[SCA-AE] ANNOUNCE: Background checks for youth.

[Tim Button]

Greetings from Tigranes,

This planned action by the BoD strikes me as a "guilty until proven
innocent" approach to the subject.  There are many innocent reasons why
anyone would not want to be subjected to a check (example:  SS# 's and the
danger of identity theft).  I feel the volunteer pool for youth activities
will experience a significant drop, causing a drastic drop of youth
activities at events.  This could further have an effect on attendance
numbers, as parents may  choose more youth-friendly activities outside the
SCA.

I realize this is Corporate covering itself against potential litigation,
and satisfactory alternative actions are scarce.   But I feel that if the
intentions of the BoD are to provide safer activities for youth at events,
this will fail.  I hope my gloomy predictions prove wrong, but this will
probably have the opposite impact, as I see youth activities being curtailed
rather than subjecting innocent well-intentioned volunteers to a humiliating
(and potentially costly)  degree of scrutiny.  As a parent, I know it won't
make me feel better about my daughter's safety.

YIS,
Tigranes of Bezbde
Endless Hills


GOLD is for the mistress—silver for the maid—
Copper for the craftsman cunning at his trade.”
“Good!” said the Baron, sitting in his hall,
“But Iron—Cold Iron—is master of them all.”
----Rudyard Kipling