🚀 go-pugleaf

[NOTE: This is really from a friend.  I just posted it for him]
[ PLEASE DO NOT USE THE 'r' COMMAND!! ]

First of all, allow me to introduce myself.  I am Dagonell Collingwood
of the Emerald Lake knowne mundanely as Dave Salley.  I am fairly new to
both the SCA and this news.net ( April 1984 and September 1984, respectively )

	Our campus computer is not fully hooked into the net, so I can read 
news off the spool, but cannot post except by forwarding to Richard and asking 
him to post for me.  So if anyone wishes to mail to me do not reply to Richard,
but address it one step further : ie, ...sunybcs!canisius!salley instead of 
...sunybcs!hobbit  .

	This should probably be a private mail message to Bob Simpson, but
I feel that the topic should be open for debate and/or discussion hence
the public posting.  Anything printed here is strictly my opinion, and
should not be regarded as official SCA policy or anything else.

	Bob, If you wish to 'watch for a while' and read SCA postings, by
all means, please feel free to do so.  No one is obligated to post or
read news.  But why do you feel a necessity to flame merely because you
have had a bad personal experience with some SCA chapters?  Do you flame
net.rec.nude merely because you are not personally a nudist?  It amounts
to much the same thing.  I'll admit that any organization that has local
chapters across the nation is bound to have chapters that are 'rude,
stand-offish and insular' but I don't think that's a sufficient reason to
condemn the organization as a whole.

	For the most part, local chapters seem to build around a college
or university.  This is probably because of the resources that are available
there, ie a large hall for fighting, feasting, dancing; a kitchen for feast
cooking; a well stocked library for research; etc.  The local chapter that
I am a member of meets at ( inhale ) The State University College of New York
at Buffalo Classroom Building ( exhale ).  Buff State for short.  The members
are from Buff State, University of Buffalo, Canisius College and the populous
at large.  I have met, and heard of, local chapters that are clickish, but
they seem to be a very small minority to me.  Perhaps they don't have the
variety amongst the members that the more active groups seem to enjoy.
PLEASE NOTE : I am not saying that a local SCA chapter composed solely of
students from a particular university is a click.  I AM NOT.  I know of
examples to the contrary.  I am saying that any organization with a highly
diversified membership will NOT break down INTO a click.

	Even though I've been in the SCA a short time I've had the priv -
ledge of attending the Pennsic War held this summer at Cooper's Lake, Pa.
Bob, In case you don't know what the Pennsic War is, let me explain.  Once
a year, about 4,000 Scadians meet at Cooper's Lake, and have fun.  Sort of
like a medeval fair on a much larger scale.  Fighters battle, jugglers
juggle, singers sing, dancers dance.  Just about any skill, artform, craft
or activity that was done in the Middle Ages was taught, learned, done or
demonstrated at the Pennsic War.  But that's not really the most attractive
thing I found at the War.  It's a chance to exchange ideas and conversation
with people who live on the other side of the continent.  Or even other
continent, I understand there were people there from Europe. 

	While at the Pennsic War, I witnessed the following :
	A car got stuck in the mud and seven people started to push it
out almost immediately, without being asked.
	A woman lost her diamond ring in the grass while sitting and singing
around a campfire.  Within minutes, nay seconds, there was upwards of twenty
people down on their hands and knees with flashlights, helping to look.
No one had to be asked. (P.S. The ring WAS found) 
	A portable stove caught fire, three fire extinguishers were on it 
before the man could scream help.  (No one was hurt)
	I could go on and on citing examples but I won't.  I think you get
the idea.  One last note: As I said there were 4,000 people there. No
security force.  The first aid station did not report any cases of fist
fighting.  Can anyone reading this imagine 4,000 people at a Rock Concert 
without any security guards?  If the War was rude, insular and stand-offish,
then I think we need a whole lot more of it in this world! 
	One final note, I spent a half-week at the Pennsic, hearing "After
you, M'lord","Excuse me, M'lady","Good Morning, good Sir".  The following
Monday morning, on the bus I heard, "Outta m'way #%$#%","Quit pushing, dammit".
I wanted to turn around and go back to Pennsic!!!!
	Oh dear, I've been lecturing again, haven't I?  Oh well, I suppose
I wouldn't have been satisfied until I said it.  I'd like to invite any and
all Scadians out there to feel free to make their own comments and add to
or critize anything I've said.  Are you listening, Bob?  It's your serve.

				Dagonell Collingwood of the Emerald Lake
					-)------

				Kingdom of the East,
				Barony of Rydderich Hael,
				Canton of Beau Fleuve,
				Household of the Emerald Lake.


Done by MY Golem's hand,
In the Household of the Emerald Lake
This 24th day of October,
Anno Societatis XIX.

decvax!sunybcs!canisius!salley            or
seismo!rochester!rocksvax!sunybcs!canisius!salley

[ Posted by Richard Tyler of Swiftwater (sunybcs!hobbit) ]