Policies and Procedures

      Revised 2/27/03

This office is a deputy office to the Kingdom of Æthelmearc Seneschal.

All policies of the Chancellor of Youth will consider first and foremost the safety and welfare of the children within the kingdom during children's activities. Policies will also consider parental rights and responsibilities, and will be superceded by any of the following:

1.Federal, State and Local Law.

2.Policies of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. including their governing documents (known as Corpora) and the Policies of the Society Chancellor of Youth.

3. Policies and Procedures of the Kingdom of Æthelmearc including legal edicts of the Crown and changes in policy necessitated by the Kingdom Seneschal.

1. General Policies:
   1. The care and welfare of the youth within the Kingdom of Æthelmearc is the sole responsibility of their Parents or Guardians. The Office of the Chancellor of Youth will encourage and support safe and appropriate activities so that children and their families may participate in activities at sanctioned SCA, inc. events and meetings.
   2. No child under the age of 5 years should be left without continual supervision by an appropriate adult (either a Parent/guardian or their designee), including during planned children's activities.
   3. Children's Officers are not babysitters, and as such it is expressly forbidden for ANY OFFICER of the SCA to assume responsibility for the welfare of any child other than their own or their "guest children", even during planned children's activities.
   4. Children under the age of 12 are not considered suitable babysitters by State Law in most of the areas covered by the Kingdom of Æthelmearc. Thus, it is policy in the entire Kingdom of Æthelmearc that Parents/Guardians must arrange for suitable childcare in the event of their absence while their children participate in SCA events.
2. Responsibilities of Parents/Guardians at Events and Planned Activities
   1. Parents/guardians always assume full responsibility for their children and their children's actions. This responsibility also applies to "guest children" who accompany a responsible adult to an event or planned activity (see III.B. for procedures regarding children attending events with adults other than their own parent/guardian). Children who are not within the line of sight of their parents/guardians at events must be checked on periodically to ensure the safety of the child and to attend to the child's needs.
   2. In the event of a problem with a child at an event or planned activity, the responsible adult will be approached with courtesy and asked to remedy any situations wherein the child may be endangering themselves, others, or the property of others or where the reasonable comfort of others is threatened. If the child's behavioral problem should persist, the parent may be asked to remove the child from the situation temporarily, or may be asked to enforce a "resting period" in a non-populated area. In the event that a satisfactory behavior pattern cannot be re-established with the child, it may be suggested that the responsible adult and the child in question call it a day.
      1. In the event that this progressive remedy scheme is utilized, it is requested that the parent or other responsible adult contact the appropriate local Chancellor of Youth to discuss effective ways in which the child can be incorporated into planned children's activities in the future.
   3. Æthelmearc Children's Activities are Parent-supervised and Parent-Initiated. Parents/guardians of children who participate in planned children's activities will be asked to sign their children in with the designated Children's Officer (or sometimes, at a specially designated table). At this time, they will be asked to allocate a 30 minute slot of time during the day at which they will stay at the Children's Activity area to assist in supervision. Parents are encouraged to contact the local Children's Officer ahead of the event if they have specific activities they'd like to conduct (crafts, games, etc...). It is not mandatory that the attending adults conduct an activity, however, merely that they assist in the supervision of the children's area.
   4. Parents are encouraged to notice which of the several styles of activities are being offered, so as to make better use of their talents and time:
      1. Safe-play area. This type of activity is entirely parent-run and will consist of a safe area wherein children can play either alone or with others. If no parents are present to supervise children, the activity is considered closed. This activity generally is for younger-aged children. Other adults or children may or may not share toys they have brought to the activity area at their own discretion.
      2. Timed craft or activity: This type of activity functions as a "class," and is over at a specified time. Responsible Adults whose children need to be "picked up" from this activity are encouraged to do so in a timely manner.
      3. Long-term activities: May consist of several "class" type activities, a group of materials children may explore at will over a period of time, or will simply be a progression of activities throughout the day or time period. Responsible Adults should check schedules to note whether or not activities will change locations at the event, or whether all activities are age-appropriate for their children.
3. Responsibilities of Event Staff:
   1. Seneschals and Autocrats (Event Head): The Parent or Legal Guardian of ALL NON-MEMBER children must sign a Minor Waiver Form for children under 18 years of age, before admittance before the minor may be gained to an event. Please train Troll (admissions) personnel to ask for this paperwork and other necessary paperwork.
   2. Autocrat/Troll: If a minor child attends an event within the company of a responsible adult who is NOT their parent or legal guardian, the following paperwork must be submitted to the Troll prior to admittance:
      1. An SCA Waiver form signed by the Child's Parent or legal Guardian (available from local Children's Officers, Local Seneschals and from http://www.sca.org/docs/waivers.html ).
      2. A copy of a signed permission slip from the Parent or Legal guardian which contains the following information:
         1. The minor's Legal and SCA names
         2. Allergies or Medical conditions that need to be taken into account by the accompanying responsible adult.
         3. The Parent or Legal Guardian's Legal Name, Address, Phone and the contact information regarding where they can be reached during the entire event time, in case of an emergency. The SCA inc. does not accept responsibility or liability for the treatment of the child in the case of an emergency or medical need. It is the responsibility of the responsible adult to seek the permission for treatment from the Parent or Legal Guardian, and to act accordingly.
      3. Autocrats should take into consideration what space may be most appropriate for children's activities and consult with the Local Children's Officer to determine specific needs. Activities and activity areas are encouraged to meet or exceed these standards:
         1. Bathrooms are near the proposed area, so that children can visit them on their own.
         2. No unsafe feature of the room/area will endanger the children.
         3. The room or area is close enough to the center of event activities that it will be easy for the parent to participate without giving up other event activities. The ideal space for children's activities is in or near the center of event activities, but it is understood that site circumstances may vary.
         4. Sufficient tables and chairs exist so that the children can easily complete crafts and projects.
         5. Funds have been provided for the children's activities (suggested: a minimum of $30.00).
         6. Children's activities and the policies of those activities (time schedule, special needs, call for parent volunteers, etc.) are a part of the published event schedule.
         7. At least 2 responsible people are present to assist with activities. These can be parents, volunteers, officers, older teen helpers, etc.
         8. If activities are outside for a prolonged time, sufficient shelter should be available so that the children will not sunburn and if necessary are sheltered from the weather.
4. Responsibility of Local Children's Officers:
   1. Organize and help implement appropriate children's and family activities.
   2. Encourage and support others to integrate children and family activities in their field of interest at SCA events and meetings. Such support could include: Pages School, Guild activity, classes, craft sessions, games, etc...
   3. Reports: Local Children's Officer Reports will consist of a description of activities at local events, specifically listing any good ideas and successful activities, the number and approximate ages of children attending specific activities, and a detail of any problems encountered. Such reports are due within 2 weeks of an event, and can either be shared with the members of ae_chancellor-minors list serve or can be sent privately to the Kingdom Chancellor of Youth.
   4. Become Warranted and Re-warranted. Warrants (affirmation of holding office) will occur at the discretion of the Kingdom Chancellor of Youth. To be warranted, proposed children's officers should submit complete Contact Information, Proof of Membership (copy of membership card or Aestel label), a letter from the local Seneschal affirming election/appointment, and a letter stating that the proposed officer does indeed want the position. Re-warranting occurs every year. Proof of Membership is to be submitted each May 1 after initial warranting.
   5. Ensure that event and meeting facilities for children's activities are appropriate and safe for children, and that planned activities are appropriate for children.
5. Removal of Local Children's Officers

   Local Children's Officers serve at the discretion of the Superior Kingdom Officers: Kingdom Chancellor of Youth and Kingdom Seneschal. Any children's officer who does not comply with reporting procedures, who falls out of contact with the Kingdom Chancellor of Youth office for a prolonged period of time, who does not honor the responsibilities of the office, or who experiences recurring difficulty working with children and/or their families OR the officers of their local group, can be removed from office. A local Seneschal may contact the Kingdom Chancellor of Youth in writing to express concerns. It is the responsibility of the Kingdom Chancellor of Youth to contact the local children's officer in question, and to address the situation to the satisfaction of the parties involved. In the event that the Æthelmearc Chancellor of Youth cannot remedy the situation to the satisfaction of the parties involved, the Æthelmearc Chancellor of Youth will contact the Kingdom Seneschal for help in accomplishing resolution.

These policies will be revised as need arises, to best serve the youth and families of Æthelmearc.