From: tbarnes@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (thomas wrentmore barnes)
Subject: Re: 1st Event For An Enthusiastic Teen
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 18:01:24 GMT

In article <01GT8HKTWPAQ0028OL@EKU.BITNET> STUMILBY@EKU.BITNET ("And the sand shifts back into the sea...I am gone") writes:
>Can anyone help me with a friend of mine   a 16 year old
>who wants to be a fighter and has never met anyone from the SCA
>
>Situation: He lives 35 miles from the nearest person who has heard of the
>           SCA ...I was his DM(Dungeon Master) for 2 years.  Because of me
>           he has transfered his enthusiam to the sca..reading...researching
>           and PLANNING.  Just turned 16 and has his first car he now has
>           the ability to travel and meet the people he has only heard about...
>           dreamed about.


Another problem. This kid could be incredibly let down by his idealized
fantasy of the SCA vs. the reality of your average SCA event. He might
find that the people he has dreamed of meeting aren't 7' tall and don't
look like King Arthur.

>Problem:   An event..it was to be his first event..comes up feb. the 6th here
>           near my college in Lexington.  While I have never been to many events
>              only 3 before and never a feast..I have many friends who keeps me
>           from disasters...
>                we have been planning to go for over 9 months....I will sew him
>           a simple tunic and pants...and borrow a belt and feastware..His own
>           name Eric will be ok for his first event since he has not yet chosen.
>Now I will need help to explain the him how to conduct himself during the event
>           when I will not be there...what certain terms mean...I was hoping we
>           could play it by ear....us together as each situation arose.
>

Teach your friend the first unwritten law of SCA survival: "If you don't
know, ask politely" virtually anyone will be happy to answer questions,
and if your friend lets on that its his first event, he'll probably have
to be protected from people who want to talk his ear off about the SCA!
	If you want an "official" guide for him. You might consider
contacting the Chatelaine of the group that is hosting the event. You
can probably get the Chatelaine's address from the Seneschal, and you
can get the seneschal's address and phone from the back of the Pale. Or,
you might consider calling the autocrat and explaining your situation.
However, the Chatelaine will probably have less to do on the day.

Second thing. Since your friend is an unaccompanied minor, make damned
sure that his parents know about what he is doing and approve of it.
Also check up on MK and corpora law on requirements for unaccompanied
minors going to events. Do this NOW so your friend can get his paperwork
out of the way/arrange for his parents approval etc. in time for the
event.

Third thing. Get your feast reservations in early. If it gets sold out,
you'll be disappointed.

Fourth thing. Give your friend something to do during the day, or
someone to hang out with. If you don't have anything to do, and you
don't mingle well, you can sit around for a long time being bored,
lonely and frustrated.
	Lothar's best bet for a fighter-mad 16 year old: Get a tolerant
and friendly knight or squire and ask them to be nice to your friend.
Get them to let him help them out in some way (help them with their
armor, fetch water, apply duct tape, run messages etc.), while they
explain the SCA and SCA fighting to him, and field his questions.
	This (in theory) neatly solves the problems of letdown (if you
get the right person), boredom and gives you a "friendly native" guide
to help him until you can reclaim him.

You might also arm him with the relevant sections from the Rialto FAQ,
Queen Carol's Guide, The Knowne Worlde Handboke (if you can find a copy)
or some other Newcomer's guide. 

You should also teach him to recognize basic heraldry (I'm biased) like
the Chiurgeons, Heralds and Marshalls badges so he'll know who to go to
if he needs help with something. Unless he is an unremitting twit, he
can't offend any peer too badly. But be warned, there will be a lot of
Royals at Candlemas. Tell your friend to always be polite and always
be especially polite when addressing anyone wearing a crown. (Don't
bother teaching him the "Yer Excellency"/"Yer Grace" stuff yet. Teach
him to always say "Excuse Me", "Please" and "Thank You" and to call
everyone "Milord" or "Milady"). He should also be made to understand
that people who look especially busy respond badly to questions except
"Would you like some help?" When I was younger, and greener, I pissed
people off by ignoring this concept. (I later learned that if I helped
out that people were glad to answer my questions after the work was
done).

I will probably be at Candlemas, but I can't be certain if or when I'll
be there so I'm a bad choice as a guide. (Anyway, I really don't want
the job. I'm shy in person). However, if I see an obvious novice named
"Eric" he'll be suprised to find that I "know" him already.

Lothar \|/
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