Updated Northshield Events Procedures As Of September 1, 2021

The Board of Directors has decided to loosen many of the SCA-imposed restrictions effective August 1, 2021. Below spells out the requirements for in-person events going forward from that August 1 date:

All attendees in North America must follow all national, province, territory, state, and local health guidelines at SCA events. In addition, at all North American SCA events:

Kingdoms may continue to require the use of masks at their events as they deem necessary;
As research has shown that minimal transmission occurs from food, the serving of feasts, inns, day boards, and buffet-style food is now allowed at the Kingdom’s discretion;
Large coolers to dispense water into individual personal containers are now permitted;
To facilitate contact tracing, all who attend any SCA-sponsored event in North America (including local meetings, fighter practices, etc.) must be signed in on a roster prior to entering the event; and
The following language is required to appear on all event notices, flyers, online announcements, and advertisements, as well as being posted in multiple locations (including gate) at any and all SCA-sponsored functions going forward:

Although the SCA complies with all applicable laws to ensure the health and safety of our event participants, we cannot eliminate the risk of exposure to infectious diseases during in-person events. By participating in the in-person events of the SCA, you acknowledge and accept the potential risks. You agree to take any additional steps to protect your own health and safety and those under your control as you believe to be necessary.

The following language is required to appear on all event notices, flyers, online announcements, and advertisements, as well as being posted in multiple locations, including Troll [Registration], at all events:

As has been stated all along, any and all state, provincial, or local health regulations and guidelines will of course need to be followed, including keeping up with changes to government policy based on updated information. Be aware that some local jurisdictions have stricter requirements than their state/province. We also strongly recommend following the safety guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Public Health Agency of Canada.

Additional Requirements for Northshield in-person activities (after September 1, 2021):

With concern over rising COVID-19 rates, especially the Delta strain, masks or face shields that fully cover your face will be required at all official Northshield in-person gatherings of any size or type (practices, meetings, events).

Effective September 1, all attendees over the age of 4, including fully vaccinated individuals, will be required to to be masked at all times, except for fully vaccinated individuals actively engaged in (wearing a helmet or mask) combat activities (rapier and armoured) outdoors.

At outdoor activities, masks that fully cover the mouth and nose must be worn by all attendees over the age of 4 at all times except for eating, and drinking. The mask must be worn properly over the nose and mouth and be recognizable as an effective mask. The one exception is that fully vaccinated individuals may choose to remove their mask while actively engaged in combat activities. Masks must be put on immediately when leaving the field. If an individual is not fully vaccinated they are still required to wear a face mask when actively engaged in combat activities.

At indoor activities, masks will be required for all attendees over the age of 4, at all times including when engaged in combat activities. The mask may be removed briefly for eating and drinking while socially distanced.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html

In addition to the requirements of state/province and local governments and the SCA, Inc.’s Board of Directors, in-person events in Northshield at this time must:

Submit a plan to the Kingdom Seneschal by email:

- Showing that the type and size of the event is allowed under current federal, state or province, and local guidelines. A copy of or link to the relevant part of government re-opening language is sufficient, but should include issue and effective dates.

- Showing the organizer’s specific plans for complying with government and current Kingdom guidelines.

- The Kingdom Seneschal must approve the plan in writing before the event will be added to the Northshield calendar. “In writing” includes by email or postal mail.

- All events will take measures to limit the risk of infectious disease transmission.

Sign-in Roster:

- All in person activities shall require all who attend to sign in on a roster that provides the legal name of the attendee and some method of contact. That can be email, phone number, or street address.

- If you do not sign in at the roster you will not be allowed to attend the in-person activity.

- This roster will be sent to the Minister of Waivers at waivers@northshield.org

- Preregistration is still allowed and encouraged. If events wish to utilize PayPal for paid pre-registration please email exchequer@northshield.org to coordinate with the Kingdom Exchequer.

Personal responsibility of activity attendees:

Do not attend an in-person activity if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID-19 (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html).

A statement of concern for our Populace:

If you have an underlying condition which increases your risk, strongly consider your own health and safety before attending an in-person activity (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/index.html).

This document can also be found here: http://northshield.org/Posts/Display.aspx?ID=63128