From: schuldy@progress.COM (Mark Schuldenfrei)
Subject: Re: Unescorted Minors at Events
Keywords: minors releases
Organization: Progress Software Corp.
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 18:11:15 GMT

Patri ibn Cariadoc wrote about how to greet people who bring minors
to a distant event, without release or medical treatment forms.

Patri, I admire your desire to do a good deed, and hang the consequences,
and let those people into the event.  But you don't understand the
possible consequences, I suspect.

Let me preface this by stating that none of the possible bad consequences
are at all likely, and many of them presume outright malice on the part
of the minor's parents.  On the other hand, read the papers... There are
plenty of vicious, stupid, ignorant people out there.  My wife tells me
enough stories about the parents of her patients, that I am no longer
willing to believe that all folk are decent and gentle.  At least,
I'm very cautious about doing so when the stakes are high, and my neck
is on the line.

  Things that could go wrong in the above situation.  Minor is injured,
  and requires medical treatment which cannot be given.  Minor sneaks
  off and get's drunk, stoned, pregnant, sick with STD. Minor is
  caught stealing, falsely accused of stealing, actually steals something.
  Minor accidentally causes damage of great consequence.  Minor deliberately
  causes major vandalism.

  Parent finds out that minor is missing, and calls FBI about kidnapping.
  Parent is annoyed at child's participation in cult, and calls newspapers,
  TV, FBI and makes big trouble.  Parent files suit for frivolous reason.
  Parent get's upset that child has bought a knife at the event, calls for
  investigation.  Parent discovers child is stoned/drunk/pregnant/sick with
  STD, and sues.

  State Department of Social Services takes an interest because child is
  in custody.  Child is on parole from reform school, and leaves state
  without parents knowledge.  Child is violent when not on medication,
  leaves it home.  Ugly divorce is in process, and court custody is
  jeopardized by SCA event visit. Someone smacks the child, or child hits
  somebody.

Some of these situations are a little far-fetched, it's true.  Some
are not.  But, the consequences of most of them are pretty severe, with
legal suits, government investigations, ugly publicity and all being
possibly attendant upon them.

And another small thing: if you, as an individual, let the minor in
to the event against SCA policy, and you are sued, I will bet the
SCA insurance won't cover you.  Do you want to bet your house and
future income, and children's monetary quality of life on it?  Maybe
you, now, while you are young, Patri.  I don't want to risk my wife's
and my livelihood and lifestyle, when the fault is the adult's who
brought the minor with them.

I too, treat most children of all ages with as much dignity and maturity
as I can, and they wish to merit.  And I agree, it galls me that we
lose interested minor members to this unfairness.  We lose them to
a lot of things. (How many would fence, or fight before they are of
age, if we would let them?)  I resent the situation, tremendously.

But it is there.  To deny the possible outcomes would be folly.
To cost the SCA it's ability to operate in an area would be a
greater tragedy.  And trust me, it could most easily happen.  If
one of the minors in Aboz' tale of woe was from a family under
supervision of a social worker by order of the state (not an
unheard of situation), that social worker may be required to
start investigations if they hear the child has left parental
supervision.

Within the SCA itself, we can be (and are) as fair as any group
in the world.  Aboz' posting didn't discuss anything about treating
the minors poorly, or unfairly while they were at the event.
Nor would I write a posting in support of such nonsense.  He was
talking about the situation at the portal between the real world
and the SCA.  Sadly, we cannot stop the real world at the door.

I really understand the anguish that I read between the lines of
your posting, Patri.  I spent a lot of time in my college days,
and before, screaming "It's not fair or right!"  But, that's
the way things are.  And, fixing the system is a different issue
than fixing the SCA.  Sure, we can try to compensate within the
SCA.  But legal issues are such, that the broken system will break
us if we ignore it.

	Tibor
--
Mark Schuldenfrei (schuldy@progress.com)
[I'm just showin' you my opinions: this ain't a gift]