You can contact the Chatelain at Chatelain AT duncarraig DOT net with any and all questions. For information about armored combat, rapier, and archery, contact the Knight Marshal at KnightMarshal AT duncarraig DOT net

There's much more to the SCA than just fighting. Games, music, dancing, calligraphy and illumination, woodworking, leatherworking, sewing and embroidery, brewing, cooking, archery...The list goes on...and on...and on. Even if you have no interest in hitting people with sticks, watching the fighting can be lots of fun. Our largest event draws about 12,000 people every year, only 3,000 of which are fighters. Also, most fighters do more than just fight. Arts, sciences, and service are as big a part of the SCA as fighting.

The SCA can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. The average event costs about $8-10 for the day, with another $6-9 for the feast. At camping events, there may be a camping charge, usually about $3.

The only other requirement for attending an event is an attempt at Medieval or Renaissance clothing. If you don't have your own, contact the Chatelain. The barony has garb for new members to borrow. If you want to make your own, fabric for a simple tunic runs about $20-30. You can spend hundreds of dollars buying gorgeous clothes, or on silks and velvets to make those gorgeous clothes, but that's up to you.

To eat feast, you'll need a bowl, plate, mug, and silverware. These can be borrowed for your first event. Thrift stores are a good place to get metal or wooden bowls and plates, often for only a couple bucks.

You don't need to be a member of the SCA to attend events, fight, or participate in our activities. If you decide to join the SCA, membership costs $45 per year. Membership lets you vote and hold offices and gets you a kingdom newsletter. It also saves you the $5 non-member surcharge at each event. Membership costs pay for insurance that allows us to rent sites, and that $5 charge helps cover some of those costs. If you plan to go to Pennsic or at least one event a month, the membership pays for itself. If you go to an event every few months and don't want to be an officer, you might decide not to buy a membership.

SCAdians frequently carpool to events to save gas money. You can post to the DC_Seadogs e-mail list to find travel companions. In addition to being less expensive, this is a great way to get to know people in the group.

It's easy to spend a lot of money on some activities, especially fighting. (The cost of armor adds up quick.) However, the barony has loaner gear for various activities, so you can try things out before you start buying your own equipment. To try out armored combat or rapier, for example, you need your own athletic protection, but can borrow all the weapons and armor to get started. Once you decide you like it, barony members will be happy to suggest the best places to buy equipment or offer suggestions for making your own.

Barter is also very period. For example, some people pay for events with "sweat equity"--by providing childcare or helping with cooking and camp clean-up. Or, say you're great at sewing but strapped for cash. Maybe you can work out a deal with someone who hates to sew, where they buy the fabric for clothing for both of you, and you make the garments.

Many events have special classes and activities for children and youth. Check out an individual event announcement or contact the autocrat to find out what child-specific activities are being offered. At previous Dun Carraig events, we've had children's archery competitions, dance classes, a variety of crafts and games, and a "Teen Oasis" that gave older kids their own space to hang out.

There's also youth combat. Children can start youth armored combat (with foam weapons) at the age of seven and youth rapier (with lighter blades than the adults use) combat at the age of twelve.

Older kids can participate in many of the same activities adults do. Archery, for example, is one activity many youth enjoy, and Dun Carraig's youngest Archery Champion was only fourteen. Period board games are also popular with young SCA members. If your child sees someone doing something that looks like fun, encourage them to ask about it. Similarly, if a class is offered that interests them, even if it's not specifically for kids, check with the instructor. Most teachers are willing to allow interested youth into their classes, as long as the child is well-behaved and the activity is age-appropriate.

Service is an important part of the SCA, and there are plenty of opportunities for young people to help out. They can run messages, help with event set-up and tear-down, serve feast, or retain for the Baronage or Royalty. Children and youth aren't allowed to handle money, to handle alcohol or dangerous substances, or to go on the list field. Also, youth must be at least twelve and have parental permission to handle knives or hot items in the feast kitchen. Other than those safety and legal requirements, children and youth are welcome to help out in all sorts of ways. Atlantia has two awards to recognize those youth who excel in service: the Sea Urchin is given to younger children who excel in service, and the Hippocampus is awarded to older children for excellence in service and leadership.

The Pages Academy, which teaches chivalry and courtesy through crafts and service to others, is another way for older children to get involved in the SCA. The Academy provides classes for youth 9-13, and youth earn ranks in the academy by performing service and taking classes.

Age ranges in a group fluctuate as members join, or take a break from the group. Currently, our group is mostly made up of young families (30's), with lots of babies, toddlers, and kids 4-10. (We've had a "baronial baby boom" over the last couple years--must be something in the water.) The barony also has a couple teenagers, a number of folks in their twenties (both couples and single people, including college students), and several people in the 40 and up range.

It's really up to you--there are several options. You can buy clothing or make your own.

Garb can be purchased on-line or at an event. Prices vary a great deal. Garb made of cotton and synthetic fibers is often cheaper than linen, which is in turn less expensive than silk, wool, and velvet. Hand-sewing, fancy embroidery, and lots of fabric also increase the price.

Tips for Buying Garb:

• Borrow garb for your first event or two, then make or buy a few simple pieces.
• Don't feel you have to have "fancy" clothing if it breaks your budget.
• Ask someone in the group to shop with you or recommend some good websites.
• Check out the Shopping list for garb websites.
• Avoid synthetic fabrics (nylon, rayon, lycra, etc.): Not only do they look modern, but they don't breathe or wick sweat, making them very hot.

Making your own clothing is often less expensive than purchasing a finished outfit. It can also be fun. While it can be time-consuming, it's possible to put together a basic outfit in an afternoon.

There are lots of resources on-line with patterns and instructions on making many different period articles of clothing. There are also plenty of people in the local area who like to sew and are good at it. They can give you ideas and suggestions, and are a good place to turn if you've never sewed before.

There are also lots of places to buy the fabric and other materials you'll need:

• Fabric-Store.com (External Link) has linen in lots of colors and weights, often for $6 a yard or less.
• You can get cotton (and occasionally linen and linen blends) at Jo-Ann. Cotton costs a good bit less than linen, with the caveat that it looks less authentic, and linen is cooler in hot weather.
• If you're willing to do some traveling, Jo-Mar in southeastern PA sells all kinds of fabric, often at very low prices. Barony members occasionally carpool up there to buy fabric.

While everyone at an event has to make an attempt at period clothing, this doesn't mean you need to make it or buy it for your first event. Contact the Chatelain at Chatelain AT duncarraig DOT net and let us know you'd like to go to an event. The Barony has loaner garb (clothing) that you can borrow for your first event.

No. Weekly practices are for planning upcoming activities, practicing an art, or practicing fighting/fencing. As this is a practice, no dress is required. Also, many people attend just to socialize with their friends. (You will see some members in garb at practices, since many fighters wear the same clothing and armor to practice as they do to events.)

The Chatelain, Chatelain AT duncarraig DOT net is in charge of helping new folks get started. You can contact them with any questions. Also, feel free to show up at our weekly practice, whether you're interested in fighting or not. Some people come for the fighting, while others come just to hang out. Our monthly business meeting is another way to connect with the group.

To join our baronial mailing list, contact Lady Serena Giovanna de Verona (Bobbi Sprouse) at MailingList AT duncarraig DOT net. DC_Seadogs is both our official e-list and our "baronial water cooler." Any and all topics, medieval or not, are discussed. This is where members talk about previous and upcoming events, discuss neat articles or museum exhibits they've heard about, arrange lunch get-togethers and event carpools, and generally shoot the breeze. It's also where you'll find out if a practice or class is cancelled.