Please read this excerpt from the Society Seneschal's Handbook Chapter X, March 2014
X. DEALING WITH MINOR/YOUTH-RELATED POLICIES
1. Minors are defined as anyone who has not reached the age of legal majority. This varies between countries, states and other jurisdictions. Be sure of the age(s) of majority in your area.
2. SCA is a member, family, and youth friendly social organization. SCA children, youth, and teen activities and classes are offered as a positive means of encouraging the participation of minors in the SCA with their families while encouraging fun-focused learning about history and the SCA. Those specifically dedicated and/or published youth-oriented activities (SCA Youth Activities) are overseen by warranted youth
coordinators at any and all events and activities.
3. Parents or guardians of minors shall have ultimate responsibility for the welfare and behavior of their children at all times. It is the responsibility of the adult who brings a minor to an event to ensure that the minor is safe and not in danger. At events and
activities in which youth participate in any way, participating minors must either have a parent or legal guardian present at the event/activity, or a temporary guardian present in
possession of a properly executed ―Medical Authorization Form for Minors.‖ This Medical Authorization Form must designate an adult present at the event or activity as able to authorize medical treatment in the case of emergency (a form of temporary guardianship).
4. All warranted Youth Officers (deputies who ultimately report up to the Kingdom Seneschal) must have a current SCA membership and an approved, current, and valid background check. Warranted means you are an official deputy to the Kingdom Youth Coordinator or to the Kingdom Seneschal or one of their deputies.
5. All official or ―published‖ SCA Youth Activities must have one background checked adult member who acts as the official ―coordinator‖ for the SCA Youth Activity. For example if there are 10 youth A&S classes each in their own separate classroom, each classroom needs to follow the ―2 Deep Rule‖ but there only needs to be one overall youth ―coordinator‖ responsible for the all activity in all classrooms. There are many activities of the SCA where informal instruction (mentoring) occurs that are open to attendance by
minors, but do not constitute dedicated and/or published SCA Youth Activities. They are known by many names (i.e. Practices, Meetings, and Guilds & Workshops). A Minor‘s attendance of an adult A&S class it does not mean that class becomes an SCA Youth Activity simply because a youth is in attendance.
6. The ―2-deep‖ rule specifies that for all SCA Youth Activities, a minimum of 2 adults (at or above the age of legal majority in the state, province or country in which the activity occurs) unrelated to one another by blood, marriage or personal relationship must be
present. This policy does not relieve parents of their primary responsibility for the welfare and behavior of their children. One of these two adults may also be acting as the official coordinator for the youth activities going on.
7. Persons who have been convicted of crimes against minors are not eligible to participate in SCA Youth programs.
8. In the case of minor-related crimes it is appropriate for the Seneschallate to call the modern authorities. If a minor appears to have been the victim of a violent crime, modern authorities MUST be contacted. Inform the Kingdom Seneschal immediately.
9. Branch and regional Seneschals, Marshals, Marshals-in-Charge, and Exchequers must be at least the age of majority for their jurisdiction. Be aware that the age of majority does vary between jurisdictions; these officers must be old enough to serve in each area that they serve.
10. Minors 15 years of age or older may serve as officers, except for the offices of: Event Steward, Marshal, Exchequer, and Seneschal. Minors may serve in the allowed capacities only with the express written approval of the parent or legal guardian and their
Kingdom superior, after they are notified of the age of the minor.
In this and all cases involving minor participation at SCA Youth Activities, parental/guardian accompaniment
and the ―2-deep‖ rules still apply.
11. Minors less than age 15 may not serve as Head Gatekeeper, Reservationist, etc., for an event. Such minors may assist at the gate collecting funds, making change, etc., under the oversight of an individual permitted by SCA Corporate Policies to serve as an officer,
who will be ultimately responsible for the accounting of the funds passing through the gate. Such minors serving in this capacity may not work unattended at an event gate at any time.
12. Medical treatment of minors is subject to the appropriate laws of the state, territory, province, and/or country where the event is held. In the case of a medical emergency involving a minor, the parent/legal guardian or, in the case of a minor attending with a non-parent/legal guardian, the temporary guardian with the Medical Authorization
Treatment Form for Minors be located. See XII.D.
