There are broadly two types of events/activities in the SCA: garbed events and non-garbed events. at a garbed event you must wear an attempt at clothing from pre-1600 (see the Clothing Section on the Newcomers page). At a non-garbed event/activity you wear clothing appropriate to that event/activity. Guidance for All Events You will be asked to sign in to the event. There is usually some sheets of paper somewhere near the front door. Your membership status determines which sheet you will fill in and sign – ask for help if you’re not sure You will generally need to pay either a set fee to cover the cost of the event, or will be asked to make a donation to cover costs of hall hire If you are not a registered member of the Society then you will be asked to pay $10 for an event-specific insurance charge. Note, this includes a payment per weekly practice. (if you are likely to attend more than 6 events/activities in a year then it’s worth becoming a member of the Society. Visit Lochac Member Services to register.) Events are advertised on our email list , via our facebook group , and on this website. You are strongly encouraged to book for events where a price to attend is listed. This is because these events are catered and bookings help to ensure enough food for all. Guidance for Garbed Events Most of our garbed events are catered by members of the Society. You will most likely see the Baron and Baroness of Rowany at these events, you will possibly also see the King and Queen of Lochac. Ask to have these people pointed out to you, and it is polite to bow/courtesy if they walk past or if you walk up to them. If you do not have anything to wear to an event then contact the Hospitallers who have spare clothing available to borrow. At a Feast you will generally be served a 3 course meal in a medieval style. Each course is referred to as a “remove”, as this is the term used in England in the Middle Ages. There is no set seating at an event, with the except of the “High Table”. This is generally a table set at an angle to all other tables in the room, is often more highly decorated, and will have chairs on only one side of the table. It is polite to slightly bow or to courtesy to the centre of this table as you pass by, as this is where the King and Queen and Baron and Baroness will sit. It is especially polite if they are actually sitting there.Groups of friends often try to sit together and events and so will save seats for the people they know are attending. If you are having trouble finding a seat with people that you know ask someone for help. The starting time for the event is often 30 mins or more before food is served. This allows people time to get changed and to settle in. There will likely be a Court, a formal occasion to make announcements and to give awards to people who have contributed to the SCA in some way. You will be alerted to the Court with the words “Pray gather for the Court of Their Majesties/Excellencies” (depending who is attending the event). You should walk over to the place where the thrones have been set up and stay standing until you are invited to “Make yourself comfortable”. You can choose to sit on the floor, to sit on a chair or to keep standing. Please be aware of not obstructing the view of anyone behind you. If you do not wish to attend the court (e.g. you’re having a lovely conversation), then it is polite to quietly leave the hall when Court is announced.The thrones may be set up before the event commences, if so, as per High Table, it is polite to bow or courtesy to them as they represent the Crown of Lochac. You will need to bring your own plates, cups and cutlery, commonly referred to as “Feasting Gear”. We recommend bringing: a plate and/or bowl, knife, spoon, fork (although not strictly period in a European context until late 1500s), a cup or mug to drink from. Make sure these items are not made of modern materials such as plastic. Anything made of wood, metal, ceramic/pottery or horn is fine. You may also wish to bring a napkin or white tea towel to clean your hands on during the meal. Try to keep modern items out of sight. You can place your bags against a wall out of people’s way, or under the table. You can poor drinks from modern bottles into your cup or into a jug. You will need to bring your own drinks. Water, and sometimes cordial, will be placed on each table. Anything else Feasts generally finish around 10.45-11pm when the lights are turned on. Once this happens you aer expected to clear your belongings off the table and prepare to leave. If you can stay around and help clean up the hall, reset the tables and chairs and bump all the stuff out then this is always appreciated as the people running the event have probably been on their feet all day. Tourneys (tournaments) In general Tourneys in Rowany are not catered. This means you should bring any food you wish to eat.

As per feasts, try to keep modern items out of sight. They can be placed to the side, or covered with a cloth, or put into a basket or wooden box. There will be a roped off section in the middle. This is the Tourney Field and it is where authorised fighters participate in the tourney. Do not enter this space while there is fighting going on or about to commence, and do not sit too close to its edge. There will be thrones set up for the Baron and Baroness and King and Queen (if they are attending). Please do not obstruct their view, and it is polite to try to avoid walking in front of these chairs if possible, or if not, then to bow/curtesy as you walk past. Bring something to sit on: chairs or a picnic rug. Consider how you will prevent sunburn. Wear sunscreen and a hat (straw is good). You might also want to consider bringing some shade. Modern shade canopies which don’t look too modern in shape (think square pavilion type shapes rather than sweeping curves) are OK as we’d rather you didn’t get sunburnt. You can also ask to share a shade pavilion that has already been set-up, some people will say yes, and some will say no as they have already set it up for their friends or other fighters during breaks. Wars & Multiple Day Events The Barony hosts two multiple day events each year: Rowany Festival (Easter Long Weekend) and Cold War (Late in August). Rowany Festival has its own site , have a read of that to see what to bring and what to expect. If you have any questions or concerns ask someone (in person or via one of our contact methods) Cold War is a fully catered event that starts on Friday evening and goes through to Sunday afternoon. You can stay in dorms or you can camp. It combines both Tourney-type aspects and Feast-type aspects. Instead of a tourney field, there is a war field and non-combatants are expected to remain a same distance away as we use arrows (blunts). Look around you for other spectators to get a sense of where to stand if you are not fighting. If you are staying in a dorm then you will need to bring bedding. If you are camping you will need to bring everything you require to camp for two nights. Sometimes we hold hunts and games days which are similar to Tourneys. Sometimes we hold Balls which are similar to feasts, except there are no tables and food is generally served buffet style in one or two servings, or as it is prepared. Non-Garbed events/activities Weekly Fighter Practice and A&S Gathering This is the time to learn how to fight, or to learn the skills and crafts we practice in the SCA. They are open sessions and are a good place to meet the Barony and find out what we do and how we do it. Please ask who you should talk to and we will helpfully guide you to someone who can introduce you to the Society and the Barony Sometimes there are structured classes being run. These are often advertised on Facebook or the email list. There is no extra charge to participate in these classes, sometimes you may be asked to help the instructor cover the costs of materials they provide. Monthly A&S activity day at Dence Park in Epping This is a full day of arts and sciences and incorporates formal workshops and open project sessions. A timetable is usually advertised up to a week before the event. You are invited to contribute to a pot luck lunch by bringing a plate of food to share. You will also need to bring your own plate, cutlery and cups to eat off. Fortnightly A&S at Herb Greedy Hall in Marrickville This is a relaxed day to work on your own projects, or take part in organised classes or activities. Check out the Barony of Rowany Facebook page, or subscribe to our Rowany email list to find out what’s coming up.