About kids, my own offspring has only missed one Getaway (away at college) although I admit for the first one, my mom brought him down as a day-tripper. He thought he hated the music until one of his friends started singing songs from the Pyrates Royale and Darriel realized he knew a bunch of them -- and at least one of the Pyrates -- as a result of his misspent youth.

When friends asked him how he knew the shanties when "he didn't have the Pyrates CD," he said, "Didn't you know? My real parents abandoned me as a baby and I was raised by a pack of wild folk singers."

He was one of the leaders of the Getaway Shantey Sing this year :-) and when he's in town is a regular at the Royale Mile Pub Shantey Sing in Wheaton, MD.

A few years back Charlie set up a "Passing it On" workshop at the Washington Folk Festival. The performers were: Nancy King, Ken & Dan Schatz (not singing all together yet....); Carly Gewirz & Dean & Sam Clamons; and Rita Ferrara, Bill and Darriel Day. Sound familiar? ALL of the younger generation blamed their folk musical leanings on their years of going to the FSGW Getaway.

So be warned if you're thinking of bringing the younger generation: This stuff is contagious.