Information for Newcomers
Welcome to Altavia, a barony in the Kingdom of Caid, in the Society for Creative Anachronism.
The Society for Creative Anachronism, or SCA, is an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts, skills, and traditions of pre-17th-century Europe.
Members of the SCA study and take part in a variety of activities, including combat, archery, equestrian activities, costuming, cooking, metalwork, woodworking, music, dance, calligraphy, fiber arts, and much more. If it was done in the Middle Ages or Renaissance, odds are you’ll find someone in the SCA interested in recreating it.
What makes the SCA different from a Humanities 101 class is the active participation in the learning process. To learn about the clothing of the period, you research it, then sew and wear it yourself. To learn about combat, you put on armor (which you may have built yourself) and learn how to defeat your opponent. To learn brewing, you make (and sample!) your own wines, meads and beers.
You will frequently hear SCA participants describe the SCA as recreating the Middle Ages “as they ought to have been.” In some ways this is true – we choose to use indoor plumbing, heated halls, and sewing machines. In the dead of winter we have more to eat than King’s venison, salt pork and dried tubers. However, a better description is that we selectively recreate the culture, choosing elements of the culture that interest and attract us.
Getting Started
The links below are provided to help you get up to speed on what we do and how we do it.
If you have any questions, please contact our Chatelaine
- SCA Introduction — Quick Intro
- Resources and Information for Newcomers — This page is aimed at helping newcomers to the Society for Creative Anachronism get started.
- General Questions — Information about us and what we do
- Caid Newcomers — The Kingdom of Caid’s Newcomer Site. The information you will find in these pages is written for the ladies and lords who have recently joined the Society of Creative Anachronism (SCA), as well as those who may be considering joining and would like to find more about the Current Middle Ages within the Kingdom of Caid.
- Rules for Participation — Info about how we do what we do
- Fighting Questions — Info about the combat arts
- Circlets & Coronets — Info about crowns in the SCA
- SCA Camping for the Newcomer — Hints & tips for camping in the SCA
Other Links of Interest
- Forward Into the Past (PDF) An introductory guide published by the Society.
- Your Teenager and the SCA – Some Answers for Parents (PDFThe
- Society for Creative Anachronism web page
- The Kingdom of Caid web page
About Membership in the SCA
There are several levels of membership in the Society: a Sustaining membership includes a year’s subscription to your kingdom’s newsletter, which contains kingdom news, announcements for events taking place in your area, and local group contacts. Lower-priced Associate and Family memberships are also available.
You are not required to purchase an SCA membership before attending SCA meetings and events. Membership is a requirement for holding office in SCA groups, for participation in combat and combat-related activities in some kingdoms, and for eligibility to receive awards in some kingdoms.To learn more about membership, click here: SCA Membership
Benefits of Membership
Membership card
By signing the waiver on the membership application, you can speed your check-in at events by presenting your card instead of signing waivers at the door.
Voting privileges in your local group
the membership rolls are used when determining to whom to send pollings on group matters.
SCA Publications
Sustaining members receive their kingdom’s newsletter.
Sustaining members can also purchase subscriptions to:
Other kingdoms’ newsletters,
Tournaments Illuminated (the quarterly magazine of the Society),
The Compleat Anachronist pamphlet series, and
The Board of Directors’ Proceedings.
Discounts on some event admissions
