Chivalry Today provides many presentations for schools, youth groups and libraries tailored to fit the unique needs of their students or members, including the two most-requested ones, which are described below. Our program is able to offer these engaging, live presentations through the generous donations of parents, website visitors and contributors like you who value quality educational resources. If you would like to support Chivlary Today’s ongoing effort to bring a greater understanding of the history and ideals of chivalry to today’s youth, please use the donation button below, and thank you for your generosity.

Meet King Arthur!

When I was a lad of 18, our dear King, Uther Pendragon, died in London and left no one to succeed him — only a sword stuck through an anvil which stood upon a stone ...

With those words, speaker and educator Scott Farrell opens his popular presentation Meet King Arthur! (Scott is shown at right speaking at a Cub Scout troop in San Diego.) In this 45-minute presentation, Scott takes on the character of King Arthur to spark children’s interest in reading the tales of Camelot, and to help them understand what it meant to be a Knight of the Round Table. In this presentation, filled with delightful props and engaging King Arthur anecdotes, Scott helps children to see chivalry as a contemporary way of life rather than an old-fashioned concept. Appropriate for audiences aged 5 to 12, this presentation explores the following character issues:

Justice - Understanding the importance of lawfulness and fairness;
Honesty - Showing how a knight must be truthful and trustworthy;
Generosity - Making sacrifices for the benefit of others;
Courage - Having the bravery to stand for what’s right;
Gender Issues - Could a girl sit at the Round Table? (Actually, yes!)

Adapted from Scott’s popular portrayal of King Arthur in the American Rose Theatre’s 2006 production of Camelot (pictured left, with Scott Farrell and Arthur and Amanda Kramer as Guenevere), this presentation has been seen and enjoyed by thousands of students and children (and parents too!) throughout Southern California.

“Your presentation exceeded our expectations. You were certainly chivalrous and valiant. You captured the attention of 160+ boys, children and grown-ups and made learning fun! We were so impressed and quite pleased! Thank you.” — Cindy Sandback, Summer Day Camp Program Director; Black Mountain Cub Scout District

This presentation is perfect for libraries, classes studying the literature of the Middle Ages, Scouting organizations or any youth-oriented gathering with a “knights in shining armor” theme. Please contact Chivalry Today via e-mail for information about pricing and availablity of this delightful and popular youth presentation, or visit our contact page to contact us by mail or telephone.

The Making of a Knight

What skills and knowledge was a medieval knight expected to have? Was there more to knighthood than just swords, armor and battle? How how does the Code of Chivalry continue to infuence social expectations in our modern world? And most importantly, did the chivalry ever really exist?

Students often struggle to understand the brutal yet colorful culture of the Middle Ages. Calling upon historical chronicles and literary sources, speaker and educator Scott Farrell (pictured at right, speaking to a student group beside beautiful San Diego Bay) brings the social, political, military and literary aspects of the medieval world to life as he explores the history of knights and the place of chivalry in Western European history.

This 80-minute presentation incorporates many of the California BOE standards for Grade 7 History-Social Science classroom content, including discussions of the relationship between knights, royalty and the church (7.6.4), the rise and development of the feudal system (7.6.3), the role of the knight in the development of Parliament and individual rights (7.6.5), the history of the Crusades (7.6.6), the interaction between Christian and Muslim cultures in Spain (7.6.9), and the influence of Arthurian legend in the development of theater, art and English literature.

As a bonus, the presentation also brings issues of ethics, morality and character development into the classroom as students consider how the ideals of the Code of Chivalry continue to shape our image of heroes and champions in today’s movies, books and video games.

Topics discussed in this presentation include:

Knights, Ladies and Courtly Love — The powerful effect of a new image of romance;
Finances and the Feudal System — Keeping a manor transformed a warrior into a champion;
Ladies and Chivalry — Women warriors, lady “lords” and (yes!) female knights in shining armor;
The King’s Law by Knight — Law enforcement techniques of the 13th century;
The Ideals of Chevalerie — A medieval warrior’s code gives us a new interpetation of honor.

This presentation concludes with a focus on the applications of chivalry in the real world, and helps students see the “warriors” who live by a code of honor in today’s world, including military personnel, law enforcement officers, athletes, politicians, executives, teachers, movie stars, parents — and perhaps most important of all, students. This presentation is intended for audiences age 11 to 16, and is ideal for Middle Schools and High Schools preparing for medieval faires or Renaissance festivals.

Upon request, The Making of a Knight presentation can also include a demonstration of an armored “Deed Of Arms” combat conducted by the rules of honor of real 14th century duels, which not only provides educational information about the history of knights and the Middle Ages, but also helps students see the challenging combination of maintaining honor in a competitive environment (an example is shown at left). Please let us know if you are interested in having a Deed Of Arms at your school.

“Thank you so much for your help at our (Renaissance) Faire. I know our students loved having you there.” — Eileen LaVine, Parkway Middle School, San Diego “Thank you for coming to our school. I really enjoyed learning about chivalry today. I learned a lot and it was fun that you included the students in your presentation.” — Brett J., Eagle’s Peak Middle School, Escondido CA

Please contact Chivalry Today via e-mail for information about pricing and availablity of this educational classroom presentation, or visit our contact page to contact us by mail or telephone.