[MR] Society Notice

[Olwen the Odd]

I agree with Logan here.  There are more and more children coming into our 
Baronies and this Kingdom which means we have more and more folks stepping 
up and volunteering to work with them or watch over them or feed them in a 
children's feast (thank you!).  Even if someone is a parent does not 
guarantee they are "safe" (sorry but it is true).  There are also some of 
our older minors who like working with the children and I wonder as to what 
the laws and provisions are for those folks getting a background check.  
Perhaps J. Williams or someone from the BOD can answer this.

As for the money, if needs be, I will personally work to raise funds for 
footing the bill for this, even if it is just to put a piggy bank at the 
Troll of each event I go to (seriously, I think a few good auctions would do 
it).

Dame Olwen the Odd
>
>i disagree good brother axel.  im glad to see the sca putting a good foot
>forward to protect society visitors and members alike from predators.  for
>too long a blind eye has been turned at those who display inappropriate
>conduct towards women.  i almost said "and children" but i don't think as
>much tolerance has been show for the latter.  a zero tolerance position
>should be the reality of the day, yet the sca tolerates predatory men that
>feel that its somehow a compliment to a woman to be mauled.  this has led 
>to
>a lackadaisical approach to personal space and that has led to children
>being caught up in this.  we have seen too many examples of children harmed
>by adults and i find it encouraging that the sca is trying to be proactive
>in this and im terribly saddened that this part of society has become such
>that we have to be on guard as well.
>
>im sure that many of us feel that we can protect those we care for and i
>would be the first one to tell you that i would remove, like a stain, any
>person i knew acted in such a predatory manner to a child or a woman.  but
>as much as we would like to feel we can protect everyone we have failed.
>this may never catch or prevent anything my friend but what if we found it
>that it would have prevented something after the fact?  i dont want to feel
>that level of regret.  if it costs the kingdom $700 bucks to protect woman
>and children im all for it.  much more than i am for new crowns and new
>swords.  lets sell cookies for those in the future.
>
>regards
>logan
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: atlantia-bounces at atlantia.sca.org
>[mailto:atlantia-bounces at atlantia.sca.org] On Behalf Of Wayne (Axel) Remes
>Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:35 PM
>To: 'Merry Rose'
>Cc: jwilliams at director.sca.org
>Subject: Re: [MR] Society Notice
>
>
>You gotta be kidding me...and the Kingdom's gonna have to bankroll the
>background checks of every Youth Marshal. Youth MIT, Children's Activities
>Minister from Canton thru kingdom, are they insane!
>
>Looking at the Kingdom webpage we currently have 17 youth Marshals, 8 Youth
>MITs, the Earl Marshal, and 7 Chancellor of Youth staff positions. No idea
>how many local minister of youth offices are filled. Assuming that they use
>something like NC123 at 19.95 a pop just to meet the requirements with the
>inadequate people resources we got now is gonna cost the Kingdom $638.00
>probably a lot more, and that's the low end of the scale, if they do any
>sort of real background check it's cost more. We desperately need more
>people involved in all these activities, and should not be making it harder
>to get people involved. Leave it to the BOD to, instead of coming up with
>rational procedures like say...requiring there to be at least 2 adults
>present at all times at youth activities at a SCA event, or requiring the
>kids parents be in attendance at any local SCA non event activity, the BOD
>comes up with this stupidity.
>
>
>And I might add it is NOT "...WORTH NOTING that these measures are less
>stringent than those being used today by the Boy Scouts of America."
>We don't as normal planned events take kids out into the woods for 
>prolonged
>periods without their parents being there. In fact Parents are discouraged
>from dropping their kids at SCA functions and leaving site.
>
>This is bullshit....and ranks right up there with the Banning of ALL minors
>from the list field even if they were already authorized and had parental
>approval to be there, as occured in the mid 80s.
>
>
>
>Axel
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: atlantia-bounces at atlantia.sca.org
>[mailto:atlantia-bounces at atlantia.sca.org] On Behalf Of Amy Heilveil
>Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 10:35 AM
>To: Merry Rose; Attilium at googlegroups.com
>Subject: [MR] Society Notice
>
>Passing along information.... Despina
>
> > In response to repeated occurences of the SCA having to deal with abuse 
>of
> > minors by SCA participants, risk to our membership from such predatorial
> > behavior, and legal liabilities if we fail to execute proper due
> > diligence, the SCA will be implementing a background check program to
> > minimize risk of harm to our people and the organization. This program
> > will revolve around conducting--via a properly licensed 
>vendor--background
> > checks on all persons wishing to serve in a leadership or supervisory
> > position where minors are expected to be taking direction from--or be in
> > the direct control of adults who are not their parent or legal guardian.
> >
> > An example of officials who must receive the background check are:  
>Youth
> > activities officers at all levels, Adults acting as youth marshals for 
>any
> > martial activity, persons organizing/in charge of youth activities for 
>an
> > event.
> >
> > These checks will return a pass/fail status.  A pass status will cause 
>the
> > corporate office to issue a card good for two years that must be 
>presented
> > in order to be accepted as an official as described above.
> >
> > It is expected that this process will be streamlined and simplified as
> > much as possible without invalidating the value of the background checks
> > themselves.  The cost of the checks will be billed back to the Kingdoms
> > whose programs these volunteers are supporting.
> >
> > It is worth noting that these measures are less stringent than those 
>being
> > used today by the Boy Scouts of America.
> >
> > Further details, to include the actual process and an implement-by date
> > will accompany the implementing guidelines to be issued after the April
> > Board Meeting.
> >
> >
> >
> > Aaron Faheud Swiftrunner of the Stone Keep OL OP
> > c/o George L. Reed
> >
> > Society Seneschal and Vice President of Operations
> > SCA, Inc.

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