[MR] Atlantia Digest, Vol 52, Issue 21

[Alan MacNeill]

I need to point something out...

The author of the post in question didn't say "We need to get rid of
Kids activities", he said "Perhaps the environment of today makes it
so we've grown past our ability to support them" (paraphrased, but
that's the gist).

He's *right*.

The SCA's system of taking care of kids for the past 40+ years has
been to basically toss them out the car door and not be concerned.

Children's corners have been a relatively recent introduction.
Societal/Kingdom rules regarding the conduct of those corners have
been even more recent.

There have been now numerous situations where *nonofficial* Children
oriented events have caused legal issue.  The SCA has no ability to
support them.

Such a support system could be built, but it would mean making things
which have been traditionally very non-regimented (as 90% of the SCA
is) and making them very regimented (sign-ins, parents must be
present, background checks, fingerprinting, ID checking when dropping
off or picking up kids, vetting of content of the corner, etc, etc,
etc).

In today's legal environment, that's the kind of thing you have to
consider doing to keep yourself away from legal ramifications if you
offer a structured activity for kids.

We haven't been doing that.  First steps are being made.  Many more
may have to be.  It's sad, but that's life.  The alternative is a
policy statement that says "The SCA, Inc will host no child related
activity.  Parents are completely responsible for monitoring their
children for the entire duration of the event, and no entertainment
will be provided nor allowed to be provided.  Anything parents choose
to organize on their own is completely at their own risk." (or
something like that, a lawyer would have to draft it).

Stop attacking the man, he's not only right to say it in his own
private space, he's *right* about what he said.

UNpopularly,

Gorm of Berra