Tamra Perry walks into her first big tournament event with the SCA wearing seventeenth-century clothing. She sees tents, 500+ people, archery, sword fighting, and a plethora of medieval activities. Looking overwhelmed and lost, Hannah approaches Tamra and says, “You look lost, do you want to be on my team?” Tamra from Oregon and Hannah the story teller from Finland have been the best of friends since 2012. Stories like these are found all throughout the SCA community. 

Tamra Perry, 42, is a pattern maker in Central Point, Oregon. She is recognized in the SCA as a Master of Defense (sword fighter) and a Master of Artisan laural which is her specialty in the arts and crafts. Perry says, “Titles are distributed in accordance with the values of leadership and training and are given to anyone deserving. Everyone has the opportunity to rank up and gain titles.” Anyone who approaches Perry with questions, will get answers by any means necessary.  She has a google drive folder and a Facebook page with all her training and knowledge for making patterns and medieval clothing. Perry will also provide materials if she can, to help another with their costumes. Perry and her partner Reynolds have made a huge impact in their local and regional SCA. They can be found at local sword fighting practices and many events to uphold safety and values. 

Perry has been an active member of the SCA for 15 years, after a few failed attempts to join. At age 14, she went to an unorganized and not very friendly event. She tried again in 2005 when her friend became the regions’ princess but did not get into it. In Oct 2011, Perry found herself dragging Reynolds, her partner, to a small local event with the promise to never go again if they didn’t have fun. Perry observed Reynolds watching the sword fights, concerned about his mindset, she asks “How are you doing?” Reynolds replies with, “I need to do this”. The SCA finally hooked them. The next day she found that Reynolds had signed them up, was picking his new name, started getting gear together and was already joining the conversation in the SCA. They are part of the second biggest kingdom in the world, called An Tir. The region within is the called the Principality of the Summits, and their branch is Glyn Dfwn ¹ for Jackson County, Oregon.  In 2012 Perry was inspiring women to fight with the men. Now, in 2026, gender is completely irrelevant. The Society of Creative Anachronism: SCA prides itself for its inclusiveness regardless of backgrounds. Anyone who is respectful, helpful, curious, enthusiastic, and honorable is welcome to join or hang out with the SCA. 

Don Reynolds is Tamra Perry’s partner in all things. He is the reigning baron in Glyn Dwfn. The baron and baronen are subjects who report directly to the king and queen. Reynolds is recognized as a Pelican: a master of service and a Master of Defense (sword fighting). Reynolds tells us that “Most people aren’t famous or get to be part of the small percentage that makes major impacts on the world. The SCA includes everyone and makes them feel important.” Reynolds talks about Perry, “We were booked every weekend for the last several years, we are trying to cut back on events but love going to them.” Both Reynolds and Perry like going to events because there are tournaments, meetings, court is held, and people are recognized. Perry says, “Bigger events may have more of a commute but are worth going to at least once a year.” Reynolds says, “The difference between local small events, and region big events is ‘the difference between a famous concert and a favorite local band.’”  

The SCA was founded in 1966 by a few history buffs who hosted the First Tournament. The invitation called for “all knights to defend in single combat the title of ‘fairest’ for their ladies.” It was a raging success. 50 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. The SCA, Kingdom of An Tir is devoted to the research and re-creation of pre-seventeenth century skills, arts, combat, culture, and employing knowledge of history to enrich the lives of participants through events, demonstrations, and other educational presentations and activities. Check out their Facebook page and join local community pages to find a practice and get started on “The hobby that collects other hobbies.” -Tamra Perry 

Find your kingdom here. Follow the site given to find local info using a postal code. 

1. Pronounced: Glen Doofen ↩︎