Kids, Teens, and the SCA
Here is an official handout with information for parents of teens and kids interested in joining the SCA: Teenagers and the SCA
If you have a teen in the SCA, you may get a letter like this: Sample Letter to Parents . This is a standard thing for local chapters to do, as we do not want to alienate the parents of teens who are interested in the SCA. The SCA is a family-orientated organization and we will not allow teens to participate in our activities and events without parental consent. The SCA is a fun hobby for all, but we will not take chances with our kids or yours!
For an idea about what there is to do for children and teens in the SCA read the article "What about my Kids?" --PDF Format. There are many things for children and teens to do in the SCA. Many local groups offer youth foam-weapons practice and competitions, Arts and Sciences, and Bardic activities. At many events throughout our Kingdom we have activities just for kids. These activities are for parents to attend with their children. For everyone's safety and peace of mind, the SCA has a rule that no child under 12 yrs of age may be left unattended at an official SCA event or activity. A rule of thumb for this is to make sure you can see and/or hear your child at all times. Every children's activity at events are run by, at minimum, two of our members who have had background checks, and who are not related to each other. These are our Society's rules to make sure that all of our kids are safe, so that we could all enjoy the event.
The SCA has certain words which we call to get people's attention. These are usually inflected in a "heraldic" voice, which is enunciated and projected from the diaphram, so generally loud and clear. This does not mean we are yelling at anyone, but simply need a person or group's attention. The call "hold", means to stop what you are doing and freeze, as you may be in danger. This is mainly used on the martial fields to stop a fighter from going over the list field lines into the crowd, but many SCA people find themselves using this call for more general situations as well, like a child running near the road, or getting too close to a horse. The meaning of the call is always taken to mean, "freeze", in any situation. This is also like calling "red light" in the children's game "red light, green light".
Another call we use commonly is "Oyez", which is pronounced oye-yay. A call of oyez is a call for attention to an announcement. This is a general announcement call, as in "Oyez, m'lords and ladies, feast will being in 15 mins." Sometimes, "pray attend" or "M'lords and ladies" is also used for this purpose.
The call of "vivant" is one of our cheers for a job well done or congratulations. It is usually said three times in a row, and especially during our courts. The root Viv- comes from Latin meaning life, so it celebratory in nature. It is much like shouting hurray, hurrah, or huzzah.
These are some of things which we would like our kids to know going into their first event, as shouting adults sometimes can cause kids to become not so happy campers.
Another topic of concern for parents is feasts. Most events will have an optional feast, in which, participants can pay extra to attend. These are an hour to two hour long dinners, and sometimes there is entertainment during this (but not all the time). Many feast cooks try to create period-styled food which taste good to the modern palate, but sometimes this can be hard. Not everone will like turnips, chickpeas, or spinach, or may even have allergies to these foods. Children are commonly thought to be picky eaters, and may not want to eat anything at a feast (sometimes simply because it doesn't look "right"). Many cooks will try to get their feast menu out the public as early as soon they can, so that people can decide if they like it or if they should bring their kids. With advanced notice, some cooks are nice enough to try and make a separate dish for someone who does have specific allergies (or dietary concerns) and who wishes to attend that feast (that is if the cooks have the resources and time to do so, it is up to their discretion). While we try to make our feasts something that everyone can enjoy, 100% satisfaction is almost impossible to achieve. For parents, sometimes it is more ecomonical and practical to bring their dinner with them, instead of feasting. I know my daughter can barely get through a modern meal, much less a period one, so I do not attend feast with my daughter. But when she is with Grandma for a weekend, I can attend feast if I wish. Bringing kid-friendly snacks to an event for your kids, is always recommended. It keeps them happy, and it can be a lot less stressful than forcing your children to wait for a lunch or feast they may or may not like. Don't forget children will need feast gear (cups, plates, napkins, utensils) too.
Even children are asked to wear "garb" (our period outfits, dresses, and outerwear) at events. While it may be very darling to wrap your princess up in linen and silk, don't forget you're going to have to wash that outfit when you get home. It may not ALWAYS be true, but expect an event site to be muddy, wet, and chilly. If you expect that much, you will have an extra change of clothing (including shoes and couple pairs of socks), some kind of outerwear (like a cloak or blanket), and a towel, and these things can make a big difference for you and your child in your event experience. Kids grow very quickly, garb does not (if it lasts long enough for your child to grow out of). Taking part in a children's garb exchange is a wonderful idea to save yourself time and cost. This is one point I like to make for all newcomers, our outfits are not costumes. Our garb needs to last us through rain, cold, snow, mud, humidity, heat waves, packing and unpacking, and mending. We are investing in all-purpose clothing, that is period-styled, and not costumes meant to be worn once or twice. Sometimes it is worth it to buy an expensive wool piece (certain wool blends will repel water as well as cold), rather than a less expensive fleece piece. Lastly, layering can be a life-saver and can expand your wardrobe.
We hope we have covered your concerns in this article about kids and teens in the SCA. If there is anything you find you wish you had known more about in advance, let us know and we'll add it! The more we can prepare a newcomer and their family for SCA living, the easier that newcomer will be able to make their jump into SCA life.