Minors are a part of our SCA community. It is helpful to provide activities at events for them. It helps them feel included and helps the parents be involved. These activities are not meant as a "babysitting service" but do allow the parents some time to be able to get involved in other aspects of the event. If you are thinking about including these activities at your event, contact the Kingdom Youth Minister or the local Youth Minister if your group has one. They should be able to assist in making these activities a plus to the event. Please see the Kingdom Youth Activities Guidelines for Local SCA Groups for additional information.

Required Paperwork to Admit Non-Family Minors

There are some special considerations for bringing a non-family minor to a SCA event. Primarily, if an adult is bringing minors who are not their own children, they must bring some additional paperwork with them. As per the Kingdom Youth Activities Guidelines for Local SCA Groups, parents must give the adult bringing their child two notarized copies of the following forms (one copy is to be given to Troll, the other copy stays with the guardian):

Temporary Guardianship Form
This is required by Arizona Law. This gives the designated adult the ability to legally act on behalf of the child and therefore is able to sign waivers for them at Troll. NOTE: This is a State of Arizona law, not an SCA requirement. If any adult brings a child not their own, without this paperwork, they should not be allowed to bring the child on site.
SCA Medical Authorization for Minors
This allows the adult to authorize medical treatment for the minor in case of an emergency.

See also Reports and Forms: During an Event for additional information.

Youth Activities at SCA Events

Please see the Kingdom Youth Activities Guidelines for Local SCA Groups for complete information. The main things for an Event Steward to keep in mind are:

  1. All youth activities at the event must be pre-approved by the Baron/Baroness (where applicable), the local group Senechal, and at least one other local group officer (Youth Minister, A&S Minister, etc).
  2. Those organizing the activities have no authority to discipline children and therefore can not be held responsible for their behavior or whereabouts.
  3. There must be AT LEAST two adults present at all times. This can be two paid members or one paid member and one parent of a participant. At least one of the two must be 21 years of age.
  4. Warranted Youth Ministers are responsible for making sure the required number of adults are available. If not, then they are required to cancel the activities.
  5. No Youth Minister may accompany an individual child to the bathroom. If a child needs adult assistance this is to be provided by their parent/guardian or someone they appoint.

Minor Curfews

As of October 2004, minor curfews are mandatory for camping events. To determine the proper policy to follow, check the site agreement, check local laws for curfew requirements (the site owner should have this information), and check the Kingdom of Atenveldt curfew as listed on the application. Use whichever policy is the most restrictive. This information must be included in published event articles, site regulations, gate books (if applicable), and on the Event Registration Application form.

When Minors Cause Problems at Events

While the primary responsibility for minors rests with their parents and/or guardians, an Event Steward is responsible for the event they are running. Occasionally, the actions of minors at an event can cause problems, which can have very serious legal implications. The Kingdom of Atenveldt has developed a policy to guide Event Stewards when dealing with these situations, the Atenveldt Policy for Addressing Transgressions by Minors.

All Event Stewards should at least read through this policy before writing and submitting the Event Registration form and Southwind article. It is also a good idea to re-read it just before the event. This way you will be familiar with the policy in case a problem arises, and will be able to deal with problems in an informed and appropriate manner. Event Stewards who are not familiar with the policy should print out a copy and keep it on hand during the event.

"The Children's Corner"

Your local Youth Minister should have some great ideas in making this area fun for all involved. However, as the Event Steward there are some things to keep in mind:

  1. Kids can be very noisy. If possible, try to get a separate room for the youth activities. It should be situated close to the main area so that it has easy access. This will make it easier for parents to periodically check on their kids, and for the people in charge to find the parents in case of problems.
  2. During the event, check on the people running the room. If there are only two guardians, they may need some assistance in tracking down someone to step in so they can take a break.
  3. If there are any problems with the kids in the room, remember that it is the responsibility of the parents to take care of it. If necessary, ask the parents to pick up any children that are causing undue problems.
  4. Be sure to discuss the length of time children's activities will be run on the day of the event with the person overseeing them. It is not required that the activities run for the entire duration of the event. If they only want to run it for a few hours, make sure that the times are listed in the event announcement. It is also a good idea to have a sign posted at Troll, and at the entrance to the kids' corner, of the times that activities will run. During opening court, make sure to make an announcement of these times and remind parents of when they must pick up their children.

Submitting Additional Information

If you would like to submit some advice or additional information, please submit it here