[MR] Giving teens something to do

[Wayne Remes]

I feel that the SCA is actually more of a social club where people get 
together with like minded individuals to talk about and improve their 
knowledge and skills about things medieval, rather than a medieval 
re-creation organization. Maki's observation about teen numbers in camps for 
socializing versus teen numbers available at other camps, or elsewhere, at 
Pennsic is very good. It has long been my observation that it is the social 
interaction that keeps adults coming back to the SCA, especially after they 
have finished the specific aspect of  medieval interest, be it fighting, 
dancing, caligraphy, or garb construction. Can we expect any less of the 
teens, especially the older teens? I know from Diane that the bathouse was a 
social scene for some of the the youth fighters, as well as teens just 
looking to hang out with other teens rather than hanging out in their own 
camps with adults. Diane had been  looking forward to Pennsic all summer, 
expressly to re-establish (in person) the friendships she had developed 
around the bath house last year. She had a great time. At one point during 
this Pennsic, she said that she wished that Pennsic was her neighborhood, 
and she could just take a bus to school from there for the entire year. Most 
teens while willing to work when required or requested would rather hang out 
with their peers. I know I did when I was that age.

Also: I am not aware of any complaints about the actions of my daughter at 
Pennsic, and as Diane was one of those teens hanging around the bathhouse 
pretty much all day, and running with the older bathhouse crowd, that would 
put her amongst the teens most of this string is about. I would appreciate a 
private email if anyone had any problems with her during Pennsic. If you do 
not know what Diane looks like there are pics of her on our household 
webpage::
http://www.housetaivassalama.com/playgrd.htm


Note: Diane's birthday was Thursday the 7th of Aug, and a large "surprise" 
birthday party was arranged for her entirely by the teens at the bathouse, 
and I suspect the night the bathouse was trashed was the aftermath of this 
party. As all teens and kids will, she puts the trashed bathouse down to 
extenuating circumstances, and has an excuse.  And like all excuses at it 
only holds so much water, and still comes down to they screwed up.
Axel



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Neca Johnson" <bneca at hotmail.com>
To: <atlantia at atlantia.sca.org>
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 7:41 AM
Subject: [MR] Giving teens something to do


> "I note with some interest the great emphasis on giving our teens 
> something to DO. (snip) Charles the idle Fleming"
>
> What is it many of us enjoy most about Pennsic?  The luxury of hanging out 
> with our friends with as much (or as little) of a timetable as we want! 
> For many of us, it's the one time of the year we can truly unplug from our 
> hectic pace of life.  One of my favorite Pennsic memories this year was 
> the afternoon of Peace Week it rained, and a bunch of us hung out under 
> the fly talking and sewing.
>
> I don't think the problem is a lack of activities at Pennsic - there was a 
> whole series of articles in The Independent on activities kids could take 
> part in.  Kids like to do the same things we do - work, fighting, 
> shopping, taking classes ... and socializing.  But we have a whole camp of 
> adults to hang out with, and there aren't that many teens in most camps. 
> So they have a place to congregate.  I see no problem in that - as long as 
> they behave responsibly.
>
> The issues at Pennsic are the same we've had at other events - only on a 
> much larger scale.
>
> Makai
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