Greetings youth marshals!
Now that July is here, and restrictions are loosening, we’re starting to see more practices and events getting scheduled, which is great.
We do still need to remain vigilant, especially since many of our youth are not yet vaccinated and infectious variants are on the rise, but we’ve learned a lot over the last year about how to manage those risks, and I’m confident we can tackle this responsibly.
• Following a recent rule change by the Kingdom Earl Marshal, local marshals no longer need to obtain pre-approval to hold a practice, but are still expected to adhere to all other applicable guidelines. If you’re ready to resume holding a local practice, please comment below or email me directly so that I can keep a handle on what’s going on.
• If you’re working on an event that would like to include youth combat, please contact me with the details so folks know it’s happening and we can begin to get fighters excited about it and find marshals to staff it. (We’ll also need to make sure each event has an appropriate set of Covid safety protocols, so let’s get those discussions started sooner rather than later.)
• All marshals, please check the expiration dates on your membership and your background check paperwork. A lot of folks have let these expire, and it takes some time to renew. If the cost is a barrier, email membership@sca.org to have your fees paid by the Membership Assistance Fund. There is no cost to process the background check paperwork, just email me and we’ll get the ball rolling.
• If you have loaner armor or youth weapons that have been sitting in the back of a closet for the last year and a half, take a moment to pull them out and check them — if your duct tape has peeled off or the foam has given out, it’s better to discover that now rather than a the day before the next event.
• If you’re a marshal-in-training who is still learning the ropes, speak up and we’ll try and connect you with folks as practices and events start back up so that you can get additional experience.
Thanks everyone — I’m super excited to see our great sport swing back into action.
— Mathghamhain Ua Ruadháin
— East Kingdom Marshal of Youth Combat
