🚀 go-pugleaf

I am not surprised at Axel the Bandit's reception or his reaction to it.  The
SCA used to recruit heavily, was tolerant of newcomers, and bent over back-
wards to help new members.  I have not seen much of this recently.  The
problem is partially that the recruiting function has become officialized.
If you expect someone else to be doing it, you don't want to get in the way,
or at least you don't want someone telling you that you are unauthorized.
Listen to people on the net talking about newbies giving reporters the
wrong impression and you will see this rearing its ugly head.  The SCA was
once primarily scruffy, blue jeaned people with velour custumes, now you
need a degree in history for anyone to talk to you.  Sort of like the
problem with rock and roll.  I had a vicious argument about 15 years ago
with my seneschale about the discouragement of a member just because he
was a wee bit (OK a lot) weirder than the rest of us.  Since then I have
seen some of the more laid back members become authenticity nuts and
byzantine politics mavens.
 
Chill Out!!  The SCA is rapidly becoming a Yuppie DAR.  I am from the
education through fun camp and believe that if you drive off the newbies
you will stagnate and die a horrible middle-aged death of being the LIONS
club without the charter of doing good work.  If you want to be intellectual
there is the Academy and other academic organizations that will critique
your research.  If you want to have a party in the grand arthurian style
the SCA should be the place to go.  I say Romance before Research and style
over substance, because the SCA cannot compete in either research or substance.
 
I mourn for the good old days when it was more important to have fun than tell
people to put on the appropriate clothes.  In my HELL there will be a room
where those people will be put and they can have each other.
 
                     Lord Ian of Gloucester
                  Who believes that the most realistic facet of the SCA is
                  byzantine power structure and decision making.