[Ansteorra] Children ID Tags!

[Pukhta 'Pooky' Lovtsevich]

Good and Wonderful Day Ansteorra,

I have thought for many years that a form of I.D. Tag for children is
a necessary thing to have happen.

Pooky Story Time:

Often, all too often, a child is not with their parent or legal
guardian and experience a momentary laps of happiness.

So there is a upset crying child, mild to moderately hysterical, and
either too young or too upset or too unfamiliar to share their
parental or legal guardian's information such as SCA Name, Camping
Group / Household or SCA Group.

What I need on a Children ID Tag, minimally, is:

Child's Name
Par / Leg Guar's SCA Name
Group e,g, Wolfstar or Hellsgate or Pooky's Friend (for new people
they could list the person that introduced them to the SCA)
Phone Number (I think parent's should carry their phone and be
permitted to step to one side and answer their phone without getting
attitude for funging up the period schwe' of others)

Another Pooky Point:

It would be really really helpful if Parents and Legal Guardians would
make sure their child knows where their Child ID Tag is on their
personage.

A 6'6", 320 pound, bald, serious-looking male rifling over the outer
garments of a crying-hysterical child, might appear unseemly.

Mandating a specific place the Child ID Tag is carried probably wont
work cause some kid wont like it, and therefore less accepting and
compliant.
Mandating the type of id tag probably wouldn't work because some
Parents and Legal Guardians or Children Youths or Minors would for
example prefer it sewn into the garb than worn around the neck.

In my humble opinion, mandating children be identifiable by a means
other than their upset voice is good for them, and I think good for
the SCA.

More educated officers than I should consider what if Ansteorra
provided each (location) group plenty, like 50-100 tags (like keychain
or luggage) to write the previously mentioned information upon. These
could be made available at gate at events, at populous meetings, etc.
Then the SCA could say we make available the means by which children
can be identified, and it is of course the responsibility of the
parent or legal guardian to follow up and administer the process.
Wouldn't that be a step that shows the legal world that we as a group
have taken a(nother) step to help ensure child safety and lower the
possibility of indemnification for the SCA?

More Pooky Story:

Picture if you will hearing a crying child in a parking lot, with a
lord in a simple attempt at a tunic or a lady in a dress... Parent or
Predator? and this moment is possibly the last chance in this life for
the child.

I fear that every day I am at an event.

We are so open, and assume in ways that Respect is commonplace {at
least that's me} that we as a group need to ensure the SCA lowers
indemnification probability and oh yes have a way to get a child back
into the responsible hands of the correct Parent or Legal Gruardian..

Assuming Parents and Legal Guardians will maintain the responsibility
to make sure something doesn't come back on the SCA, isn't realistic.

Assuming Parents and Legal Guardians will be on time to pick up their
charge after an MoC Activity, isn't realistic.

Respect and Loving Gratitude,
Honorable Baron Pukhta 'Pooky' Lovetsevich
Compass Rose
Northern Regional Minister of Children
(Prospective) Ansteorran Youth and Family Council Representative



De wei moet worden uitgedrukt voordat de kaas kan worden bereikt.

"Love's lifelight dispels all shadows upon the path grown over with
truth." ~ Pooky