Canton of Summergate
The Canton of Summergate was the first canton to be established within the Barony of Calafia. It was started by three women who each took a position required to form a canton. One became the seneschal, one the arts and sciences officer, and the last became the herald.
Originally, the canton was going to be called Tor Bakkey or Tor Bachy which meant hill in the north. This name was not popular as people found it hard to pronounce. It has been forgotten who suggested Summergate, however, it was well recieved. The Canton’s motto, Gateway to Summer, was agreed to shortly there after. With the motto and name done, all that was left to agree on was a device.
In April of 2007, the device was changed to our current device (Per chevron Or and azure, two laurel wreaths vert and on a sun Or a portcullis azure). The original device was a green background with a sun and a fieldgate in the middle and is now the device for one of the founders (Per chevron Or and vert, two laurel wreaths vert and in base on a sun Or a corral gate proper).
Society for Creative Anachronism
The SCA began on May 1, 1966, when a few friends who were history buffs and science fiction/fantasy fans hosted an outdoor party in Berkeley, California. The invitation called for “all knights to defend in single combat the title of ‘fairest’ for their ladies.” This event, now known as the First Tournament, was a big success, and when the participants wanted to hold a second event at a public park they needed a group name to put on the application. The name “The Society for Creative Anachronism” was chosen on the spur-of-the-moment.
As people were introduced to the SCA by friends and at science fiction conventions, the group expanded across the United States. Over fifty years later, the SCA is now an international group with over 30,000 paid members, and is incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational organization.
You can find out more about the SCA here.