[Cynnabar] P.S. Youth fighting in Cynnabar
Randy Asplund
randyasplund at comcast.net
Thu Nov 17 19:21:48 UTC 2011
Lady Sunnifa,
I just wanted to pass my complements on an extremely well written and
informative post!
RanthulfR
On Nov 17, 2011, at 12:15 PM, Charlotte Mayhew wrote:
>
> To encourage youth fighting in Cynnabar, just start hosting a once-a-
> month youth practice. Publicize it throughout Michigan and Ohio
> groups and hold it on a *different* week than the Detroit youth
> practice.
>
> Marshal activities all fall under the Marshalate, not under
> Children’s Activities. A Youth Authorized Marshal with a full
> understanding of the armor & weapons requirements should run this,
> not a Minister of Youth.
>
>
> Youth Rapier:
> Warder Arnold and Warder Miguel are both Youth Authorized Fencing
> Marshals.
>
> The armor for adult and youth rapier is the same, only the weapons
> are different. So the Barony’s loaner equipment is suitable for
> youth. The biggest issue here is that fencing is a well-attended
> practice and sometimes fencers (of all ages) have to wait for their
> turn in armor.
>
> The fencers as a group have been very welcoming to my children and
> the friends they’ve brought to practice. They have been very
> willing to work with and teach them. I daresay there’s already a
> youth rapier practice in Cynnabar; it’s just mixed in with the
> regular one. Still, I think a monthly designated youth rapier
> practice would be well-attended.
>
>
> Youth Heavy Fighting:
> A newbie doesn’t need armor to hold a sword and learn to hit a fully-
> armored fighter. If you get the interested youths to come to
> practice, and figure out ways for them to participate without full
> armor, you’re halfway there. Running hands-on classes on various
> weapons, shields, long weapons, etc., will all engage interested new
> fighters. Then you can get them armored up one by one.
>
> With 4 different levels of armor and weapons requirements, getting
> loaner armor together is much more complicated than it is for
> rapier. It would be a good idea to write up a one-page summary of
> armor requirements for each age group, with an emphasis on regular
> sports equipment that can be purchased. This would be helpful to
> newbie parents, who might just go purchase needed equipment. This
> is especially true of the younger ages, where most of the armor is
> easy and inexpensive to buy.
>
>
> One of the biggest hitches to recruiting interested youth fighters
> is that you also have to recruit their parents. It would be a good
> idea to know whether you want to recruit all ages of youth (from
> 6-18) or if you just want to concentrate on teens.
>
>
> This is my 2 cents, based on my experiences with my kids in youth
> combat and fencing.
>
> --Sunnifa (Charlotte)
>
>
>
>
> On 11/16/11 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 <http://www.RandyAsplund.com>
>>>>> > Maker of Medieval books and
>>>>> > Illustrator of Science Fiction & Fantasy
>>>>> > (734) 663-0954 <tel:%28734%29%20663-0954>
>>>>> > 2101 S. Circle Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
>>>>> >
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Randy Asplund
>>>> Facebook: "Randy Asplund, Artist"
>>>> www.RandyAsplund.com <http://www.RandyAsplund.com>
>>>> Maker of Medieval books and
>>>> Illustrator of Science Fiction & Fantasy
>>>> (734) 663-0954 <tel:%28734%29%20663-0954>
>>>> 2101 S. Circle Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> Randy Asplund
>> Facebook: "Randy Asplund, Artist"
>> www.RandyAsplund.com <http://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
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