To borrow a word from you, Patrick:
"SWEET!"
I used to do the same back in Maryland about a decade ago, but haven't been able to wedge my way into anything here. To deal with the liability issues, I had actually considered starting a non-profit and insuring it (and protecting my six). I miss the interaction, and the occasional fascinated, open-minded soul.
I wish you the best - sure you will do very well.
| Aaron Schnatterly wrote: |
| To borrow a word from you, Patrick:
"SWEET!" I used to do the same back in Maryland about a decade ago, but haven't been able to wedge my way into anything here. To deal with the liability issues, I had actually considered starting a non-profit and insuring it (and protecting my six). I miss the interaction, and the occasional fascinated, open-minded soul. I wish you the best - sure you will do very well. |
Being non-profit, or anything else, will give you absolutely no umbrella of protection since you're actually violating federal laws by bringing weapons onto school grounds. No one will say anything about that until something does happen. Then I hope the poor soul likes living in a cardboard box because all the insurance in the world won't help you.
Such is the world in which we now live.
| Patrick Kelly wrote: |
|
Being non-profit, or anything else, will give you absolutely no umbrella of protection since you're actually violating federal laws by bringing weapons onto school grounds. |
Wasn't that law declared unconstitutional by a court?
As somebody who knows some folks trying to do just this thing (the NPO and such), a question to those that know the laws better than myself:
Could you get around the "weapons in schools" difficulty by hosting such events/presentations/demos/etc. at a museum or othersuch place to which the audience would take a "field trip"? Besides, I was just thinking that this way you would most likely get a group of folks together who would be more likely to be interested in what you are saying/doing and want to get involved.
Could you get around the "weapons in schools" difficulty by hosting such events/presentations/demos/etc. at a museum or othersuch place to which the audience would take a "field trip"? Besides, I was just thinking that this way you would most likely get a group of folks together who would be more likely to be interested in what you are saying/doing and want to get involved.
| Jonathon Janusz wrote: |
| Could you get around the "weapons in schools" difficulty by hosting such events/presentations/demos/etc. at a museum or othersuch place to which the audience would take a "field trip"? Besides, I was just thinking that this way you would most likely get a group of folks together who would be more likely to be interested in what you are saying/doing and want to get involved. |
I would guess this would be a solution. I haven't done any of these types of activities for roughly 12 years, so a lot has likely changed. I remember vividly when campus security rather gruffly confronted me about having a Viking sword in my dorm room. I got around it (after almost ending up in cuffs) after getting them to view it as a necessary piece of theatrical equipment for a student-sanctioned activity through an on-campus group. Yeah, and this was college in '92 or '93. I don't know how that would be viewed today, where there are metal detectors at the elementary schools. We did often hold demonstrations that were quite a draw for schools - one on the grounds of the Smithsonian. A second was at Jamestown - Military Through the Ages. Tons of interested public there. We were able to walk about the grounds armed to the teeth. A third event we just tossed together actually at the local Tandy Leather! MTA is still an annual event, I believe, but I don't know how it would go in the middle of DC anymore, either, at least not with the lattitude we had then.
Bottom line - there is certainly a way to do this, but I just don't know all the particulars.
One question I have is surrounding what makes a sword a weapon vs. a theatrical or athletic piece. Funny how an Olympic foil or a recurve bow are OK in gym class or school play FOR THE KIDS TO USE, but my Albion Knight (never to leave my hand or it's scabbard) or an unstrung longbow is a serious threat.
| Jonathon Janusz wrote: |
| As somebody who knows some folks trying to do just this thing (the NPO and such), a question to those that know the laws better than myself:
Could you get around the "weapons in schools" difficulty by hosting such events/presentations/demos/etc. at a museum or othersuch place to which the audience would take a "field trip"? Besides, I was just thinking that this way you would most likely get a group of folks together who would be more likely to be interested in what you are saying/doing and want to get involved. |
That's a good point Jonathon, in fact that's exactly what I've told the schools when they approach me about these things. I've told them to bring the kids to one of the city parks, or even to my home on occasion if the teacher is a friend and the kids are known elements. Unfortunately the schools have no interest in going to that amount of effort. Today kids are involved in so many different activities that these things aren't even on the schools radar. Not to mention the fact that anything dealing with "weapons and violence" is totally non-PC these days. Last year the Boyscout theme was Knights of the Round Table. When they designed their t-shirt the original graffic depicted a knight holding a dragon at sword's point. The idea had to be scrapped because the kids couldn't wear the shirt to school since it had a weapon on it. :eek:
Aaron,
When I went to university in '83 I had swords hanging all over my dorm room. Between my room mate (also my best friend in highschool) and I we had a veritable armory in there. The only reactions we received were strange looks, or a "cool" from the head resident. When I was working the renfaire circuit everyone was armed to the teeth. At every faire I ever worked at we would hear horror stories of some customer being hamstrung by another customer who had just purchased a knife from a vendor, or about the customer who walked in with a pointed foil and managed to stab someone with it. Nowadays more and more faires are banning weapons all together. Many of them won't even let vendors sell wooden swords. Strangely enough, for all those years I never actually saw anything like that happen myself. We were the only ones getting stabbed and bashed and we were accidently doing it to ourselves. :lol: It's a different world today.
Society has grown evermore litigious and the liabilities associated with these activities are neck high. My exposure to the legal system during my present career has brought this home on a daily basis.
Let's leave this depressing subject behind and return to that cool mail!
| Patrick Kelly wrote: |
| Let's leave this depressing subject behind and return to that cool mail! |
Ask and ye shall recieve:
Here's a maille standard or gorget that I use for additional protection for period fencing with schlagers. It's woven from 1/4 ID 17 gauge galvanized rings, using a 6:1 pattern for the neck, and the usual 4:1 for the mantle.
[ Linked Image ]
That bib on the fencing mask just wasn't enough.
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