Several years ago, a local Junior High (9th grade) teacher gave his Geometry classes the project of building catapults. From his original idea of table top catapults it grew to full size catapults (that shot water balloons) and encampments for each team. The students are the ones who pushed the larger idea, not the teacher. The teacher knew I was in the SCA and asked if we would come out and coach and help, which we did. It was a success on many levels, but the point of this missive is to say what our group did for 'retention'. When all was said and done, every student who had participated in the event received a scroll for their efforts. Hopefully some of those students will be going through their rooms in a few months, trying to prepare to leave for college. And when they are packing things away, maybe they will find that old scroll to remind them of the SCA, then be surprised to find us on campus. Another thing we did was to make a presentation to the English class when they did their "Poetry Slam". Our bards represented us for that demo, trying to recruit the young adults to pursue their performing arts talents through the SCA. On another note, don't just offer a ride to a newcomer. In the case of young adults, take on the responsibility of getting them to events, with required paperwork in hand. Get to know the parents so they are comfortable signing the permission forms for you to take their children to events. I have one 'adopted' child leaving for A&M in a month. He is interested in Rapier. I have another who went to State for choir that I hope to get involved in Bardic. It can be done, we just have to think outside the normal realm. HL Francesca -- DonnelShaw@aol.com wrote: In a message dated 4/28/2006 2:53:00 P.M. Central Standard Time, ldeerslayer@yahoo.com writes: What many groups have found is that doing demos for schools does not gain them members. Sometimes it does gain them one or two teachers. Even if the kids are incredibly enthused their parents are the ones who have to bring them. They seldom get involved. Also, most of our members have day jobs and very few of them can take off enough to do the demos. What you often end up with is a few very knowledgeable people and a lot of very helpful people who either aren't very knowledgeable or don't understand how to present the SCA to the public. It does earn us Karma Points...but doesn't give us "bang for the buck"... It often is not a wise use of our resources... What we need is maximum exposure to the most Adults who would be interested (history geeks, gamers, etc) with the amount of resources we can muster. LDeerslayer I have been sitting on the side lines and knew this would come up sooner than later. While all are valid points. We must remember a few things. First we once were children and someone planted the seed of interest in the middle ages for us. Personally it was all the technicolor movies.(Robin Hood, Black Rose,..............) I loved them then and I still love them. It was hearing Shakespeare read in class then seeing the summer plays. My parents taking me to see exhibits at museums. When a school demo is done yes there will not be an immediate return. But it is a long term investment. You are there to plant that interest to spark their imagination. To give them the idea that there higher standards and they to can see others have them. That weaving and illumination is really neat and interesting. Those children will grow. And in ten to fifteen years down the road they my run across another SCA demo and because that prior knowledge as been planted and allowed to grow you will get better results then. Even if they never join the SCA you will have had an impact on that child's life. So to go and do a School Demo in my opinion is a very noble activity. And just as important an activity as other types of demos and should not be put by the wayside in favor of other types of demos. We are an educational organization. Remember the children are our future weather they are in the SCA or not. Lady Maili Donnel MacGregor