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Main => The Round Table => Topic started by: Sir Rodney on 2012-06-01, 12:40:38

Title: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir Rodney on 2012-06-01, 12:40:38
I recently volunteered to do a “How a Knight Shall Be Armed” presentation for a friend’s 4th grade class.  Dave, known as Gareth the Black in the SCA, is a founding member of the Mercenary Company Nevermore unit I belong to.  He’s also a 4th grade teacher at a charter school which concentrates on the sciences and history.  As part of his medieval history program, he brings in his own weapons and armour for the kids to research as well as another Nevermore mate with his dog to discuss medieval dog breeds.

Where was this school when I was in 4th grade?
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Joshua Santana on 2012-06-01, 13:43:47
Now that is excellent!  Huzzah! 

Now I want to do something like this only on a college level (planning to earn Doctorate's Degree in Medieval and Renaissance Studies).   ;)
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir Edward on 2012-06-01, 13:51:13
Where was this school when I was in 4th grade?

Seriously. We never had people come in with medieval gear for us to look at up close, when I was a kid. Today's kids are spoiled, I tell ya! :)

That's excellent, well done! So what did they think of your bonnacon? :)
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Joshua Santana on 2012-06-01, 14:08:54
Quote
Seriously. We never had people come in with medieval gear for us to look at up close, when I was a kid. Today's kids are spoiled, I tell ya! :)

Indeed, that is why I will proclaim this message: "Youth was not made for pleasure but for Heroism!"  There is a good and bad spoil, so far I see nothing but kids being badly spoiled,very few are spoiled the right way with being raised by good parents and their moral foundation set up.  I am lucky to have parents that homeschooled me to help me learn and to help understand that I don't have to go with the status quo, I can be individualistic but willing to work with a team.  That is what I call being goodly spoiled.   
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir Rodney on 2012-06-01, 14:55:13
Now that is excellent!  Huzzah! 

Now I want to do something like this only on a college level (planning to earn Doctorate's Degree in Medieval and Renaissance Studies).   ;)

You should come to the Twin Cities and study at Augsburg College (http://www.augsburg.edu/medievalstudies/overview.html).  It’s one of only a handful of colleges that offer an undergraduate degree in Medieval Studies (and just minutes from the Arms & Armor shop).
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir Rodney on 2012-06-01, 15:14:02
Quote from: Sir Edward
That's excellent, well done! So what did they think of your bonnacon?  :)


They loved it!  Heraldry studies is one of the units they cover (these are pretty smart 4th graders).  Last year they presented me with this...
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir William on 2012-06-01, 15:34:29
Sir Rodney, that's awesome and your kit is outstanding!  Where was this class when I was a kid?  I would've soaked that up like a sponge!
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir Wolf on 2012-06-01, 16:22:37
wow im clearly calling a lawyer to get my billion dollars, that sword clearly is armed and dangerous and could have gone off in a kids face and killed an entire school district! oh the humanity oh the horror oh how can i profit from this?

ahahah jk looks awesome man
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir William on 2012-06-01, 16:27:21
Well, it could kill an entire school district, hell, the whole town- it just needs someone to wield it in such a manner!  I'm kidding too...but your point is made, Sir Wolf.  Ridiculously alarmist times we live in.
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir Rodney on 2012-06-01, 16:43:00
wow im clearly calling a lawyer to get my billion dollars, that sword clearly is armed and dangerous and could have gone off in a kids face and killed an entire school district! oh the humanity oh the horror oh how can i profit from this?

ahahah jk looks awesome man
Thus the beauty of a charter school.  I couldn't do the same demonstration in a MN public school, period.  :(
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Joshua Santana on 2012-06-01, 17:53:47
Quote
You should come to the Twin Cities and study at Augsburg College.  It’s one of only a handful of colleges that offer an undergraduate degree in Medieval Studies (and just minutes from the Arms & Armor shop).

I would love to study there however I stick here in NJ and will be so, but I am attending Kean University at Ocean County College which does have Bachelor Degree courses in Medieval and Renaissance Studies.  I am excited to take those courses but I am looking at other universities, thank you Sir Rodney.

Quote
Well, it could kill an entire school district, hell, the whole town- it just needs someone to wield it in such a manner!  I'm kidding too...but your point is made, Sir Wolf.  Ridiculously alarmist times we live in.

Indeed, I suppose that is why they would not allow a demonstration of Medieval or Renaissance Martial Arts because it involves violence and weapons (things they would be "alarmed") at the same time I feel they are not allowing children room to allow their sense of individualism to grow because we want to play safe.  That is the price paid for freedom exchanged for safety and comfort.  I would be fortunate if i started a HEMA Study Group at my University. 

Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Thorsteinn on 2012-06-01, 18:01:59
 :)
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir Edward on 2012-06-01, 18:39:24

That's something that really bothers me about the direction that the public school system has gone. This "zero tolerance policy" against violence is just plain stupid when it starts interfering with education. You can't sweep thousands of years of war under the rug in the name of safety. First of all, it doesn't help in any tangible way, and secondly you end up ignoring a huge part of history.
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir William on 2012-06-01, 19:14:08
Zero tolerance started out with good intentions...but somewhere along the way it got tied up with its own ruleset.  Like the kid who got suspended because his Mom gave him a cake knife w/his bday cake so he could share it with his classmates...it is almost like school administrators have done away with critical thinking and decided to blindly follow the rules because its easier and takes what should be their responsibility away from them.  I could go all year with this.
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Joshua Santana on 2012-06-01, 19:24:23
Quote
That's something that really bothers me about the direction that the public school system has gone. This "zero tolerance policy" against violence is just plain stupid when it starts interfering with education. You can't sweep thousands of years of war under the rug in the name of safety. First of all, it doesn't help in any tangible way, and secondly you end up ignoring a huge part of history.

Excatly!  That is exactly why!  If they don't know the truth, how would they be prepared to learn?  Same thing applies to self-defense and martial arts, you cannot defend yourself without fighting and you cannot fight without defending yourself. 

Quote
Zero tolerance started out with good intentions...but somewhere along the way it got tied up with its own ruleset.  Like the kid who got suspended because his Mom gave him a cake knife w/his bday cake so he could share it with his classmates...it is almost like school administrators have done away with critical thinking and decided to blindly follow the rules because its easier and takes what should be their responsibility away from them.  I could go all year with this.

Same here.
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: SirNathanQ on 2012-06-01, 22:32:59
Ugh, zero tolerance is such BS. Please don't get me started, I'm still in school with that accursed policy... :P
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Thorsteinn on 2012-06-01, 23:39:23
So glad I live in the West.

Sign outside of Churchill County High School in Fallon about 60 miles away "Students, please remove all shotguns, rifles, and pistols from your vehicle and person before coming on campus."

Bonus points if you can tell me what national big time program is at NAS Fallon. (Hint: It used to be at Miramar NAS)
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir Rodney on 2012-06-02, 00:29:52
I may have mentioned this previously, but here it goes.  Within the past year or so a kid was suspended from a Twin Cities public school for having a box cutter in his car.

By all accounts he was a responsible young man helping his family pay the bills by stocking supermarket shelves at night.  One night he worked a ton of overtime, went home, crashed, and managed to get up in time for school the next morning.   A passerby noticed the box cutter in his car the next morning while it was parked in the student parking lot.  The police were called, councilors were brought in and he was suspended.

The box cutter was in his locked vehicle; he was not brandishing it, he was not bragging about it, in fact he had totally forgotten about it.  This situation was total and utter B.S. in my opinion.
****
I’ll never forget the day in high school (so long ago) when the morning announcements included the message that we couldn’t bring guns to school anymore.  I grew up in a very rural area where everyone hunted.  Every truck in the parking lot had a weapon rack.  You could’ve armed a small army.  No one was ever hurt.  These are indeed sad times.
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Ian on 2012-06-02, 03:24:43
So glad I live in the West.

Sign outside of Churchill County High School in Fallon about 60 miles away "Students, please remove all shotguns, rifles, and pistols from your vehicle and person before coming on campus."

Bonus points if you can tell me what national big time program is at NAS Fallon. (Hint: It used to be at Miramar NAS)

Well, being a navy pilot myself I'm at a distinct advantage here... but the answer to your question is both Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) and Rotary Wing Weapons School.  I'm assuming you meant Top Gun... but jets are for sissies, real men fly helicopters.
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Thorsteinn on 2012-06-02, 11:19:34
And Ian is correct on both accounts.  :D

Had a jet pilot tell me that copters don't fly, they beat the air into sumbmission. ;)
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: SirNathanQ on 2012-06-02, 11:37:26
Beat the air into submission! I love that!  ;D
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir Edward on 2012-06-02, 13:36:02
but jets are for sissies, real men fly helicopters.

Heck yeah. Had I gone into the service, I'd have wanted to fly helicopters. They probably wouldn't have taken me though, due to my strong vision prescription.
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Joshua Santana on 2012-06-02, 18:42:00
Quote
I may have mentioned this previously, but here it goes.  Within the past year or so a kid was suspended from a Twin Cities public school for having a box cutter in his car.

By all accounts he was a responsible young man helping his family pay the bills by stocking supermarket shelves at night.  One night he worked a ton of overtime, went home, crashed, and managed to get up in time for school the next morning.   A passerby noticed the box cutter in his car the next morning while it was parked in the student parking lot.  The police were called, councilors were brought in and he was suspended.

The box cutter was in his locked vehicle; he was not brandishing it, he was not bragging about it, in fact he had totally forgotten about it.  This situation was total and utter B.S. in my opinion.
****
I’ll never forget the day in high school (so long ago) when the morning announcements included the message that we couldn’t bring guns to school anymore.  I grew up in a very rural area where everyone hunted.  Every truck in the parking lot had a weapon rack.  You could’ve armed a small army.  No one was ever hurt.  These are indeed sad times.

Indeed, does anyone remember the time there was a video on a kid who wanted to represent his class in Spirit week by riding a horse and being dressed as a Knight, later on got suspended without a reason?  A shame indeed. 
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir James A on 2012-06-03, 01:31:32
Lord Rodney, that's awesome! I kept thinking I should do something for my brother's class when they were doing medieval studies, but I'd never make it through the front door with a gauntlet, let alone a harness & weaponry. Those are some lucky, lucky kids ... I hope they realize that!

And I'd frame that bonnacon drawing. That is absolutely priceless!

Quote
I may have mentioned this previously, but here it goes.  Within the past year or so a kid was suspended from a Twin Cities public school for having a box cutter in his car.

By all accounts he was a responsible young man helping his family pay the bills by stocking supermarket shelves at night.  One night he worked a ton of overtime, went home, crashed, and managed to get up in time for school the next morning.   A passerby noticed the box cutter in his car the next morning while it was parked in the student parking lot.  The police were called, councilors were brought in and he was suspended.

The box cutter was in his locked vehicle; he was not brandishing it, he was not bragging about it, in fact he had totally forgotten about it.  This situation was total and utter B.S. in my opinion.
****
I’ll never forget the day in high school (so long ago) when the morning announcements included the message that we couldn’t bring guns to school anymore.  I grew up in a very rural area where everyone hunted.  Every truck in the parking lot had a weapon rack.  You could’ve armed a small army.  No one was ever hurt.  These are indeed sad times.

Indeed, does anyone remember the time there was a video on a kid who wanted to represent his class in Spirit week by riding a horse and being dressed as a Knight, later on got suspended without a reason?  A shame indeed. 

He wasn't suspended without reason, just suspended because school administration lacks any common sense whatsoever:

http://www.pawnation.com/2010/11/04/high-school-student-suspended-for-riding-a-horse-to-school/ (http://www.pawnation.com/2010/11/04/high-school-student-suspended-for-riding-a-horse-to-school/)

He arrived with his parents (and their blessing), along with a squire (his friend). It was for school Spirit week. And he was suspended on the spot. His squire, not even riding the horse, was suspended too. You can't get more "evil" than that ... right?
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir Edward on 2012-06-03, 01:40:00

It amazes me how much even the semblance of weaponry (including armor, knights, or anything military related) freaks these people out. All of these school administrators would fall over dead with a brain aneurism if they saw the inside of my house. It might serve them right too.

Was that my out-loud voice? :)
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: SirNathanQ on 2012-06-03, 03:48:36
Maybe it was  ;)   

Ahh, hell with it, that was a great post. Use the out-loud voice more often please   :D
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir Justin on 2012-06-03, 05:10:13
Wow, and I thought my 4th grade teacher was cool because he gave us candy as class rewards. But THIS, that would have made school actually intresting! hahaha pretty awesome though
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Joshua Santana on 2012-06-03, 12:30:01
Quote
Wow, and I thought my 4th grade teacher was cool because he gave us candy as class rewards. But THIS, that would have made school actually intresting! hahaha pretty awesome though

Indeed, demonstrations like this one help in making school interesting.
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir Gerard de Rodes on 2012-06-13, 18:01:29
Nice one Lord Rodney.
School visits and education days are loads of fun and a fantastic way of bringing history to life for the little darlings  :)
G.
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir William on 2012-06-13, 19:36:01
As with many things begun with the best of intentions, it fails miserably when applied to real life.  The people getting dinged by this policy aren't the ones it was originally aimed at- dangerous people. 

That's like the kid with the cake knife...I might've mentioned that already but it seemed to me that school administrators aren't putting much thought into their jobs, allowing policy to rule where common sense used to.
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Lord Dane on 2012-06-14, 00:57:34
Just remember kids, when it comes to weaponry, leave the armoury at home or the local authorities will take away your toys & freedom. No fair!!! No fun!!  :(
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Joshua Santana on 2012-06-14, 14:54:43
Quote
Just remember kids, when it comes to weaponry, leave the armoury at home or the local authorities will take away your toys & freedom. No fair!!! No fun!!  :(

Indeed, we traded freedom for comfort and safety.  We need to get it back and certainly teach children not to inhibit a wussy type of character, are you going to be a man?  Or are you going to be a grown up boy?  Teaching kids how to handle violence with Morality in the mix helps them become better individuals than what society believes. 
Title: Re: How a Knight Shall be Armed - 4th grade style
Post by: Sir Brian on 2012-06-15, 19:34:38
Well done Lord Rodney! What an excellent and memorable gift for all. The kids got to meet a genuine knight in armor and you have the honor of seeing the kind of wonderment upon their faces that is becoming such a rarity with each passing generation!  :)