Club History

The Roanoke College Fencing Club (RCFC) unofficially found its start in January of 2003 when Andy Moser and Josh Showalter took the HHP (Health and Human Performance) Class of Fencing 141 taught by Mr. Richard "Bert" Graham in the early morning hours of Tuesday's and Thursday's of that semester. Following their mandatory practice in the dance classroom of the Alumni Gym Andy and Josh found more interest than most in the ancient sport and by end of the semester and the time for the annual Beginner's Tournament against Virginia Tech Andy put out flyers for the "tourney" co-sponsored by the "RCFC".

By the following semester and start of that academic year the RCFC was officially recognized and supported by the College (through the help of the Asst. Dean of Student Activities Mr. Mark Petersen) and Andy and his long time high school friend Beverly Watson manned a table for the Club at the annual Fall Activities Fair (September 9th 2004) on the Back Quad of the school. Some thirty plus interested students signed up for the club’s first meeting and practice at the fair and most all them turned out for meeting the following week. However given anything that involves college students and routine scheduling the number of interested students rapidly reduced itself leaving a little less than half of those originally signed up. Still with the dedicated ten or twelve that remained the club took in its first dues and subsequent members and finally officially its first officers.

After teaching "the basics" to beginning members as well as reviewing with the slightly more experience ones for approximately two months time the RCFC faced its first competition against nearby Hollins University’s Fencing Team (October 30th 2004). This Halloween Weekend match resulted in good experience for both organizations as well as the first ever competitive win for the RCFC.

Later that semester the RCFC also saw competition with the Mary Washington Fencing Club and once again participated with the HHP Class in the annual Beginner's Tournament with Virginia Tech.  In Addition to competition the RCFC like other clubs on campus participated in weekly meetings and even one fundraising raffle and movie sponsoring before the end of a another academic year and the club's first year.

Since that first year the RCFC presence has on campus as well as in the local community as become more well-known.  Whether it be the RCFC's welcome to more tournaments or else its invitation to put on demonstrations for classes on campus or even local high schools the RCFC has unarguably revived and fostered interest in fencing.