[Artemisia] Youth Combat, regarding Nerf N-Force Swords

[Jackman-Brink, Julia]

Before this gets well out of hand...

First off, this discussion is not personal, please do not take it or
make it so. It's rules and policies. Some new, some old, and everyone is
adjusting to them. Please read carefully...sorry it's wordy. With any
process comes a lot of education and re-education. We are obviously are
encountering that here.

Marchello (Hi!)  It has always been the standard that what happens in
private encampments are just that....PRIVATE. That has not changed.
Parental supervision within your encampment is also just that. A
parent's responsibility. If there are complaints (about anything inside
an encampment) then those should be dealt with on a case by case basis
by the appropriate individual (see event steward or seneschal.)  

That being said, for everyone else...At events and practices, basically
anywhere people can congregate or pass their time in the name of the SCA
is considered PUBLIC. At camping events, if a minor steps outside of a
private encampment, especially with a weapon (of any kind) then they are
effectively in the SCA "public". It is that public aspect that is being
enforced. We have already have instances at a couple of events where
people thought they were OK, when in fact they weren't.  It happens,
we're all learning.  But we all need to keep up on what IS OK, and DO
IT.  Again, public, even if it is children wanting to play on a grass
strip outside a building at an SCA event while a parent observes,
doesn't release the responsibility, since it is AT an SCA function. SCA
function, SCA rules apply. Yes, it's a pain, but that is the way things
are now. We have to do it, same as the Boy Scouts, or the any other
mundane youth organization. 

Ideally, it would be to the benefit of parents and children to take the
time to learn and follow the guidelines for youth combat even in
practice at home or at playtime. It gets them accustomed to what is
appropriate when they do participate in SCA functions (especially Youth
Combat), and they get a leg up when they actual practice in their gear.
Adults do this in SCA play and practice, so here's a chance to be good
role-models. They can "do what we do", and have fun doing it.

My suggestion (well two of them) First. When in doubt, ask the local
officers to help arrange for a tourney or even oversee an activity at
"practice". It is easy to do, and there are a growing number of youth
officers and youth marshals who can help provide that assistance and
they would love your help!!  Second, educate yourself and your children
as to what the rules really are. Get involved on the ground level.
There are classes being organized for that, and teachers as well.  If
your local group does not have a youth officer or marshal, consider
volunteering. It's fun! 

For yes, those who asked, there is "Parent's Manual for Youth
Activities" being drafted to help with this education process. When it
is complete it will be available via the Kingdom website and youth
personnel.  In the meantime, please keep those questions coming to me,
the kingdom youth officers and marshals. It will work out. We all just
have to work together. :)

Juliana

-----Original Message-----
From: artemisia-bounces at lists.gallowglass.org
[mailto:artemisia-bounces at lists.gallowglass.org] On Behalf Of Ken and
Mindy Wilson
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2009 3:50 PM
To: 'Kingdom of Artemisia mailing list'
Subject: Re: [Artemisia] Youth Combat, regarding Nerf N-Force Swords

So, playing the devil's advocate because I KNOW it's going to come up...
Does this mean we are now going to start fully enforcing the kingdom
youth
combat rules for people within their encampments?
Here's the thought process: For several years at Uprising (I refer
specifically to Uprising because that's the event that I am most sure
of,
and also the one that applies directly to me) people have been told that
their children cannot foam fight in public spaces unless they are in a
designated aeric, have appropriate gear, marshal, etc... but that they
could
do whatever foam fighting they wanted to *inside their own camp*.
Does this new ruling mean that guideline no longer applies? Will kids
fighting with n-strike swords in their own camps be subject to
confiscation
rules as stated?

Frankly, as someone who is responsible for enforcement, it strikes me as
a
discriminatory policy. 
-Marcello, Uprising MiC.


-----Original Message-----
From: rayzentz at aim.com

I said "Do not bring them to SCA events."? I also said, "If children are
wielding these swords at SCA events, they WILL be confiscated..." I
meant
nothing else but what I said.


It's a safety issue.

Lord Padruig McTavish
Kingdom Youth Combat Marshal

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