Groups

This article describes the group organization within the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA).

Other recreation groups have different divisions.

If you are looking for a list of different recreationist/re-enactment groups including the SCA go here.

The Laurel Kingdoms

Oddly enough (or not), the SCA consists of several different modern corporations including:

• SCA, Inc. in the USA which also covers most of the rest of the world. It "owns" the SCA.
• SCA Australia, Inc. for (obviously enough) Australia
• SCA NZ, Inc. for New Zealand
• SKA for Finland.
• SCA UK for Ireland and the UK

Each has their own Board of Directors and associated officers and sets the laws for the Society.

Regional Groups

Kingdoms

The Kingdom is the largest group within the SCA. To become a Kingdom a group must have a history of high level activity, at least 400 subscribing members and sufficient representatives from all three peerages. It is ruled by a King and a Queen. All SCA local groups are part of one Kingdom or another.

Principalities

A Principality is a subgroup of a Kingdom. It must have at least 100 subscribing members. It is ruled by a Prince and Princess, and is subject to Kingdom law. Kingdoms do not necessarily have Principalities. Local groups within the geographic scope of a principality are subject to both it and the ruling Kingdom.

Crown Principalities

A group which wishes to become a Principality but does not yet meet one or more of the criteria, may become a Crown Principality. Like a region (see below), it has no definition within Corpora.

Regions

A Region is an administrative unit within a Kingdom or Principality. It has no definition within Corpora, although it is almost certainly defined in Kingdom Law, and usually exists in order to enable officers to establish regional deputies in order to improve the management of the larger group.

Local Groups

There are a number of different groups all of which are "freestanding" at the local level.

Baronies

A Barony is a group with at least 25 subscribing members. It is ruled by a Baron and a Baroness, and is subject to a Kingdom, as well as to a Principality if it lies within one. The Crown Province of Ostgardr is a grandfathered group which functions as a Barony, rather than a Province (see below).

Cantons

A Canton is a subgroup of a Barony with at least five subscribing members.

Provinces

A Province is a group with at least 25 subscribing members. It is subject to a Kingdom, as well as to a Principality if it lies within one. It has no royal representative in power, unlike a Barony.

Riding

A Riding is a subgroup of a Province with at least five subscribing members.

Shires

A Shire is a group with at least five subscribing members which reports directly to a Kingdom or Principality. Shires are permitted to have institutional sub-groups, but not territorial sub-groups.

Institutional Groups

Institutional groups are based around membership in an institution rather than on geographical considerations. It is expected that their membership will fluctuate and, rather than being dissolved, they go dormant if they fall below minimums. They may report directly to Kingdom, but if they are located within the bounds of a territorial group, they report through that group.

Colleges

A college is a group based around an educational institution, usually a University. It must have at least five subscribing members.

Ports and Strongholds

A Stronghold is a group organized around a military base. If the group is an "institutional branch based at a military installation in situations where groups of members will be detached for long periods, as with ships at sea" (typically this is a naval base or a specific ship), then the term port is preferred. It must have at least five subscribing members.