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Resources and Information for Newcomers

This page is aimed at helping newcomers to the Society for Creative Anachronism get started.
Many more links can be found on the subpages of the SCA website (see above).

If you are unable to find the information you need in the links below, please contact the Society Chatelaines Coordinator (newcomers' liaison): Countess Alys Katharine.

Getting acquainted with the SCA

• Overview and brief description of the SCA
  How did the SCA begin? How is it organized? Why is everyone wearing odd clothing and bowing to those people with crowns on? And how can I join?

  Newcomers' Guides

• Forward Into the Past (PDF)
  An introductory guide published by the Society.
  Membership - What is the SCA - Getting Started - Fitting In - What to Wear and How to Behave - Making a T-tunic - Names and Personas - Kingdom & Local Officers - SCA Combat - Who is Who? - Heraldry - Guilds, Households, and Sociability - The Gentle Arts and Sciences
• A Guiding Hand - An Ansteorran New Member's Guide
  while this Guide is somewhat specific to the kingdom of Ansteorra (Texas), it has lots of good information on preparing to attend your first event, courtesy and etiquette, and the structure of SCA royalty and nobility.

• Forward Into the Past, The Known World Handbook, The Fighters' Handbook and many other publications are also available from the SCA Stock Clerk's Office.

  SCA Terminology

• Glossary of SCA Jargon (PDF)
  "Good grief - what do they mean by that?" The SCA has a vocabulary all its own. Here are definitions for the most commonly used terms you'll hear at events or read in newsletters.

  Advice

• Advice to Newcomers (PDF)
  Whether a long time SCA member brought you to your first meeting or you came by yourself, there's always a period of adjustment. Here's how to get yourself oriented quickly and begin to have some fun.
• "Newcomers are Nice - Advice to Established Members"
  Sometimes long time members are just as unsure about approaching newcomers as you are about approching them! This article may help you both meet in the middle.

Children in the SCA

• Your Teenager and the SCA - Some Answers for Parents
• SCA Children's Officer Page
  - contact info for Childrens' Officers in each Kingdom
  - links to each kingdom's Youth Policies, Minors' Forms, Youth Combat, Childrens' (Pages) Academies, and other activities.

Find SCA groups near you

• How to find the local group near you
  
  Hints on how to locate your local group, and which officers to make contact with
• Look up your kingdom
  
  Enter your state, province, or country to see what kingdom you are in
• Knowne World Map
  
  Interactive maps of the SCA kingdoms - by Dante de Valencia.
• Maps of the Known World
  
  on-going project to map all kingdoms of the Known World, down to the county (or even postal-code) level - by Faelan ua hEogain

What to Wear

• Some basic patterns are covered in the SCA's Forward Into the Past pamphlet.
• The SCA Without Breaking the Bank
  
  Tips on affordable ways to put together your costume, armor, tablewear, camping gear, etc.
• The Costume Page
  lots of how-to links under the "Costume-Making Specifics " section
• Medieval (and Renaissance) European Costume Links
• SCAtoday.net's Newcomer's Guide
  contains several links to making costumes (also called "garb")

Things to do in the SCA

• SCADemo.com
  an overview of various activities in the SCA, including many arts and sciences. Lots of great photos! Available in English, Spanish, Danish, and French.
• Arts & Sciences links
  Extensive lists of links for a variety of arts, crafts, sciences, games, and other pastimes of the Middle Ages and Renaissance
• SCA Armored Combat, Fencing, and Combat Archery
  a brief overview, from SCADemo.com
• Archery and Thrown Weapons
  a brief overview, from SCADemo.com
• Archery
  an introduction to SCA archery (Some of the details, like archer rankings, are specific to the East Kingdom.) Includes links to articles and other archery websites.
• Equestrian Activities
  a brief overview, from SCADemo.com

Who to be in the SCA

• What is an SCA Name?
• Choosing a Society Name: Hints for Newcomers
• Medieval Names Archive
• Choosing a Name & Creating a Persona
  a persona is the fictional person you wish to have been, had you lived during the period of time the SCA covers.
• How do you get to be king? Who can use noble titles? How should I address people?
  See "Who is Who?" chapter of Forward Into the Past

Heraldry

• What is an SCA Heraldic Device?
• About Heraldic Display
• A Guide to the Heraldic Submissions Process

Maintained by the SCA Webfolk
This page was last updated on Tuesday, April 15th, 2008 @ 02:57 pm CDT
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