[Cynnabar] P.S. Youth fighting in Cynnabar
John Wilkerson
jmw at wilkersons.ws
Thu Nov 17 23:29:09 UTC 2011
Well said by all. Warder Arnold mentioned needing smaller fencing masks
for the younger fencers. I own two practice blades that I will donate to
the barony, especially since my daughter now uses steel weapons.
I think a youth fighting program could only benefit the barony. Further
discussion and planning of course is needed.
Johannes
On 11/17/2011 2:21 PM, Randy Asplund wrote:
> 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
>> <mailto: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 <mailto: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
>>>>> <mailto: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 <mailto: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>
>>>>>> <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>
>>>>> <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
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Barony mailing list
>>>>> Barony at cynnabar.org <mailto:Barony at cynnabar.org>
>>>>> http://lists.cynnabar.org/listinfo/barony
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Randy Asplund
>>> Facebook: "Randy Asplund, Artist"
>>> www.RandyAsplund.com <http://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
>>>
>>>
>>>
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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
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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