Greetings from your friendly neighborhood earl marshal!
Once again I write to all of you with an updated policy. Today I would like to post the updated policy regarding minors participating in adult combat activities:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minors (ages 14–17) may authorize with these additional requirements:
1. In order to be authorized as a combatant or marshal in adult armored combat, an individual must have attained his or her sixteenth (16th) birthday. In order to be authorized as a participant, combatant, or marshal in any other form of Society combat related activity, except youth combat, an individual must have attained his or her fourteenth (14th) birthday.
1.A. Minors may NOT authorize in Cut and Thrust, and may not begin practicing C&T at any level until their eighteenth (18th) birthday.
2. No person below the age of eighteen (18) may be warranted as a Marshal. Combatants sixteen (16) or older may become a Marshal in Training (MiT), but will not be fully warranted until their eighteenth (18th) birthday provided that all other requirements have been met.
3. The parents or guardians of the minor must witness SCA combat, discuss with a witnessing marshal how it relates to the participation of their child, and execute a “Minor’s Waiver and Informed Consent to Participate in SCA Combat-Related Activities.” The witnessing Marshal must countersign the waiver.
4. Only the Earl Marshal, or their deputies (Kingdom Armored Combat Marshal, Kingdom Rapier Marshal, etc.) may authorize the minor for SCA Combat-Related Activities.
5. At any event or practice in which the minor is involved in SCA combat-related activities, the minor must either have a parent or guardian present, or must be in possession of a properly executed “Medical Authorization Form for Minors.” Said Medical Authorization Form must designate an adult present at the event as able to authorize medical treatment in the case of an emergency.
6. Minors engaging in combat with adults shall be marked in the following manner: A single yellow diamond no larger than 1inch (25.4 mm) but no smaller than 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) to be placed on the front hemisphere of the helm (preferably on or near the inspection sticker). Minors competing with adults in Rapier will additionally have the same diamond on the cuff of the glove of their dominant weapon hand.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A few follow up comments:
-This removes the previous requirement to have a peer sponsor the youth combatants.
-This only effects minors engaging in Armored and Rapier combat. For other martial activities please read their policies regarding youth/minor participation.
-There are no restrictions on who may train the youth once all requirements are met. Please note that all adults may choose to not participate with minor combatants without any penalty. In the case of tournaments this means the minor would lose to the adult if the adult chooses not to participate with them.
I will have this policy posted in an upcoming Northwatch. Now that all policies I intend to revise have been completed I will begin working on revising the administrative handbook. Please be patient as this will take a bit of time.
If you have any questions on this or any other policy please feel free to contact me directly.
YIS,
Baron Ansila the Goth
Kingdom Earl Marshal