Arts & Sciences

The Arts & Sciences area is the branch which Aranwen has selected to follow. Therefore I can tell you a great deal about this particular area within the SCA. Even folks who do not choose to actively follow this path as an Order they pursue in their game might find themselves taking part in any number of activities within this branch at some point during their time with the SCA, as there is a wide multitude of arts and sciences you can participate in. You don't have to be a member of a guild or even be associated with any particular order to dive right in, so don't feel shy! Find something you like, and just do it! :)

The Office of the Arts & Sciences is very important to the society because the society itself is a Non-profit organization. And the process of continual learning and instructing is what keeps us able to maintain our status as a 501(3)(c) nonprofit group. So in order to remain tax-free, it is important that we not only strive to learn and re-educate, but also to report all such activity.

When members at the local level report A&S activity to their local officer about classes taken, etc., this information is tallied and reported up to Kingdom, and ultimately this information makes its way up to Society by way of the Kingdom officer. Without this information making its way up, Society will not be able to show records of such activity.

Demos are also an educational opportunity. These give us the chance to share knowledge with the outside world. At demos, we are not only reaching out to potential new members to share information about our passions and interests, but we are also sharing education about the history of the Medieval era with the public. If you’ve ever felt disheartened after a demo that did not result in any new members, remember that even still, simply by participating, you’re doing a part of helping to keep “The Dream” alive.

Attend or Teach Classes

Whenever someone is teaching, you can attend classes. These are found at events and meetings mainly, but can be anytime that SCA members get together.

Or, perhaps you enjoy teaching classes? Anything that you teach can be taught for the purpose of A&S education. They do not have to be "RUM accredited" in any way. You can have handouts, or not. You can teach whatever you have learned, and share that knowledge with others! This is one part of what we do in the SCA.

Projects

One way you might enjoy participating in the realm of A&S is to do projects on topics of interest. This can be as simple as something you're making for yourself, or are studying, or are making as a gift or for largess, or took a class on and found interesting, and tried at home. As you see, the term project is used loosely here; it may not be a big project, or one that takes very long at all. Any project you do should be written down in the A&S report book brought to meetings by the A&S officer. Not that someone's keeping tabs on you, but reporting the things we've collectively learned are reported in to the Kingdom from our group to reflect our activity level in this area. It means you're learning about the past, and helping to perpetuate the knowledge of our society!

(Note, some groups may not have an A&S officer, but as a Barony we do.)

Enter A&S Projects in Faires

For those who are interested in honing in on a particular topic and researching it in length and detail to discover the truths from that topic's medieval past, A&S Faires may be just your thing! Please don't think of these as competition. You're in no competition against anyone but yourself.

You can create a project and documentation which is appropriate for the Faire you're attending, and send it in. You'll receive critique and feedback to help you understand what else you can do with your project to make it more period, etc. Some Faires require more of a research paper than others. You can choose the "competition" type that suites you best.

There are so many different projects that you might enter as a faire project. You can check out the categories available for entries right here: http://artsandsciences.meridies.org/entering.php

Some Faire entries can include live performing arts, for example, such as a demonstration of combat maneuvers or a singing performance.

R.U.M.

If you find that you enjoy classes, Meridies even offers a R.U.M. "School" where you can "Graduate" from one of the Colleges of study! http://www.royalu.meridies.org/

All the classes you take will count as "RUM" credit if you turn in your list (to your local group's Provost, or A&S officer if you don't have a Provost, or directly to the RUM Registrar if you don't have either!). All classes count for credit, even though not all classes go towards a particular degree. So if you're pursuing a particular degree, look for the classes which are required for that degree. It's just a fun way to progress your knowledge, and show what you've learned. If you take classes, always let your Arts & Sciences leader know what they are.

You can follow a RUM degree path. Or you can just take classes at your leisure and check the list periodically to see where they fall. Whether you follow this path of study loosely or focused on one of its divisions, a RUM degree is just a fun thing to show your accomplishment in your studies of the Arts and Sciences path. It might also help you follow a focused path of classes.

I want to be more involved with A&S!

As you learn and do things, you should encounter some Laurels who can help to guide you.

Laurels wear the wreath of laurel leaves as a symbol, and their apprentices wear green belts.

Green belts are not reserved, but it is respectful to the order to avoid wearing them unless you are a part of this order.

These are artisans who enjoy the studies of Arts & Sciences. This is important because the SCA is a non-profit organization, powered by the learning and sharing of information and knowledge, and through A&S is how this is brought about.

Here are also some related links.

Arts & Science of the "Current" Middle Ages -- http://www.facebook.com/groups/168327075389/

Apprentice's Alley - an SCA society-wide group for those already apprenticed to join for discussion https://www.facebook.com/groups/400490650014854/

Meridies Apprentices https://www.facebook.com/groups/530124543671084/

A group which Laurels, apprentices, and those who are not belted but are artisans http://www.facebook.com/groups/314196732021880/