[Cynnabar] P.S. Youth fighting in Cynnabar
Randy Asplund
randyasplund at comcast.net
Thu Nov 17 15:17:25 UTC 2011
Whoops! Mis-attribution. Sorry Hjorlei. I looked at the sender line on
that previous reply and my brain got Lord Andrew instead of
recognizing that it was from you.
Randuffus
On Nov 17, 2011, at 9:46 AM, andrew at prometheusmotionpictures.com wrote:
> From a group infrastructure standpoint, I feel that youth combat is
> an exceptionally fertile ground. I know from my own experience as a
> boyscout and as a middle school child that I would have *loved* if
> someone had come to my school or boy scout troop and let me know
> that this activity existed and that I could potentialy partcipate in
> it.
>
> It would seem that this would be a great thing to have on the shelf
> as a baronial resource (and I notice that hockey pads and helmets
> are all like $5 each at Recycle Ann Arbor), since getting kids at
> this age would likey expose our activity to their entire peer group.
>
> (Wouldnt it be neat if we had like half of a highschool football
> team on the field at Pennsic?)
>
> To put my money were my mouth is, I'm willing to be a youth marshall
> and I can certianly pass a background check.
>
> Cheers,
> Hjorleif
>
>
> On November 16, 2011 at 7:57 PM Randy Asplund <randyasplund at comcast.net
> > wrote:
>
> > Oh, I forgot to mention- Actually, I believe that Ld. Arnold is a
> > Youth Fencing Marshal, so I am not the only Youth Marshal.
> >
> > I'm writing from Craft Night and there is a little talk going on
> right
> > now posing the question of wether the group might like to add a
> > Minister of Youth so we could have someone who can help coordinate
> > activities for the children of the Barony.
> >
> > Just food for thought (to go with the pizza we just had and the
> home-
> > made apple pie & ice cream we are about to have...)
> >
> > RanthulfR
> >
> > On Nov 16, 2011, at 4:40 PM, Greg Less wrote:
> >
> > > Before we get to far down this path of buying and prepping... do
> we
> > > actually have any youth that are interested in fighting, are in
> the
> > > same age division as other youths and have parents that are
> willing
> > > to commit to making sure we have critical mass? Furthermore, the
> > > barony has exactly one authorized youth marshal. The authorization
> > > process, not to mention the background check, make the prospect of
> > > us getting more seem slim at best.
> > >
> > > So, I guess my question is - why are we considering this and who
> > > plans on supporting?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > -Gregoire.
> > >
> > > On Wed, Nov 16, 2011 at 4:36 PM, Randy Asplund <randyasplund at comcast.net
> > > > wrote:
> > > Actually, I was just out at Share House on Jackson d. the other
> day
> > > and they had a lot of hockey helmets and other stuff for CHEAP.
> > >
> > > RanthulfR
> > >
> > >
> > > On Nov 16, 2011, at 4:03 PM, andrew at prometheusmotionpictures.com
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > >> Recycle Ann Arbor has youth hockey helmets (usually 2 or 3) on
> the
> > >> shelf nearly everytime I go there. Hockey pants and elbow and
> knee
> > >> pads as well.
> > >>
> > >> I'm not in a position right now to volunteer for anything, but in
> > >> the future I would be interested in getting a youth combat
> > >> authorization / marshalette. I've already been background
> checked
> > >> to death from working at CPS, and would certainly be willing to
> do
> > >> it again.
> > >>
> > >> Best,
> > >> Hjorleif
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> On November 16, 2011 at 3:27 PM Randy Asplund <randyasplund at comcast.net
> > >> > wrote:
> > >>
> > >> > Unto the members of the Barony, Greetings from Sir RanthulfR,
> Youth
> > >> > Marshal, etc.
> > >> >
> > >> > At our last Baronial meeting we had a discussion about
> promoting
> > >> Youth
> > >> > fighting in both boffer and rapier in Cynnabar. I volunteered
> to
> > >> write
> > >> > to Lord Nylas Kazmer, the Kingdom & Pentamere officer
> responsible
> > >> for
> > >> > Youth Combat, and ask his advice. The following is my letter
> to
> > >> him
> > >> > and his reply back (posted with permission). I am forwarding it
> > >> to you
> > >> > all because it is a bit much for reporting at a meeting, and it
> > >> > affects many who are not regular at the meetings.
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> > > On Nov 14, 2011, at 9:34 PM, Randy Asplund wrote:
> > >> > >
> > >> > >> Hi Kazmer,
> > >> > >>
> > >> > >> This is a scoping out kind of letter. I just got back from
> the
> > >> > >> Cynnabar weekly business meeting. The subject of demos for
> boy
> > >> > >> scouts came up. I suggested that we talk to youth fighters
> in
> > >> the
> > >> > >> area and see if any wanted to be in a demo for kids close to
> > >> their
> > >> > >> age. That inspired a long discussion about what we could
> do to
> > >> get
> > >> > >> youth fighting going here.
> > >> > >>
> > >> > >> We all recognize that we have parents bring kids around
> every
> > >> once
> > >> > >> in a while, the kids are enthused, but we have no loaner
> gear
> > >> or
> > >> > >> youth of the right age/size for them to spar with. The
> people
> > >> at
> > >> > >> the meeting all want to have the barony be ready to provide
> > >> youth
> > >> > >> fighting, but we just don't seem to have the youth critical
> > >> mass to
> > >> > >> accomplish it.
> > >> > >>
> > >> > >> I suggested that we point parents to the materials online so
> > >> they
> > >> > >> could become familiar with armor & weapon standards and
> learn
> > >> the
> > >> > >> rules. Then we would send them to the larger youth practices
> > >> when
> > >> > >> they are held out near Detroit. My thought being that once
> we
> > >> had a
> > >> > >> few doing that, we wold gain the critical mass locally to
> pt it
> > >> > >> together here with regularity.
> > >> > >>
> > >> > >> The concern expressed by the others was that once they went
> > >> out to
> > >> > >> Detroit, -if indeed the parents could be talked into that
> drive-
> > >> > >> they wold keep going there instead of settling here, even
> after
> > >> > >> local opponents were found.
> > >> > >>
> > >> > >> I asked if they would like me to write to you to see if you
> > >> might
> > >> > >> have some helpful suggestions on how to get our group
> "over the
> > >> > >> hump" so to speak.
> > >> > >>
> > >> > SNIP
> > >> > >> Have you any advice or thoughts on it?
> > >> > >>
> > >> > >> RanthulfR
> > >> > >>
> > >> >
> > >> > On Nov 16, 2011, at 12:34 PM, Lord Kazmer wrote:
> > >> >
> > >> > Sir RanthulfR,
> > >> >
> > >> > Achieving a “critical mass” is always the problem with youth
> > >> combat.
> > >> > Nothing is more frustrating for the kids than not having
> anyone to
> > >> > play with. One of the reasons that youth combat has been
> > >> successful
> > >> > at the Roaring Waste practice is that we draw from several
> > >> groups. No
> > >> > one group usually has enough kids for a viable practice but by
> > >> drawing
> > >> > on the surrounding groups the critical mass can be achieved.
> The
> > >> > Roaring Waste practice is really a regional practice and by
> > >> holding it
> > >> > once a month we can sort of concentrate participation. There
> is a
> > >> > limit to how far parents will drive though, probably less
> than an
> > >> hour.
> > >> >
> > >> > Some of the marshals in Andelcrag are trying to get a Baronial
> > >> youth
> > >> > combat practice started out there because, again, they don’t
> have
> > >> > enough kids in any one group but the barony as a whole has
> quite a
> > >> > few. They want to try the once a month model but are having
> > >> trouble
> > >> > settling on when and where.
> > >> >
> > >> > An Ann Arbor practice could also draw in other groups. I know
> > >> there
> > >> > are interested kids in Talonval and Weald Lake. Some have come
> > >> to my
> > >> > practice on occasion. A trip to Ann Arbor would be much more
> > >> feasible
> > >> > for these parents than to come to my practice. You could
> also draw
> > >> > from Brackendelve. The Detroit area youth combat practice is
> > >> always
> > >> > the last Sunday of the month. If Cynnabar started a monthly
> > >> practice,
> > >> > the second Sunday for example, those who are inclined to could
> > >> attend
> > >> > both. Some of the kids who come to my practice would attend
> more
> > >> than
> > >> > one a month if available, but we have been reluctant to hold
> ours
> > >> more
> > >> > often for fear of losing that “critical mass”. When we
> started,
> > >> about
> > >> > 12 years ago, we had my son Bill, and Maximilian’s son Odd.
> > >> Those two
> > >> > got awfully tired of only having the other to fight with. As
> time
> > >> > went on, and with the availability of loaner gear, we got more
> > >> kids to
> > >> > play. One of the “problems” with YC is that the kids do age-
> out.
> > >> > About three years ago we had a bunch of division 3 kids at my
> > >> > practice. Then they started turning 18 and were gone.
> Leoric from
> > >> > Weald Lake was the last one. Now my oldest regular
> participants
> > >> are
> > >> > 14, but I have 5 or 6 more right behind them in division 2.
> Wait a
> > >> > couple years and I’ll have a bunch of division 3 kids again.
> > >> >
> > >> > On-line information for parents is somewhat lacking, other
> than the
> > >> > kingdom rules. This is an area which I want to correct. I
> hope to
> > >> > get some more resources posted to the kingdom website.
> > >> > Loaner gear seems to be the key. Parents are dis-inclined to
> spend
> > >> > money on gear until they are sure that their child is actually
> > >> going
> > >> > to stick with it. I’ve suited up many a child over the years
> who,
> > >> > after one practice, decided they would rather do fencing or
> > >> archery.
> > >> >
> > >> > Accumulating gear is a slow process, my stash is about 12 years
> > >> in the
> > >> > making. I started by asking for donations of old sports
> gear. I
> > >> got
> > >> > more roller-blading elbow and knee pads than I needed
> initially.
> > >> > Hawkland Moor authorized me to spend up to $75 which I used
> to buy
> > >> > hockey helmets at Play-it-Again Sports. I’ve also hit garage
> sales
> > >> > and flea markets for most of the rest. The only armor that
> isn’t
> > >> > commercially available are gorgets, but I’ll bet that some of
> your
> > >> > local fighters have scrap leather and barrel plastic lying
> around
> > >> and
> > >> > could throw together a few. Someone from Cynnabar would need
> to
> > >> step
> > >> > up and be the point person for the program. This should be a
> youth
> > >> > marshal with a background check (you need one of those present
> > >> > anyway). Assistance can then come from parents, fighters, and
> > >> other
> > >> > adults. Remember, you don’t have to be a warranted youth
> marshal
> > >> to
> > >> > work with the kids, just to “spar” with them.
> > >> >
> > >> > What can I do to help you get started? Would you like me to
> attend
> > >> > one of your baronial meetings to discuss this with the
> group? I
> > >> would
> > >> > also be willing to attend one of your practices and bring my
> loaner
> > >> > gear, although I can’t make a regular practice of this. Boy
> scout
> > >> > demos can be a fertile recruiting field. Over the last few
> years
> > >> I’ve
> > >> > had several families get started in SCA because the kids were
> > >> > introduced to youth combat either at demos or by friends in the
> > >> SCA.
> > >> > Little known fact: most of the kids in youth combat do not
> have a
> > >> > parent who fights.
> > >> >
> > >> > I will be teaching a class at 12th Night in January for
> parents and
> > >> > kids who are interested in learning about the program. As
> part of
> > >> > that class I am working on a set of hand-outs on how to find or
> > >> make
> > >> > youth combat gear. I plan to post these on-line eventually.
> > >> >
> > >> > At the very least, lets keep talking.
> > >> >
> > >> > THL Nyilas Kazmer
> > >> > Middle Kingdom Deputy Earl Marshal
> > >> > Youth Combat
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> > Randy Asplund
> > >> > Facebook: "Randy Asplund, Artist"
> > >> > www.RandyAsplund.com
> > >> > Maker of Medieval books and
> > >> > Illustrator of Science Fiction & Fantasy
> > >> > (734) 663-0954
> > >> > 2101 S. Circle Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
> > >> >
> > >
> > > Randy Asplund
> > > Facebook: "Randy Asplund, Artist"
> > > www.RandyAsplund.com
> > > Maker of Medieval books and
> > > Illustrator of Science Fiction & Fantasy
> > > (734) 663-0954
> > > 2101 S. Circle Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Barony mailing list
> > > Barony at cynnabar.org
> > > http://lists.cynnabar.org/listinfo/barony
> > >
> > >
> >
> > Randy Asplund
> > Facebook: "Randy Asplund, Artist"
> > www.RandyAsplund.com
> > Maker of Medieval books and
> > Illustrator of Science Fiction & Fantasy
> > (734) 663-0954
> > 2101 S. Circle Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
> >
Randy Asplund
Facebook: "Randy Asplund, Artist"
www.RandyAsplund.com
Maker of Medieval books and
Illustrator of Science Fiction & Fantasy
(734) 663-0954
2101 S. Circle Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
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