The Reopening Resolution approved by the SCA Board of Directors at their May 25, 2021 conference call meeting required preregistration for all SCA functions. As attendance caps will no longer be required, and the need to collect attendee information for contact tracing, while still present, is reduced, the Society Seneschal in cooperation with the President has issued an implementation variance to the May 25 Resolution regarding preregistration. The goal is to allow for the efficient operation of Society events while still preserving the ability to provide attendee information to government or health authorities if requested.
Therefore, preregistration for SCA events will no longer be required starting July 1, 2021.
All who attend any SCA sponsored event in North America including local meetings, fighter practices, etc. must be signed in on a roster, at Troll, etc. prior to entering the event. This can be a roster sign-up sheet for small events, but along with a legal name the attendee must provide some method of contact. That can be email, phone number, or street address. Kingdoms may add additional requirements for events as they choose, but in all cases, there should be a complete list of those who are at any SCA event. Such event/meeting rosters should be kept by the local Seneschal or in the manner prescribed by the Kingdoms for such information. Such information will be held pending further instructions by the Society Seneschal or President.
Kingdoms and groups may continue to require preregistration for certain functions at their discretion.
The Board has announced the lifting of more restrictions on in-person events, including the 150 person limit, on July 1, 2021.
Links to the two documents outlining these changes are provided below.
In summary, the 150 person limit on event size will be lifted. Kingdoms may still require masks at events, and no water bearing or feasts are allowed yet.
John Fulton, President for the SCA, has announced that a report from his office is now available on the SCA website. This report contains the publishable summaries and commendation sections from each Society Officer’s reports, as well as publishable summaries submitted by various Board committees.
All of these linked policies have been previously approved and are currently effective, and there are no new policies being introduced with this advent of page. It serves simply as a single point from which all can link and view, for ease of use.
It’s the result of a great deal of feedback, collaboration, and execution across many, and I’m very excited to share it. It is my hope that this page will help us all to better serve one another.
Thank you to the many, many people who contributed time and effort to make this happen!
The Society has received several inquiries regarding the possibility of individual Kingdoms requiring proof of vaccinations, negative COVID tests, and temperature checks of attendees at Society events. There have been comments submitted both for and in opposition to such additional requirements. The Board, President and Society Seneschal have discussed these requests and comments as well as the March 23, 2021, Board resolution taking effect on June 1, 2021, that lifts the current suspension of in-person activities in the SCA in North America. The Board Resolution established certain requirements for events and cited the necessity to follow all federal, provincial, state, and local laws effective on June 1, 2021, and past that date.
The Board, President, and Society Seneschal are agreed that Kingdoms, and all groups below Kingdom status, shall only be permitted to request proof of vaccination, a negative COVID test, or temperature checks where required by federal, provincial, state, or local laws. No variances will be granted that do not comply with this interpretation.
This position complies with the March 23, 2021, Board resolution, as well as the longstanding rules of Corpora for admission to SCA events. While we recognize the disappointment that some members of the Society may feel in this position, it is important to remember that the Society does not require proof of vaccination for any other communicable disease in order to attend events. Requiring proof of vaccination would have the practical effect of unfairly banning members and their families that are not able to be vaccinated despite their desire to do so (such as certain minors and people with allergic reactions).
Commentary on this topic can be sent via email to sca-comments@sca.org. Please use the term “Vaccination Policy” in the subject line. Do not include attachments when using this email address, as the spam filter will block messages with attachments. All commentary should be
placed in the body of the email.
In lieu of email, commentary may be sent by US Mail, Postage-Prepaid, to:
Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc.
RE: Vaccination Policy
P.O. Box 360789
Milpitas, CA 95036-0789
The SCA Board of Directors has received from the Peerage Committee a proposal for a possible new pan-activity patent order in the SCA and a framework for future orders, should the need arise. The proposal calls for recognizing those members who are already acting as peers in an endeavor but cannot be considered for elevation to one of the existing peerage orders because that endeavor or endeavors fall outside the areas considered by those orders. It also outlines how activity-specific peerages might be formed out of this shared peerage only when it is clear that the activity has achieved a level of participation and maturity within the Society to warrant its own peerage order.
Nothing in this proposal is final at this point in time.
The Board seeks commentary on this proposal. Please send your comments to sca-comments@lists.sca.org on or before June 21, 2021.
Additionally, the Board will in the coming weeks issue a poll on this proposal using its survey module at https://members.sca.org. Be watching for it on the SCA Announcements email list, at https://www.sca.org/news-events/, or on the SCA Facebook page.
Illustration of the Battle of Barnet (14 April 1471) on the Ghent manuscript. Public domain in the US
From the Pennsic Mayor:
G’Day Everyone,
When taking office in the position of Mayor for Pennsic 49 I made a promise to everyone. That promise was that above all else, I would endeavor to run a fiscally responsible and safe Pennsic 49. It was my dear friend and mentor Viscount Sir Edward that said to me “The people that attend this event are Pennsic, take care of them.” I promised him I would. Then COVID 19 hit and the entire world was plunged into a crisis, the like of which we have not witnessed in our lifetimes.
Over the past few months, I have been in constant discussions with The Pennsic Seneschals Group (PSG), The President of the SCA Inc, Coopers Lake Management and my Pennsic Senior Executive Group. In addition, I have seen the comments from many of you and listened to the comments from my Deputy Mayors and their staff.
I have kept you all updated as much as possible so that you all understand my decision-making process and so that you understand the path I am walking when I make decisions. Although change is happening and things are getting better, I must deal with the now, rather than what I think it may be like in 3 months’ time and unfortunately our vendors needs for commitment and certainty are requiring us to make commitments earlier than we originally intended.
As Mayor of Pennsic 49, I was entrusted with, the welfare and safety of the entire Pennsic Family. It is therefore with great sadness that I must inform you today that, I have decided to Postpone Pennsic 49 for another 12 months to 2022. The new dates for Pennsic 49 will be 29 July 2022 – 14 August 2022. This has been an exceedingly difficult decision to make but I trust you understand the reasoning behind it.
This postponement will be heartbreaking news to many of you and especially to the community surrounding Coopers Lake.
It has been arranged with Cooper’s Lake Management, that those who have preregistered for Pennsic 49 may have their registrations rolled over to 2022. If you desire a refund, please go to http://www.cooperslake.com and log into your pre-registration account.
Even if Pennsic 49 cannot run this July 2021, I remain optimistic that the situation will improve over the next months. I know that some of you have lost loved ones to this pandemic and my Pennsic Team and I send you our condolences and best wishes.
I am looking forward to the time when I can share some time with you all at Cooper’s Lake and Pennsic War.
From the Board of Directors and the offices of the Society Seneschal, and President.
On March 23, 2021, the Board of Directors passed the following:
Resolution to Lift Suspension of In-Person Activity in the SCA as of June 1st, 2021
I. Whereas the challenge created by the COVID-19 Global Pandemic demanded heightened safety standards which led to a suspension of in-person activity in North America by the SCA Board of Directors;
II. Whereas the crisis of the Pandemic is being addressed through a combination of social policy, as well as scientific and medical advancements;
III. Whereas the SCA Board of Directors continues to prioritize the health and well-being of the membership and participants of the SCA; and
IV. Whereas the directed suspension of in-person events in North America expires after May 31st, 2021; now, therefore, be it
V. Resolved, that the SCA Board of Directors lifts the suspension of in-person activity in North America, effective June 1, 2021, provided adherence to the items in this resolution;
VI. Resolved, that all attendees in North America must follow all province, territory, state, and local health guidelines at SCA events. In addition, at all North American SCA events:
A. Masks that fully cover the mouth and nose must be worn by all attendees over the age of 4 at all times and during all activities except for eating and drinking;
B. Court, bardic circles, or any activity that involves voice projection shall also require that masks be worn at all times. Sound amplification devices are highly recommended;
C. No day board, water-bearing, or food of any kind shall be provided by event staff or attendees to other attendees. All attendees must provide their own food and beverages;
D. While consuming food or beverages, attendees are required to remain stationary and follow social distancing rules;
E. No overnight camping shall be allowed;
F. All events shall be held outdoors;
G. There shall be a maximum of 150 people at any event; and
H. All events shall require preregistration.
VII. Resolved, that the SCA Board of Directors mandates applicable Kingdoms who have determined that it is safe to host in-person events before June 1st, 2021 or who propose any deviation from the above restrictions to request a variance from the Society Seneschal in order to hold the proposed event. The Society Seneschal shall have the authority to grant or deny these requests. These requests will be reviewed by the Board using the same review method used for variances to Corpora;
VIII. Resolved, that small local gatherings including, but not limited to: guild meetings, officer meetings, and local martial activities including archery and thrown weapons shall remain at the discretion of the Crown and Kingdom Seneschal, in accordance with province, territory, state, and local health guidelines. Virtual events as alternatives continue to be a viable option;
IX. Resolved, that enforcement of this resolution will be handled by the Society Seneschal and President of SCA Inc.; and,
X. Resolved, that the SCA Board of Directors commends the hard-working officers, royalty, membership, and participants who have allowed the SCA to continue to flourish virtually as we lift this suspension and transition forward in a manner consistent with recommended health and safety standards.
The President and the Society Seneschal have been given the responsibility of implementing the resumption of events within the rules above and adjusting the strictures as needed with Board approval.
As per item (H) in the Resolution, SCA, Inc. has available the Event Module for the mandatory pre-registration process. All kingdoms are encouraged to utilize this tool. More information will be forthcoming from the SCA Accounting Specialist, Mazelle Attiya. If you would like to contact her about this available option, she can be reached at mazelle@sca.org.
This is our first step toward the resumption of SCA events. Working with the corporate officers and with input from the various kingdoms, we will continue to assess the pandemic environment and make changes going forward as needed, either to add further restrictions or relax existing ones as the situation allows.
No matter what safety precautions we put in place, there is no substitute for each individual being educated about the risk to themselves and their loved ones, and making responsible choices to protect themselves and others from this virus.
We look forward to seeing many of you, in person and in garb, as we prepare to begin in-person events again.
Bookcases in the library of the University of Leiden, 1610
Greetings Good Gentles!
We are proud to announce that the Known World Sciences Symposium which had been previously planned for June 25 – 27, 2021 has now been merged with the University
of Atlantia Symposium on June 12, 2021 which will be held as an online event.
At the March 2nd, 2021 conference call, the Board approved changes to Corpora, located within the Governing Documents of the SCA. This latest update includes the recently revised Introduction (commentary having occurred mid-late 2020). The intent of this revision was to better capture the spirit of inclusivity already embedded in our daily SCA lives, as well as to better reflect the ideals of the updated Mission Statement from 2017. Thank you all for your perspectives and input, which were invaluable in producing this final draft.
As a note, I currently intend to propose another minor redline for Corpora that will standardize some of the pronoun usage that has already begun to shift. As changes generally go out for commentary, the update process can feel a bit slow, but please know that we all are constantly working to ensure our governing documents reflect who we are and who we want to be.
This announcement is an official informational release by the Society for Creative Anachronism , Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce this announcement in its entirety in newsletters, websites and electronic mailing lists.
The Reopening Resolution approved by the SCA Board of Directors at their May 25, 2021 conference call meeting required preregistration for all SCA functions. As attendance caps will no longer be required, and the need to collect attendee information for contact tracing, while still present, is reduced, the Society Seneschal in cooperation with the President has issued an implementation variance to the May 25 Resolution regarding preregistration. The goal is to allow for the efficient operation of Society events while still preserving the ability to provide attendee information to government or health authorities if requested.
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