ES - Children at events

[Brandy]

I had a few thoughts on this matter and thought I would pass them along....
none are really new ideas, but revived ones.  As a child there are a few
things I really remember about the SCA... now I know my experience was not
always the "typical" one for an SCA child but I do remember what was fun.
    Once upon a time the Barony had Baronial pages.  We wore tabbards much
like the guards (child size of course) and we had to be at least 9 or 10 if
I recall correctly (and had to have a parent with us when we volunteered and
when we decided to take the tabbard off so they knew where we were).  We
helped with anything the Baron and Baroness wanted us to do... from
waterbearing to fetching and toting to seeking out people to helping the
crown with some of the same when they were in our Barony.  We were required
to stay accessible as long as we were wearing the tabbards, and I know it
was a big relief to many parents because it kept us fairly close to the
field and therefore within eyesight of our parents.
    Another thing I remember is the children's activities.  They were very
SCA related.  We had heraldry lessons made fun while designing our own arms.
We learned the correct heraldic descriptions for colors and shapes etc.
This was fun for both the older and younger kids, because the older children
could learn the correct way to do this (no color on color etc.) and the
younger children got to draw like the older kids were doing.  I also
remember teaching many of the younger children in the process.  We also
colored scrolls.  The MOC would get a copy of the scrolls from the Star
Signet and copy them unto white paper.  We would then color them with
markers or crayons... age appropriate of course.  I also remember an
embroidery lesson or two and a weaving lesson or two(the finished results
were normally presented in court to a presiding noble if the child didn't
already have an intended destination)  and a bardic lesson or two.  We also
had a children's tent or two... much like a ladies pavilion, where while we
were doing activities we could pick our favorite fighters and award them
with small trinkets.  Now another activity I remember were scavenger hunts.
Most involved a list of clues with questions and people we could ask
(prearranged of course so they were accesible to us) to get the answer or
item we were required to find.  In these hunts usually we were divided ino
teams with the younger children being paired with the older children and we
were not allowed to leave the area of the list field and/or feast hall most
of the time (always within eyesight).  Most of these activities kept all of
us entertained and the older children also actively helped the younger ones
learn what we were doing because children love imitation.
    As for pages, besides what was mentioned above, most children will show
an intrest and if you have the time and energy to devote, do so.  I learned
to inkle weave and embroider at the age of 8 because a wonderful lady named
Mistress Caitlin took me under her wing and showed me how and I will never
forget, because it was fun and never seemed like work.

Those are just a few ideas like I said, and none of them really new, just
lost or forgotten ideas from years past and things to ponder.

Marion

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