What is the difference between the SCA and the ECS?

Question

I'm interested in joining some kind of Renaissance living history and I've been doing some checking. I've been in these sorts of organizations before, and I know there can be a lot of internal politics and conflict. Usually I stay out of it, but I'm really curious in this case.

Do the two have a history? Are they related somehow? How do members of each view the other? Just looking for some insider information.

Thanks.

Answer 1

They are similar in the kind of organization theyr are. Both ae 501(c)(3) educational organization under the Internal Revenue Code. and their their time periods overlap. SCA is a little earlier than ECS, with their time frame being 600 to 1600 AD while ECS is 800 to 1650.  The SCA is more widespread though, with kingdoms and members all over the world and the ECS is smaller in scale. The ECS also hasn't been around as long, it was started in the early 90s where the SCA started in the 60s. I don't know if they are related at all, but this SCAdian hasn't really heard much of anything about the ECS, nothing at all in my involvement in the SCA and there's a ECS group a couple hours away from where I live (which is close in reenactor terms). I'm not aware of any rivalry or anything on the SCA's part.

I wouldn't be shocked to learn that the ECS was started by someone or a group of someones who used to be in the SCA. But our paths don't really cross here in Northshield.