[Ponte Alto] Demos and combat

[egeorges]

As the former Chatelaine for this barony, and as someone who has coordinated
demos in this barony, here's my take on the whole thing.....

1) As Bel has correctly pointed out, an "educational" demo is designed for
educating children about the Middle Ages, not so much the SCA.  This barony,
for the most part, does educational demos, usually for schools and boy and
girl scout troops.  While some groups have found recruitment demos very
effective, this barony hasn't had much success with them.

2) As far as I am aware, and as far as any demo I personally have been
affiliated with in the past 2 years, we have indeed followed Kingdom/SCA
policy with respect to fighting.  At demos I have conducted, no child has
EVER even handled a weapon.  And while a lone fighter has demonstrated how
certain weapons are used, no fighter has ever used a weapon in the context
of a two-person fighting demonstration, either in armor or out of armor.

As Mistress Caitlyn has so aptly pointed out, these rules exist for
insurance liability purposes, not to spoil anyone's fun, or ruin our
capacity to demonstrate medieval life or activities to children.

Also, part of the reason for the strictness I personally have maintained in
the demos I've run is because schools themselves often have problems with
weapons on school grounds.  Many schools will not permit edged weapons of
any kind on their premises, and those that have allowed us to bring them
usually require us to limit their use to a "show, but don't touch" policy.
Most of the schools we deal with are uncomfortable with actual fighting
demonstration, whether in armor or not, with edged weapons or not.

Sure this cuts down on the "wow, neato!" factor with the kids, but we have
come up with a  more than acceptable replacement for it with the creation of
the table-top siege engines that were created for Marcellus & Bel's
Investiture.  Shooting marshmallows at the kids has proven to be a great way
to (a) demonstrate siege technology and open up a discussion of castles and
siege in period and (b) obtain that "wow, neato!" factor.

3) All demos that are taking place in this barony conducted by barony
members under the SCA's name MUST be done in consultation with the Baronial
Chatelaine, Marsalli Johnston. All it takes is for one parent at one demo to
get their knickers in a twist over something, and our entire Barony can pay
the price for it.  The Chatelaine's job is to make sure that demos are
taking place in compliance with SCA rules if they have the SCA name on them.

I know that some of our members participate in other living history groups
that treat demos differently, and that's fine.  The SCA is stricter, in part
because of the liability issue, and in part because we've had the benefit of
learning from other chapters' bad experiences and mishaps.  Part of having
the benefit of playing in a nationwide organization is the responsibility of
living with rules from that organization.  The ones we're dealing with here,
particularly with respect to educational demos, are pretty reasonable.  They
protect us, and make the schools much more comfortable with us as well.

Mary, feel free to contact me off list if any questions have been raised
about past demos....

In Service,
Luce Antony Venus