Generations

[David KUIJT <kuijt@umiacs.umd.edu>]

Poster: David KUIJT <kuijt@umiacs.umd.edu>


Anarra wrote:
> For example: I've been in the SCA 21 years.  I received my AoA 17 years 
> ago from Prince Scelannus and Princess Maelen of An Tir.

Everyone who met Sir Scelannus of Skye back then, raise their hands!
(Looking around, don't see anyone but me and Anarra).  Sir Scellanus was
the first knight I ever saw in the SCA, at my first event 16 years ago, in
Spokane, WA.  (I drove 17 hours to get there with two friends, who
never went to another event)


> An SCA generation is approximately 5 years.  The average person hangs 
> around for 5 or so years and in that time, the population of most groups 
> changes dramatically.

I would say rather that a generation is 2.5 years.  You are "newish" for
2.5 years, "a regular" when you've been around 3-5 years, and so on.  But
I agree, many groups change quite a bit in 5 years.  (Black Diamond and
other groups with a major college basis suffer a turnaround of most of
their personnel every 2-3 years).

But I think it is a difference of definitions: when I use "generation" I
don't mean "lifespan", as you seem to be using it, but rather something
like "next rush of reproduction".  In human reproduction a generation is
something like 20 years.  16 in poor countries; 25 in wealthy/educated
ones.  Lifespan is 2 or 3 times as long.


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