 I imagine that my first interest in the Middle Ages came at about the same time that the SCA started in far off California. I believe I was in Grade 2 in Lakeview Elementary School in Calgary, Alberta. That would have been the 1965-1966 School Year. We were called in to an Assembly in the Gymnasium and one of the older grades put on a recreation of a Medieval Feast with a banquet table set down the centre of the Gym. I don't remember much other than the paper mache boars head on a platter being served and everyone in some sort of medieval/King Arthur costume. I think there was a fool and that there might have been minstrels and dancers. Perhaps they were the incredibly sophisticated Grade 5 or 6 students?
This impressed me much more than the productions of "Robin Hood", "William Tell", "Ivanhoe", "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", or "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court". For some reason these shows on TV actually turned me off of the Middle Ages.
I was more interested when we studied the Middle ages in either 5th Grade or 6th.
In Grade 6 a friend got me interested in Heraldry when he showed me a coat of arms that he said his Father might actually have been eligible for. This started my long time interest in Heraldry.
In 1975 I was introduced to Dungeons and Dragons and this rekindled my interest in Knights, Armour and all that. In 1976 a group of friends formed a Medieval Society based out of the University of Calgary and SAIT. We hadn't heard of the SCA yet! One other notable from that group was a young Cliff Frick, now better known as Duke Darius.
I left Calgary for Vancouver in 1977. I started at UBC that Fall and was able to continue with D&D and other games through the UBC War gaming Club. We shared a common room with a group which included a number of War gamers and others who were a part of the UBC Medieval Society. I was intrigued, but hesitant since their numbers seemed so small. Little did I know at the time that they were a part of the SCA, in the Barony of Lions Gate, in the Principality of An Tir, in the Kingdom of the West. 
I switched to SFU in the Fall of 1978 and their at "Club Day" was introduced through Merewyn the Meek to "The Mountain of Many Names", the Medieval Society there. It was a branch which did play SCA! That September began my actual association with the SCA in Lions Gate. 
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AS
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Event
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Date
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I
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AS I Start of SCA
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1966-May
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IX
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First Lions Gate Event First event in area to become Northern Crown Principality in An Tir
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1975-Jan
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First Year of University at University of Calgary
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1976-Sept
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XII
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Second Year of University at UBC
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1977-Sept
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XIII
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Joined SCA Third Year of University at SFU
Secretary for Mountain of Many Names branch of SCA.
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1978-Sept
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XIV
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Keeper of the Calendar for Lions Gate
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1979-Fall
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XV
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Montengarde War (First Clinton War)
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1980-Aug
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XVI
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Wade's Arms and Name Registered via West Kingdom
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1981-July
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XVI
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First An Tir Crown Tourney
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1981-Sept
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XVII
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Wade granted Award of Arms
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1982-Sept
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XXIII
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10 years in the SCA
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1988-Sept
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XXVII
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AoA 10 years
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1992-Sept
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XXXI
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Events Editor for Northern Sentinel
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1996-Aug
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XXXIII
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Became Northern Regional Chronicler
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1998-Aug
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XXXIII
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20 years in the SCA
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1998-Sept
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XXV
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Left office of Regional Chronicler after health difficulties.
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2000-April
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XXVI
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Northern Crown Principality Formed
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2001-Aug
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XXVI
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20th anniversary of device passing
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2001-Sept
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XXXVII
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Baronial Transition: Gerhard and Amanda turn over Baronial office to Devin and Aurora.
24 years in the SCA, AoA 20 years
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2002-Sept
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| XXXVIII |
25 years in the SCA |
2003-Sept |
| XXXVIII |
Pursuivant at Large for An Tir College of Heralds |
2003-Autumn |
| XXXVIII |
Baron Sir Gerhard Kendal of Westmoreland Dies |
2003-Dec 16 |
| XXXIX |
Awarded membership in Order of the Lions Claw at May Bardic |
2004-May 1 |
| XXXIX |
Worked on Discovery Channel episode of "Ancient Clues". |
2004- Nov - Dec 12 |
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My Award of Arms Promissory Scroll. For a very short time I was known as Wade the Wanderer. Guess what ended up on my promissory.
Branch and Household Affiliations:
Since my hooking up with the SCA I have been linked to a few groups.
College of The Mountain of Many Names
To start off with I met up with "The Mountain of Many Names" which was the Medieval Club at Simon Fraser University (SFU). It was a moderately small group with connections to The Barony of Lions Gate which represented the SCA in the Vancouver, BC area. I became a member of both "The Mountain" and "Lions Gate". In actuality The Mountain of Many Names never was officially a College in the SCA. Back when it was active the designation was not as popular as it is now, but I am confident if we were playing there in this time it would have been registered as a college.
Members included: Viscount Sir Edward Zyphron Bastard of Gendy, Lady Merewyn the Meek, Bjorn of Havok, Bolverk of Momchilovich (now Sir Bolverk), Lady Elvina Effynewoode, Lord Gaylen the Smiling (now Viscount Sir Gaylen), and a number of others both famous and infamous. 
Barony of Lions Gate
I was and still am a Member of the Barony of Lions Gate. Lions Gate was when I started, the only group in the Vancouver area, other than the clubs at SFU and at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
The Principality of An Tir
When I started, An Tir was still only a Principality in The Kingdom of the West. It covers Western Canada and North Western USA.
The Kingdom of the West
An Tir was a Principality in The West when I joined. The West Kingdom covered most of the west of North America at the time and was where the SCA started.
The Kingdom of An Tir
Now An Tir is a Kingdom in its own right. It consists of The Yukon and North West Territories; The Provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan; and the States of Washington, Oregon, and Northern Idaho.
The Northern Region
At one time An Tir was divided into Regions which perhaps might become principalities when the time was right, Avacal (Saskatchewan, Alberta, and parts of Northern and Eastern BC), and Summits (Southern Oregon) have already become Principalities of the Kingdom of An Tir. The Northern Region (Most of BC including Insula Magna (Vancouver Island) and parts of Northern Washington) is well on it's way to becoming a Pricipality. I am proud to have been Chronicler and Deputy Chronicler for the region.
The Principality of Tir Righ
Now proudly known as Tir Righ the area once known as The Northern Region isn now a fully fledge Principality! LOL That means I've have been subject of two Kingdoms and two Principalites without having left the Barony of Lions Gate!
House Merac
I found myself more and more often assoicating and travelling with Gaylen the Smiling and Elvina Effynewood to events, practices and meetings. We decided to officially form a household in Lions Gate with the addition of Elvina's younger sister, Sukki. This happened, I believe in Fall of AS XIII (1978). For a while Paula of the Wood was also a member. The household faded into history having produced in the least, a Knight, and a Pelican.
Members included: Lady Elvina Effynewoode (now Member of the Order of the Pelican and perhaps Laurel?), Lord Gaylen the Smiling (now Viscount Sir Gaylen), Minimoto Sukki (not sure of the name), and Paula of the Woods.
House Solriech
Not long after Merac faded from view I was active with a number of members of the then starting Shire of Eisenmarche and the Barony of Lions Gate. We realized a need for a household of service locally aiming in particular to bring in new members and make them welcome. House Solriech was formed. (Our founding Meeting was held in the light of a Lunar Eclipse. I guess I could use that to figure out the exact date and time. Lunar Eclipse, visible in Vancouver in the evening of an early fall night somewhere around 1980.)
We did alot. We provided a place of shelter, (Court at the first Clinton War was held under our huge blue sunshade.) emergancy camping gear (for sale and loan), education (I believe we were instrumental in Lions Gate's first Newcomers event), and bodies and skills for demos. We also ran a majour demo booth at the Pacific National Exibit for three or four years.
After a time members went their seperate ways and we ceased to ba active. (I for one went back to school to take Electronic Engineering, Automation and Robototics)
Members included: Lord Daffyd ap Moran, Lady Judaine, Lady Merewyn the Meek, Lady Deborah (my sister), Bishop Nial Killkerny, Lady Elspeth, Lord Malcom of Hyberina, Lord Michael, and others.
Clan McAndrew
After a number of years as a hanger on with Clan McAndrew members I was invited to become a member of the Clan. Lady Tegan McAndrew and Lord William McAndrew were the leaders of that household. Members of Clan McAndrew have held many offices in Lions Gate, and are very skilled in a number of Arts and Sciences in addtion to providing service to the Barony, Region, and Kingdom. It was customary for members of the Clan to add to their Medieval name a name to associate them with the Clan. Many took on McAndrew as a part of their name. Following the pattern of Vladimir Androvich, I created a more Norse version of the name and added "Anderson" to Wade of Many Places.
I'm not 100% sure of the Status of Clan McAndrew as the heads of the household Tegan and William moved out of the area and the household is no longer actively doing things. I'm still in touch with a number of the clan members and what consensus I have found is that the household is no longer active.
<Update AS XXXIX> Clan McAndrew is becoming active again. There've been some changes, some old faces gone, some new faces emerging. Who knows what the future will bring, but I am sure that Clan McAndrew will still be of service to Lions Gate, to Tir Righ, and to An Tir. (And also to Avacal as two of our number are active in the Shire of Cold Keep in the Principality of Avacal.)
Members of Clan McAndrew include: William McAndrew, Tegan McAndrew, and their two boys; Nathanial McAndrew; Vladimir Androvich; Tenna McAndrew (Ariel of Many Places, my SCA adopted daughter); Lady Cerridwen and a few I'm quite embarrased to say I've forgotten their SCA names and recall their Mundane names.
Heraldry
  I began with an interest in almost everything. I dove into heraldry and designed my current Arms. It was actually a modification of my second attempt to design one. My first before knowing much about Heraldry had a black chief bordered in Silver with The Sun and Moon in its centre and the visible planets represented on either side by appropriately hued disks. (Red for Mars, White for Venus, a ringed disk for Saturn, a larger disk for Jupiter, a smaller one for Mercury.) The larger part of the shield was divided diagonally (by a bend sinister in silver) into an upper green section and a lower blue one. I think I might have had a bear on the green and a dolphin on the blue. I did have my mind set on a field divided into three parts with one green, another blue and a third black, symbolizing the land, the sea, and the night sky. In Fox-Davies "Art of Heraldry" I found a field divided into three which was said in the book to be perfectly allowable, but to the author's knowledge never used. Not having heard of Tierced or per pall, or any other division of the field into three I adopted this unique design to be my own.
 Of course at the time I felt I should have a charge on each division of my shield. I loved Dolphins so the choice for the blue half of the shield was obvious. Also to my mind it was appropriate that the blue be on the half of the shield rather than one of the quarters. The top one was of course for the black, leaving the dexter triangular chunk for green. For the the black and green areas I finally came up with a Bear for the green and an Owl for the black. A good friend mentioned that with the three charges, Bear, Owl, and Dolphin, the device looked a bit busy and they suggested selecting just one of them. I thought for a while, then putting together a long term interest in Dolphins and Whales as well as being interested in a Norse Sea Faring persona decided on putting a silver dolphin overall. Being conservative and wanting to play the game, I found that there was a "heraldic" version of the dolphin. And that was that. I have used the heraldic design as my badge as my SCA Device and personal Badge ever since. It passed through the hands of the Heraldic College and was finally, to my delight, passed. I was one of the few people I knew who started when I did with a registered device and I was rather proud that my very first submission made it.
I was first formally taught Heraldry by Viscount Scelanous of Skye at Ithra. I kept at it learning more and helping people design devices, but not actually being in the process of submitting them. I helped the one time Sable Loat Pursuivant of Lions Gate, William McAndrew as a deputy for a while culminating in being Lions Gate Herald at a Sergeants', Gallants', and Yeomen's tourney.
During my time as Editor of the Northern Sentinel I also created a web site about the Northern Region. In the process I worked to keep my own Armorial of the Branches of the Northern Region. I mostly created my own versions of the the arms and am gratified when I find a copy of one I created elsewhere on the web.
I've written an article on brainstorming ideas for personal devices and am in the process of writing a number of Heraldry articles, which might just end up becoming an instructional book on SCA Heraldry.
Rather than simply dabble in many aspects of the SCA, I am now concentrating on Heraldry. I am enjoying it. I'd like to do some instructional work and consulting in future. I wouldn't mind doing some of the scutt work, getting paper work done and perhaps maintaining a web site or helping with a newsletter. I think I'd enjoy mentoring a new herald.
AS XXXVIII - XXXIX update
I have been focusing more on heraldry and begun actively working with people on their names and devices for registration frequently setting up consulting tables at local Lions Gate events. I have also been an active participant on the An Tir Heralds' list and contributer to the monthly Lions Blood meetings. I am now considered to be a Pursuivant at Large in the An Tir College of Heralds.
I've still been working on some heraldry writing projects.
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Dabbling in the SCA
Things I've dabbled with in the SCA:
Area
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past level of activity
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current status
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future and notes
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| Heavy Fighting |
Began fighting in wars and tourney |
Inactive for health reasons |
I hope to bet active again some day, at least for Pas d' Arms, Demos and Wars |
| Marshalling |
Junior Heavy Field Marshal
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Inactive for health reasons
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Unsure
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| Knife Throwing and Axe Throwing |
Taught knife throwing, facilitated by bringing equipment to events
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Inactive
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Perhaps will do more in the future. |
| Book Heraldry |
Deputy to Sable Loat Pursuivant
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Pursuivant at Large |
Writing, continuing consulting work with clients |
| Court Voice Heraldry |
Heralded a few events
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Helping with heralding at events |
Helping budding new voice heralds and perhaps with court heraldry
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| Tournament Voice Heraldry |
Some Heralding at Tournaments
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Inactive
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Helping budding new voice heralds
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| Archery |
Target Archery for fun
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Inactive
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Hope to once more get into archery, perhaps try fighting in wars as a light
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| Cooking |
Kitchen help at Baronial Banquet and Scullery, did some cooking
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Inactive
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Who knows?
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| Embroidery |
Researched, created pattern, and embroidered costume trim
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Applique on personal banner
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Who knows?
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| Needlepoint |
Researched, created patterns, and did cross stitched personal banner and wall hangings.
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Waiting for the muse to strike again
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Who knows?
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| Leather carving and dyeing |
Created some sewn leather projects, helped teach basic leather carving
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Looking to buy some basic carving tools.
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Will probably pick it up again as resources allow.
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| Constabling |
Constable duty at a number of events
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Occasionally helping at gate
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Probably will help more as energy allows
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| Caligraphy |
Learned enough to write legibly
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Write occasional entries on cards
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Who knows?
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Runes
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Learned Runes
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Occasionally dabble
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Want to memorize basic runic alphabets
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| Chronicling |
Chronicler for Northern Region
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Inactive
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Want to Contribute more to newsletters in future
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| Newsletter editor |
Editor and Events Editor for Northern Sentinel
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Inacitve
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Want to Contribute more in future
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| Website design and maintenance |
Created and maintained a Web Page of invormation about the Northern Region
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Revamping and recreating personal web sites on Society topics amoung others
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Would enjoy working to create and maintain official and unofficial web sites in SCA
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| Dance |
Active in Dance for fun and at Demos, paid and unpaid
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Inactive
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Will dance more as energy and resources allow
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| Demos |
Autocrat for PNE Demo, Active in School and Other Demos
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Inactive
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Who knows?
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| Instruction |
Helped teach armouring courses at demos, Helped teach courses at Ithras
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Writing instructional articles
Helping instruct basic heraldry
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Would like to teach Ithra courses
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| Sewing |
Created and constructed SCA garb and other projects
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Working on more garb and banner
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I hope to make a pavilion and of course work on more garb. I'd like to try my hand at different styles of costume and costuming for others including constructing corsets and hoop skirts
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| Armouring |
Helped manufacture helmets and other metal armour bits
Taught course at demo on chainmail
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Occaisionally passing on ideas from past experiences to inspire new fighters and those arming new fighters on a shoe string budget. |
Would like to do more armouring including a suit of chain.
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Metal Working
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Armouring, throwing knives, knives, tentpegs
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Inactive
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Would like to make an axe, a sword, and perhaps some more throwing knives
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Woodworking
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Wood Carving, tourney chest, tent bits
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Inactive
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Would like to work on a norse style campsite
Interested in a number of projects that involve wood work, though only in planning stages.
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| Film & TV |
Worked as extra on music video. |
Found cast of extras for Discovery Channel episode of "Ancient Clues" & worked as extra on show. |
I'd like to do more work as an extra. I also plan to put together a database of people who'd be interested in doing such extra work to facilitate future projects. |
| Nalbinding |
Discovered that likely some knitting examples of sited in the past were nalbinding instead. |
Looking into how to do this single needle knitting/ crochetting like activity. |
Would like to make socks and a few other projects. |
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Wade, Darrell's Alter Ego in the SCA.