by Paul Wickenden of Thanet, published in the June 2008 Skein
There are at least two ways to approach history: by looking at important events (wars, leadership successions, births and deaths, etc.) or by trying to uncover the more mundane day-to-day activities of the people who lived in those days. The SCA, while paying some attention to the former, dedicates itself to the latter, seeking the less-told stories of the common past. It is thus a bit ironic that attempts to write the history of the SCA itself are overwhelmingly focused on the important events (who was crowned, elevated, won the tourney, etc.). It begs the question: how much will you learn of the Barony’s history by a recounting of who got what award at what event? Or who won crown tourney that Spring? If a group of 14th century gentles wanted to form a Society for Creative Prochronism (Motto: “the future not as it will be but as it should be”), would it be the Crown Tourneys and Coronations they would reenact? Probably not. I would wager it would be social practice!
Social Practice (or “drinking practice,” as it is sometimes known) is held on Wednesday nights at a local establishment that offers both food and drink late into the night. Many of the attendees come after their activities at the Stock Pavilion are completed for the night, but others involved in non-martial interest groups also attend for the purposes of mingling and socializing. In addition to its social and gustatory aspects, social practice also often includes a variety of craft activities and opportunities for discussing issues related to local activities, events past and present, and even modern topics of importance. However, unlike most of the guilds and activities in the Barony, there is no explicit purpose to Social Practice other than to enjoy the company of the other attendees.
Social practice has formed an integral part of the fabric of the Barony for nearly three decades, but is strangely undocumented. The first official announcement of its meeting place and time did not even appear until the March 2002 Skein (and then, mostly because we were in our awkward phase where we were exiled from the Stock Pavilion). Yet, the minutes of General Meeting make frequent reference to it throughout the 1980s, so it was no secret.
What do we know about the origins of social practice? It is very likely that SCAdians have long gathered for post-practice imbibing within Jararvellir. In fact, since the SCA began as a party, it would be very difficult to separate the two activities. But the most concrete information we have is that social practice (as a weekly post-Wednesday-night-fighter-practice happening) probably started around 1980. Shava recalls that “I was one of a few people, including Giles, who thought it odd to just go to Fighting Practice and then go home without being social. Obviously we needed practice being social, so it started up.”
From the start, it was a challenge to find suitable accommodations. The first place that folks tried (McNamara’s) closed within a month so the gathering had to be relocated down the street to Clancy’s (located on King and Mifflin). As the gathering was mostly centered around drinking (our younger members may need to be reminded that in those days the legal age was still 18!), it was also called “drinking practice” in jest.
For reasons diverse and political (and which we will skip over), a second faction formed in those days that chose to meet at Ella’s Deli (at the nowdefunct State Street location). As Ella’s did not provide alcohol, the second group became known as “ice cream practice,” although collectively, both extracurricular gatherings were known as “social practice.” A small number of folks (like Giles and Shava) attended both groups, but for the most part, people kept to their own.
The ice cream practice group eventually died down, Clancy’s closed, and (after a number of other drinking practice sites were attempted) the gathering consolidated to the Brat und Brau on Regent (currently, the location of Lucky’s Bar and Grill), where it stayed for some time. It also happily provided a site where 18-21 year-olds could go, as the liquor laws of the modern world were in flux. As a result, Brat und Brau served as a catalyst to unite the two factions, as Josceline notes, “It was classified as a restaurant, although it had a full bar, so it wasn’t limited to folks 21 and over. It also had ice cream, so gradually the ice cream practice group started going there as well. We still called it ‘drinking practice’ for a number of years. The Brat und Brau probably had the highest regular attendance of any Wednesday night social practice we ever had. That was a period of great interaction between different interest groups in the Barony, which helped foster political harmony and baronial pride.”
After the Brat und Brau closed in the mid 90s, the gatherings wandered from one location to another, never quite able to find a suitable location. The Come Back In was too noisy, Bullfeather’s didn’t work out, and The Living Room began closing their kitchen too early. A relatively long-ish tenure at La Hacienda provided a private dining room and good food (including a social practice favorite queso fundido con chorizo, also known as “heart attack in a bowl”), but the private room (located in the basement) was musty and people with mold allergies complained. Others said that they were tired of Mexican food.
In the Fall of 2001, the Barony lost use of the Stock Pavilion for Wednesday night practices and as fighter practice moved from one site to another, so did social practice. When fighter practice was held at Turner Hall on South Stoughton Road, social practice was at the Country Kitchen on Milwaukee St. When fighting practice was held at an old hangar at Morey Airport, social practice started out at Claddagh in Greenway Station. Claddagh had ambience (“a cool turret room with a big round table that they let us use” recalls Josceline) but was expensive. The gathering moved to Perkins on University, but the lack of alcohol made that an unpopular choice. So, the group moved down a block to Irish Waters on Whitney Way, where it stayed until Irish Waters went out of business in 2005. While Irish Waters was popular, it presented its own challenges, as Josceline recalls, “After the smoking ban took effect in Madison in July of 2005, Irish Waters scaled back their operating hours and began closing their kitchen at 10 pm rather than 11:00. We still made it work. I used to take food orders from the fighters and fencers who planned to arrive later and send those orders to the kitchen just before 10, so the food was ready when people arrived.”
In the aftermath, social practice has again wandered from one location to another. The basic issue with finding an ideal location has been roughly the same from its beginnings: finding a place where people can get both food and drink; where underage attendees are welcome; where the kitchen (and the establishment) stays open late enough that folks can get served after 10pm on a Wednesday; where the noise level is manageable, but conversations across the table will not be frowned upon; and where folks can gather affordably and conveniently to unwind.
[Credits: My thanks to Mistress Elashava, Mistress Josceline Levesque, and Mistress Eithni for their assistance in my research.]