<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">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.<div><br></div><div>Randuffus</div><div><br><div><div>On Nov 17, 2011, at 9:46 AM, <a href="mailto:andrew@prometheusmotionpictures.com">andrew@prometheusmotionpictures.com</a> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"> <meta content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"> <div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> <span>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.</span> </div><p style="margin: 0px;"> </p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> <span>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. </span> </div><p style="margin: 0px;"> </p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> <span>(Wouldnt it be neat if we had like half of a highschool football team on the field at Pennsic?) </span> </div><p style="margin: 0px;"> </p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> <span>To put my money were my mouth is, I'm willing to be a youth marshall and I can certianly pass a background check.</span> </div><p style="margin: 0px;"> </p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> <span>Cheers,</span> </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> <span>Hjorleif </span> </div><p style="margin: 0px; "></p><div> <span> </span> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div> <div style="margin: 5px 0px; font-family: monospace;"> <br> On November 16, 2011 at 7:57 PM Randy Asplund <<a href="mailto:randyasplund@comcast.net">randyasplund@comcast.net</a>> wrote: <br> <br> > Oh, I forgot to mention- Actually, I believe that Ld. Arnold is a <br> > Youth Fencing Marshal, so I am not the only Youth Marshal. <br> > <br> > I'm writing from Craft Night and there is a little talk going on right <br> > now posing the question of wether the group might like to add a <br> > Minister of Youth so we could have someone who can help coordinate <br> > activities for the children of the Barony. <br> > <br> > Just food for thought (to go with the pizza we just had and the home- <br> > made apple pie & ice cream we are about to have...) <br> > <br> > RanthulfR <br> > <br> > On Nov 16, 2011, at 4:40 PM, Greg Less wrote: <br> > <br> > > Before we get to far down this path of buying and prepping... do we <br> > > actually have any youth that are interested in fighting, are in the <br> > > same age division as other youths and have parents that are willing <br> > > to commit to making sure we have critical mass? Furthermore, the <br> > > barony has exactly one authorized youth marshal. The authorization <br> > > process, not to mention the background check, make the prospect of <br> > > us getting more seem slim at best. <br> > > <br> > > So, I guess my question is - why are we considering this and who <br> > > plans on supporting? <br> > > <br> > > Thanks, <br> > > -Gregoire. <br> > > <br> > > On Wed, Nov 16, 2011 at 4:36 PM, Randy Asplund <<a href="mailto:randyasplund@comcast.net">randyasplund@comcast.net</a> <br> > > > wrote: <br> > > Actually, I was just out at Share House on Jackson d. the other day <br> > > and they had a lot of hockey helmets and other stuff for CHEAP. <br> > > <br> > > RanthulfR <br> > > <br> > > <br> > > On Nov 16, 2011, at 4:03 PM, <a href="mailto:andrew@prometheusmotionpictures.com">andrew@prometheusmotionpictures.com</a> <br> > > wrote: <br> > > <br> > >> Recycle Ann Arbor has youth hockey helmets (usually 2 or 3) on the <br> > >> shelf nearly everytime I go there. Hockey pants and elbow and knee <br> > >> pads as well. <br> > >> <br> > >> I'm not in a position right now to volunteer for anything, but in <br> > >> the future I would be interested in getting a youth combat <br> > >> authorization / marshalette. I've already been background checked <br> > >> to death from working at CPS, and would certainly be willing to do <br> > >> it again. <br> > >> <br> > >> Best, <br> > >> Hjorleif <br> > >> <br> > >> <br> > >> On November 16, 2011 at 3:27 PM Randy Asplund <<a href="mailto:randyasplund@comcast.net">randyasplund@comcast.net</a> <br> > >> > wrote: <br> > >> <br> > >> > Unto the members of the Barony, Greetings from Sir RanthulfR, Youth <br> > >> > Marshal, etc. <br> > >> > <br> > >> > At our last Baronial meeting we had a discussion about promoting <br> > >> Youth <br> > >> > fighting in both boffer and rapier in Cynnabar. I volunteered to <br> > >> write <br> > >> > to Lord Nylas Kazmer, the Kingdom & Pentamere officer responsible <br> > >> for <br> > >> > Youth Combat, and ask his advice. The following is my letter to <br> > >> him <br> > >> > and his reply back (posted with permission). I am forwarding it <br> > >> to you <br> > >> > all because it is a bit much for reporting at a meeting, and it <br> > >> > affects many who are not regular at the meetings. <br> > >> > <br> > >> > <br> > >> > <br> > >> > > On Nov 14, 2011, at 9:34 PM, Randy Asplund wrote: <br> > >> > > <br> > >> > >> Hi Kazmer, <br> > >> > >> <br> > >> > >> This is a scoping out kind of letter. I just got back from the <br> > >> > >> Cynnabar weekly business meeting. The subject of demos for boy <br> > >> > >> scouts came up. I suggested that we talk to youth fighters in <br> > >> the <br> > >> > >> area and see if any wanted to be in a demo for kids close to <br> > >> their <br> > >> > >> age. That inspired a long discussion about what we could do to <br> > >> get <br> > >> > >> youth fighting going here. <br> > >> > >> <br> > >> > >> We all recognize that we have parents bring kids around every <br> > >> once <br> > >> > >> in a while, the kids are enthused, but we have no loaner gear <br> > >> or <br> > >> > >> youth of the right age/size for them to spar with. The people <br> > >> at <br> > >> > >> the meeting all want to have the barony be ready to provide <br> > >> youth <br> > >> > >> fighting, but we just don't seem to have the youth critical <br> > >> mass to <br> > >> > >> accomplish it. <br> > >> > >> <br> > >> > >> I suggested that we point parents to the materials online so <br> > >> they <br> > >> > >> could become familiar with armor & weapon standards and learn <br> > >> the <br> > >> > >> rules. Then we would send them to the larger youth practices <br> > >> when <br> > >> > >> they are held out near Detroit. My thought being that once we <br> > >> had a <br> > >> > >> few doing that, we wold gain the critical mass locally to pt it <br> > >> > >> together here with regularity. <br> > >> > >> <br> > >> > >> The concern expressed by the others was that once they went <br> > >> out to <br> > >> > >> Detroit, -if indeed the parents could be talked into that drive- <br> > >> > >> they wold keep going there instead of settling here, even after <br> > >> > >> local opponents were found. <br> > >> > >> <br> > >> > >> I asked if they would like me to write to you to see if you <br> > >> might <br> > >> > >> have some helpful suggestions on how to get our group "over the <br> > >> > >> hump" so to speak. <br> > >> > >> <br> > >> > SNIP <br> > >> > >> Have you any advice or thoughts on it? <br> > >> > >> <br> > >> > >> RanthulfR <br> > >> > >> <br> > >> > <br> > >> > On Nov 16, 2011, at 12:34 PM, Lord Kazmer wrote: <br> > >> > <br> > >> > Sir RanthulfR, <br> > >> > <br> > >> > Achieving a “critical mass” is always the problem with youth <br> > >> combat. <br> > >> > Nothing is more frustrating for the kids than not having anyone to <br> > >> > play with. One of the reasons that youth combat has been <br> > >> successful <br> > >> > at the Roaring Waste practice is that we draw from several <br> > >> groups. No <br> > >> > one group usually has enough kids for a viable practice but by <br> > >> drawing <br> > >> > on the surrounding groups the critical mass can be achieved. The <br> > >> > Roaring Waste practice is really a regional practice and by <br> > >> holding it <br> > >> > once a month we can sort of concentrate participation. There is a <br> > >> > limit to how far parents will drive though, probably less than an <br> > >> hour. <br> > >> > <br> > >> > Some of the marshals in Andelcrag are trying to get a Baronial <br> > >> youth <br> > >> > combat practice started out there because, again, they don’t have <br> > >> > enough kids in any one group but the barony as a whole has quite a <br> > >> > few. They want to try the once a month model but are having <br> > >> trouble <br> > >> > settling on when and where. <br> > >> > <br> > >> > An Ann Arbor practice could also draw in other groups. I know <br> > >> there <br> > >> > are interested kids in Talonval and Weald Lake. Some have come <br> > >> to my <br> > >> > practice on occasion. A trip to Ann Arbor would be much more <br> > >> feasible <br> > >> > for these parents than to come to my practice. You could also draw <br> > >> > from Brackendelve. The Detroit area youth combat practice is <br> > >> always <br> > >> > the last Sunday of the month. If Cynnabar started a monthly <br> > >> practice, <br> > >> > the second Sunday for example, those who are inclined to could <br> > >> attend <br> > >> > both. Some of the kids who come to my practice would attend more <br> > >> than <br> > >> > one a month if available, but we have been reluctant to hold ours <br> > >> more <br> > >> > often for fear of losing that “critical mass”. When we started, <br> > >> about <br> > >> > 12 years ago, we had my son Bill, and Maximilian’s son Odd. <br> > >> Those two <br> > >> > got awfully tired of only having the other to fight with. As time <br> > >> > went on, and with the availability of loaner gear, we got more <br> > >> kids to <br> > >> > play. One of the “problems” with YC is that the kids do age-out. <br> > >> > About three years ago we had a bunch of division 3 kids at my <br> > >> > practice. Then they started turning 18 and were gone. Leoric from <br> > >> > Weald Lake was the last one. Now my oldest regular participants <br> > >> are <br> > >> > 14, but I have 5 or 6 more right behind them in division 2. Wait a <br> > >> > couple years and I’ll have a bunch of division 3 kids again. <br> > >> > <br> > >> > On-line information for parents is somewhat lacking, other than the <br> > >> > kingdom rules. This is an area which I want to correct. I hope to <br> > >> > get some more resources posted to the kingdom website. <br> > >> > Loaner gear seems to be the key. Parents are dis-inclined to spend <br> > >> > money on gear until they are sure that their child is actually <br> > >> going <br> > >> > to stick with it. I’ve suited up many a child over the years who, <br> > >> > after one practice, decided they would rather do fencing or <br> > >> archery. <br> > >> > <br> > >> > Accumulating gear is a slow process, my stash is about 12 years <br> > >> in the <br> > >> > making. I started by asking for donations of old sports gear. I <br> > >> got <br> > >> > more roller-blading elbow and knee pads than I needed initially. <br> > >> > Hawkland Moor authorized me to spend up to $75 which I used to buy <br> > >> > hockey helmets at Play-it-Again Sports. I’ve also hit garage sales <br> > >> > and flea markets for most of the rest. The only armor that isn’t <br> > >> > commercially available are gorgets, but I’ll bet that some of your <br> > >> > local fighters have scrap leather and barrel plastic lying around <br> > >> and <br> > >> > could throw together a few. Someone from Cynnabar would need to <br> > >> step <br> > >> > up and be the point person for the program. This should be a youth <br> > >> > marshal with a background check (you need one of those present <br> > >> > anyway). Assistance can then come from parents, fighters, and <br> > >> other <br> > >> > adults. Remember, you don’t have to be a warranted youth marshal <br> > >> to <br> > >> > work with the kids, just to “spar” with them. <br> > >> > <br> > >> > What can I do to help you get started? Would you like me to attend <br> > >> > one of your baronial meetings to discuss this with the group? I <br> > >> would <br> > >> > also be willing to attend one of your practices and bring my loaner <br> > >> > gear, although I can’t make a regular practice of this. Boy scout <br> > >> > demos can be a fertile recruiting field. Over the last few years <br> > >> I’ve <br> > >> > had several families get started in SCA because the kids were <br> > >> > introduced to youth combat either at demos or by friends in the <br> > >> SCA. <br> > >> > Little known fact: most of the kids in youth combat do not have a <br> > >> > parent who fights. <br> > >> > <br> > >> > I will be teaching a class at 12th Night in January for parents and <br> > >> > kids who are interested in learning about the program. As part of <br> > >> > that class I am working on a set of hand-outs on how to find or <br> > >> make <br> > >> > youth combat gear. I plan to post these on-line eventually. <br> > >> > <br> > >> > At the very least, lets keep talking. <br> > >> > <br> > >> > THL Nyilas Kazmer <br> > >> > Middle Kingdom Deputy Earl Marshal <br> > >> > Youth Combat <br> > >> > <br> > >> > <br> > >> > Randy Asplund <br> > >> > Facebook: "Randy Asplund, Artist" <br> > >> > <a href="http://www.RandyAsplund.com">www.RandyAsplund.com</a> <br> > >> > Maker of Medieval books and <br> > >> > Illustrator of Science Fiction & Fantasy <br> > >> > (734) 663-0954 <br> > >> > 2101 S. Circle Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48103 <br> > >> > <br> > > <br> > > Randy Asplund <br> > > Facebook: "Randy Asplund, Artist" <br> > > <a href="http://www.RandyAsplund.com">www.RandyAsplund.com</a> <br> > > Maker of Medieval books and <br> > > Illustrator of Science Fiction & Fantasy <br> > > (734) 663-0954 <br> > > 2101 S. Circle Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48103 <br> > > <br> > > <br> > > _______________________________________________ <br> > > Barony mailing list <br> > > <a href="mailto:Barony@cynnabar.org">Barony@cynnabar.org</a> <br> > > <a href="http://lists.cynnabar.org/listinfo/barony">http://lists.cynnabar.org/listinfo/barony</a> <br> > > <br> > > <br> > <br> > Randy Asplund <br> > Facebook: "Randy Asplund, Artist" <br> > <a href="http://www.RandyAsplund.com">www.RandyAsplund.com</a> <br> > Maker of Medieval books and <br> > Illustrator of Science Fiction & Fantasy <br> > (734) 663-0954 <br> > 2101 S. Circle Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48103 <br> > </div> </div> </blockquote></div><br><div apple-content-edited="true"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><div><div>Randy Asplund</div><div>Facebook: "Randy Asplund, Artist"</div><div><a href="http://www.RandyAsplund.com">www.RandyAsplund.com</a></div><div>Maker of Medieval books and </div><div>Illustrator of Science Fiction & Fantasy</div><div>(734) 663-0954</div><div>2101 S. Circle Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48103</div></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span> </div><br></div></body></html>