discretely Wet - No open alcohol consumption.
• Wet Site- Alcohol allowed.

Entry Requirements at Gate/Troll

• Member card (if you have one, to get the member discount)
• Cash or check (most Gates can't take credit cards, pre-registration is sometimes available)
• Minor guardianship forms (if you're bringing children that aren't your own) - https://www.sca.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/treatminor-notary.pdf

Event Activities

Archery and Thrown Weapons

Archery includes various period-style bows and cross-bows. Modern compound crossbows are not allowed. Loaner bows/arrows may be available - check with the Archery Marshal-in-Charge (MIC).

Thrown Weapons includes axes, knives, spears, atlatls. Closed toe shoes are requlred. Loaner equipment may be available - check with the Thrown Weapons Marshal-in-Charge (MIC).

Arts and Sciences

The Arts and the Sciences encompasses all the history we learn, the skills we acquire, and the things that we make in the SCA to recreate the past. The Arts and Sciences spans all of the cultures and all of the eras around the entire world before 1600 CE. Traditionally, the focus of the SCA has been Europe from the years c. 600-1600 C.E./AD, but the starting date has always been flexible and in the last few years, the scope of the SCA has been officially expanded to enclude all pre-1600 cultures around the world.

Individual events will often have a theme revolving around a particular time and place for inspiration, but participants are not required to change their clothing or personas to match.

• Bardic Circles - usually around the campfire in the evening after feast. Participants take turns telling period/SCA stories and songs.

• Classes - most classes are included in the cost of the event, but a few will have nominal fees for materials and handouts that students will be taking home.

• Competitions - Arts and Sciences competitions are a little like entering something at the Fair or in 4H. They are often inspired by the event theme, but usually not rigidly so. Common competitions styles include:
  • X in any medium - where X is a motif (raven) or a color (purple) or an ideal (love) or whatever. Entries are encouraged to reference the X creatively as they like. Whether a poem about ravens, a tunic with purple trim, or the cradle you made for your be-LOVE-d grandchild.
  • Rat out a friend - people enter things that other people made to show them off.
  • Largesse - people enter items that will be given to the Crown to pass on as gifts in court and at foreign wars: pouches, award medallions, cording and woven bands in kingdom colors, sewing notions, armor findings, etc. etc.

• Demos

• Solars

Judging

• Populace Choice - attendees are give a token to place in a container to vote on their favorite entry. The entry with the most votes wins.
• X's Choice - where X is a VIP like the Queen or another important noble and they get to pick the winner at their discretion.
• Kingdom Criteria - Calontir has established criteria for judging at the Kingdom A&S competitions (Queen's Prize, and Kingdom A&S Championship/Tri-Levels). Smaller events may use the criteria also, with the competition sponsor recruiting experienced makers to help with judging with the Kingdom Criteria

Food

Inn

• menu, special accomodations
• Payment/prices vs. free-will donation

Feast

• menu, special accomodations
• Price
  • above the salt
  • below the salt

Rattan Fighting

Common Tourney Styles

• Bear Pit
• Consort Tourney
• Round Robin
• Elimination
  • Single Elimination
  • Double Elimination with Loser Tree
• Swiss Five
• Warlord Tourney

Steel Fighting/Cut & Thrust

Etc.

Youth Activities

Two-deep Rule -

Activities for young children and youth are not meant to replace parental supervision. Parents are still responsible for insuring their children are supervised.

Youth Combat allows children to participate in the joy of battle with safely padded weapons while learning the chivalrous way to compete.

• insert Kingdom youth combat link here
• Teens 16 and younger can participate in "Youth Combat"
• 16 and 17 year olds can participate in the adult combat systems with parental permission

Other Activities

Post-Revel - definition/explanation

Bardic Circle - ditto

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