Children/Youth Policies GWW 2026

 

Children under 12 are not charged admission and are considered guests of the Kingdom. But, for safety's sake, all children must be registered. The following rules have been put in place to not only insure the child’s safety, but to also insure their enjoyment of the war experience.This is our selfish way of ensuring a new generation of SCA devotees and war attendees.

 

Admission Policy: Minors may not attend GWW alone.

 

A responsible adult must accompany all minors (under the age of 18 years in Calif.), who are not legally emancipated, to the war site.

 

This must be a parent, a court-appointed guardian or the adult designated on the appropriate waivers signed and notarized by the parent or legal guardian.

 

All minors must be in the care of a responsible adult who should be aware of the minor’s location and activities at all times.

 

Sight & Sound Policy

In Caid, minor youth less than 7 years old should be in eyesight/earshot of the parent, designated adult or teenager (as determined by the parent).

 

This “sight and sound” policy does not include the use of electronic means of communication, i.e. cell phones, walkie-talkies, or FRS radios.

 

Parents are responsible for knowing where their youth are at all times.

 

Neither Constables nor the merchants are responsible for unsupervised youth, although a Constable may return unattended youth to their parent’s camp. There will be no babysitting or daycare services provided.

 

Youth in A&S

Children 12 and older are not subject to the strict "eyesight and earshot" requirement that applies to children under 12. However, parents/guardians still retain sole and ultimate responsibility for their behavior and care, and are expected to check on them periodically.

 

A parent or guardian may choose to be out of eye-sight and earshot of a 12+ years old child while the child is taking a class, but that does not cause, imply, or assure that a background-checked person is present (or accountable). The parent retains responsibility.  A minor's attendance at an adult A&S class does not mean that class becomes an SCA Youth Activity simply because a youth is in attendance.

Bracelet

Youth seven (7) years old and younger must wear the bracelet issued at gate at all times.

 

Activities

Check the event handbook for a list of youth activities during the event, including youth combat and youth rapier. The minor may attend A&S (adult) classes if he/she brings a parent/parent substitute.”

 

Parental Consent Forms

Minors attending WITH a parent or legal guardian:

If the minor does not have a blue card, a parent or legal guardian will need to sign either (If one child is involved)-Minor’s Consent to Participate and Hold Harmless Agreement Waiver (pdf) 

 

or, (If several children are involved) the Family Consent to Participate and Hold Harmless Agreement Waiver (pdf) for multiple children in one family) to show a parent’s consent to participate. 

 

Minors attending WITHOUT a parent or legal guardian:

The form(s) above are required and also a edical Authorization for Minors (PDF) form is used to designate temporary guardianship; it allows medical treatment to be provided in the event of an emergency.

 

BOTH FORMS MUST BE SIGNED BY THE PARENT AND NOTARIZED. Please bring 2 copies of these forms; one to leave at gate, and one to keep with you at all times.

 

Individuals attempting to circumvent these requirements will be considered trespassing and appropriate action will be taken. This could include expulsion from the event site of all parties involved in the attempt.

 

If you have any questions regarding these requirements, please contact a Seneschal in Caid, or ask your Kingdom liaison to contact the Stewards for information.

 

Neglect of Parental (or Guardian) responsibility for minors

Youth under 7 years old should not be allowed to wander freely at this event and should be checked on periodically by their parent/responsible adult to ensure their safety and suitable behavior. Failure to do so may result in consequences ranging from a verbal warning to expulsion from the site,  depending on the circumstances.

• On a first offense at a given event, Minors whose behaviors violate SCA Governing Documents, Kingdom Law, Officer Policies, or site rules will be escorted to their parent/guardian and issued a verbal warning for the first offense at an event. The matter will be reported to the Kingdom Seneschal.
• On a second offense at a given event, the parent/guardian will be required to keep their minor(s) with them for the remainder of the gathering. A report will be tendered to the Kingdom and Society Seneschals.
• For a third offense, the minor(s) and parents/guardians will be expelled from the event, and the matter will be reported to the Kingdom and the Society Seneschals.

Habitual offenders will be subject to review by Kingdom and Society level for possible further consequences.