[Ansteorra] Things I have seen

Tue Jun 5 18:03:47 PDT 2007

Greetings,

You've got a good point that we need to recognize everyone's contributions regardless of who they are. I've had trouble myself trying to know what to do when recognizing youth. 

As for recognizing our youth members, I've always tried to do that individually as I noticed the person working. I'll do this for kids and for teenagers and for young adults. Doesn't matter. If I see you working hard I will thank you. If I see you doing great acts or arts I will praise you. We all should do this of course, and if you find that you aren't ... take a good look at those around you who are helping the game and take a moment to give them praise. 

And as for awards, I wait to see how the youth interacts within the Society the same as I do with any person. If I can see that the person is interested in working for and within the Society - and not because they have been drug along with their parents or told to volunteer - they I would happily also recommend that youth for an award. I just need to know that the individual has a personal motivation and attachment to the Society ... and yeah ... that may be harder for a child.

What I wonder is if it is harder for those children who truly are raised in the Society. Not that the younger members of the SCA are necessarily ignored for recognition. But maybe that the children we have seen so often take direction from their parents that we miss when they mature into adults with voices of their own and make their own way ion the Society. I know there are many who have successfully transitioned for a child who was an extension of their parents. But it must be harder for those whose parents are more SCA legends than others. 

This is hard for me to say though, since I mostly grew up in the Society, or at least grew up as a an adult in the Society. (Many will remember growing pains...) And as a youth I got recognition from others - and I don't think I was the exception either since so many of my friends were recognized as well. My thought is that we were not born in the Society - or perhaps it is because my parents did not play. It is hard to tell. And your number of 25 may be arbitrary, but I became a Laurel at that age, so I know from personal experience that it is possible to gain respect from others in the Society.

Regardless. Your point that we may need to at times to pay more attention to the youth is a valid one. We should all take that to heart.

Thank you for your words.

Your Servant to Command,
~Philip White

> Message: 2> Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2007 18:48:37 -0700 (PDT)> From: Richard Taylor <king_of_dragons76010 at yahoo.com>> Subject: [Ansteorra] Things I have seen> To: ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org> Message-ID: <986548.43931.qm at web33312.mail.mud.yahoo.com>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1> > Greetings to All,> > I am writing to you to talk about a few things I have> seen over the last ten years in the SCA since I> received my AOA. I am finally able to put these> thoughts into words after my experiences at this> year's Highland games. > > There is a dangerous trend that people below the age> of 25 do not get the respect that they deserve in the> SCA, especially, if they have been in the SCA for> years. The young people who helped at the games this> year were not thanked personally, but only got the> general thank you's normally given at the end of the> demo. I do not know if they just get overlooked or> what, but many of them have been giving their time> freely to the group for years without any thanks or> respect.> > Many teenagers and young adults have done a lot of> work through out the kingdom and it looks like this> trend is going to keep on happening. Even though these> young people have been taking part in activities,> working and even winning competions they do not> recieved awards. Some of them have worked for years> and have not gotten their AOA yet. Young people that> have been brought up in the SCA seem to either be> ignored or lumped with their parents and do not get> the thanks or the respect they should get for freely> giving their time. It us hard on them to see newcomers> get AOA's and recognition in a short period of time> when they get nothing.> > I am not saying we have to give them awards, but just> to properly thank them. For years I have come out to> Steppes and Elfsea events and helped with what free> time that I can. This is mostly helping with setup> and tear down but never getting the thanks from the> people that I helped. Others are having the same thing> happen to them and in time will burn out because of> that lack of thanks. > > We have to remember to give the credit and thanks that> are due to these people since we are already doing it> to the those that are new to the SCA. We need to> remember that everyone who works needs to treated as> an individual. They need to be personally thanked for> their work.> > Lord Richard DeLaufyson
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