From: EPSTEIN@ksuvm.ksu.EDU (Emily Epstein)
Subject: Kids in the SCA
Organization: The Internet
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 13:52:00 GMT

From Alix Mont de fer unto the Folk of the Rialto, greeting.

I'd like to expand on my description of young people in Spinning Winds.
Even young children needn't be very limited in the scope of their interests
and activities. Since the area the shire draws from includes a university and
a military base, it's always had some children in the populace. We've recently
experienced a burst of growth in both the adult and junior population. A
conscious effort is made to include children in normal activities. For example,
at our last event, a quest was designed with one point that only a child could
win. A team without a child wouldn't necessarily lose, but they couldn't win
that one point. All teams were encouraged to include their junior members in
other quest activities as well.

It was suggested that armoring is too dangerous for people age 13 and under.
Lord Jon Kirikson, age 8 (yes, he has an AoA) makes chain. He winds and cuts
the links himself, and I've not heard of any problem with safety. Lord Jon also
practices archery with adult supervision, and frequently joins the adults in
pavanes and bransles, as does Erik Tokesson, age 7. Erik is also a bard in
training, is learning to play the recorder, embroider, and spin with
a drop spindle. Needless to say, they make quite an impression at demos.
Other kids especially are interested when they see people their own age
doing things like this.

Most of our young folk help out with local events, running errands, serving at
feast and carrying water for the fighters. At a recent event Erik's brother
Orrin, who is not yet 5, spent much of the day filling jugs for the water
bearers.

There are also activities available geared just to young people. We make full
use of the Ministry of Children. (I believe the office was established during
a kingdom-wide baby boom some years ago--I'm not sure of the details.) This is
an official position in Calontir. It is *not* a babysitting service. Spinning
Winds is especially lucky in having Lord Duncan McLeod, a trained youth
counselor as its Minister of Children. His job is to ensure that the young
members of the society have an experience both educational and fun. The role of
the Kingdom MoC is to provide support for the local officers.

Lord Duncan works with the local children at regular meetings, helping them
find teachers to further their interests and leading discussions. He also
arranges children's activities at events, following the event theme. There's
usually an arts and crafts project with morning and afternoon work sessions,
stories, games (period and non) and discussions of period topics led by Duncan
and others. One active participant in an hour long discussion of chivalry was 4
years old. Lord Duncan encourages young event attendees who are physically able
to serve feast or otherwise assist in the running of the event, and introduces
them to folk useful to know.

This arrangement works well for us. Given what I've heard about the number
of children at Pennsic this year, perhaps it would be a useful model for
other places as well.

In service,
                         <=========>
Alix Mont de fer          |=======|
    (Emily Epstein)       |* * * *|
Shire of Spinning Winds    XXXXXXX
    (Manhattan, KS)         VVVVV
                             YYY
epstein@ksuvm.ksu.edu         |
                             |||
                           XXXXXXX
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