From: habura@vccnorthb.its.rpi.edu (Andrea Marie Habura)
Subject: Re: kids in SCA
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 13:09:05 GMT

William asks what to do with "the kids" that have recently descended on his
Canton.

Speaking as a former "kid" (I joined the SCA at 14, without my parents), I 
thought I'd share a few things.

Of the things William mentions:

Dancing: I assume you have to take time off from that "difficult saltorello"
anyway...don't you have new people, ever? Certainly adult newbies can't just
jump in and do advanced dances either. Wait until there's a few adult newbies
who need to be taught as well, and then throw the kids in with them. You
may find that the kids learn faster...and I speak from experience, as I have
taught beginning dance to both adults and children. The only problem I've
noticed with kids is that they tend to go through a "cootie" stage where
they won't hold hands with or otherwise touch other dancers. Firmness is 
necessary; that sort of behavior disrupts a class faster than anything else.

Lectures: It depends on how advanced and jargon-filled the lectures are, and 
how interested the kids are in the subject matter. But the same is true
for adults.

Archery: I know a lot of *adults* who can't pull a 55# longbow, including me.
(due to a shoulder injury, I can only draw about 25#). A 20# longbow isn't
hard to come by; they can often be picked up at rummage sales for less than
$10. Arrows are harder, but they can often be loaned.

Feasts: Well, yes, these can bore kids. However, if the kid is acting as a 
server or as a page, or helping one of the performers, they will be much less
bored. Alcohol will be present at the parties these kids attend anyway; if
not now, than in a few years. make sure the parents are well-informed, and
make sure that you don't have anyone who thinks it's amusing to get children
drunk around. 

Other things you haven't considered:

Arts. In the Real Middle Ages, girls could spin (with a drop spindle) very 
early, and by the time they were the age of your "kids", they could embroider
and weave as well. I assume boys did a number of crafts as well. The SCA
crafts these kids could do are too numerous to count. They can make their
own garb, they can do leatherwork, they can probably cook (if they're
responsible; they can certainly help the feastocrat), they can embroider,
they can (the older ones, probably) do things like enameling and other 
jewelry. How about asking some of your local craftspeople if they'd like
a young student? 

Offices and other services: No, really. I was a pursuivant-at-large at 15, and
my Barony's pursuivant at 17. at 14, I acted as a runner for the Minister of
Lists (and that's a very useful thing!) Not all offices have age requirements,
and I've seen mature "kids" fill a number of them, and do a good job. They
can also do freelance service, and a lot of them actually like that; it makes
them feel important and useful. 

In closing, I'd like to point out that having "kids" fully involved in society
is very period; it's the modern segregation of those under 18 from the "adults"
that is anomalous. 

Alison MacDermot
(Who isn't a kid anymore, but remembers what it was like...)