Fencing Melee Muster This Sunday
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Being the online web log for the Southwestern Pennsylvania branch of the SCA, Inc.
There is a business meeting tomorrow, Wed. June 3rd and 8pm. It is a hybrid meeting, both online and in-person. Here is the google meet link: https://meet.google.com/zdo-czri-zqe If you want to attend in-person the location is 1105 Shady Ave, Pittsburgh, 15232.
Here is the agenda: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VwErbbJCpsz8P0a8VpOQ-FeGbOdnHr9r/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=100952935535046524485&rtpof=true&sd=true
Officers, if you cannot attend, please send your report to me or with someone who plans to attend. Also please assign your vote proxy to someone. There is an event bid that I expect we will need to vote on. I will add the link to the agenda when I get the bid.
We had another wonderful Iris Festival this past weekend. I want to send out my thank yous to everyone who made this a success. The weather forecast was a bit scary, but so many people decided to risk that and come out. We had very little rain during the outdoor activities. The archers got a little wet, but they didn’t let the drops stop the contest.
Baronage: Baronessa Violeta and Praetoria Prima for cheering for all the tournaments
Bento Box: Michi-san and her team of sous chefs, Owen, Kattera, Fine, Kolfinna, and Kyle. Kit for the serving bowl, and Gwen for helping fill and serve bento boxes. The boxes were full of delicious Korean food. Thank you Michi for being ready to make a few extra boxes, just in case.
Troll: Forveleth, Helena, and Eliza for checking folks in and distributing the food chits and origami horses.
MoLs: Skjoldr, Gerschon, Tristyn, Niall, and Elinor for tournament sign-in, checking authorizations, and score keeping.
Marshals: Patrokles, Cadence, Tristyn and Niall for running the tournaments
A&S: organizer Ingvar, and judges Ingvar, Ceindrech, Hilda, and Elinor
Iron skillet Organizers: Arthes and Skjoldr for brain storming, shopping, equipment hauling, and serving as sous-chefs
Iron skillet Judges: Dea, Jorindr, and Tristyn for judging the Iron Skillet competition
Lawn Game organizers: Fine her helpers Arianna, Kit, and J for a wonderful set of Japanese themed lawn games (someday we will actually have wind for the kites). Turlough for helping setup and tear down the games.
Setup: Cadence, Dorothea, Ishiyama and all the other folks for pop-up setup, table setup, and banner bling
Tear down: everyone who helped get things in cars and especially Ishiyama and Turlough for the final chair and table folding and stowing.
Equipment: Sir Koredono, Ts’vee’a, Ceindrech for the pop-ups and the ramp for the barn.
Cookie/Tea/Coffee Merchant: Master Huon and THL Cydrych Fishengard for terrific cookies and beverages
Everyone who attended and especially our contestants.
Salve accolens, archers!
Here’s a list of upcoming practices and events for your calendar-ing pleasure:
May 31 – Regular martial practice, PLUS we will be holding our annual tournament to determine the Debatable Lands’ Archery Champion! Anyone who is a resident of the barony may compete, but standing as champion comes with the additional requirement to represent the barony at the Seven Pearls event on August 22nd (this year, it is being held in the Barony of Endless Hills).
June 5-7 – Scarlet Guard Inn, in Brockway, PA. Many of our archers will be in attendance, and there will be more archery than you can propel a stick through the air at! There will be NO ARCHERY PRACTICE on June 7th.
June 14 and 21 – Regular martial practice
June 28 – Regular martial practice, PLUS the next Defender of the Sky Stellar Tournament will be held. There are no requirements for participating in this tournament.
July 5 – Regular martial practice
July 12 – Garb Swap in North Park – NO ARCHERY PRACTICE.
July 19 – Last regular martial practice before Pennsic
July 26, August 2 and 9 – NO ARCHERY PRACTICE, due to Pennsic. Regular practice resumes August 16th.
As always, loaner gear will be available for those who need it.
Yours in Service,
Niall mac Raedwulf
This year, Iris Festival coincided with the 15th iteration of the Iron Comet, a pentathalon-style event where participants seeking the ultimate title of Iron Comet must compete in three martial forms plus A&S and demonstrate their true skill as a fighting artisan! All competitions were open to those seeking to compete in a singular form as well, so we had truly stiff competition for the Iron Comet A&S Competition this year with twelve entrants!
Thank you to everyone who put their work on the table today, whether you were a seasoned artisan or someone attempting documentation for the very first time. Your judges (myself, Lord Ingvar Sviatoslavich, Baroness Hilderun Hügelmann, and Magister Ceindrech verch Elidir) were so impressed with everyone and the tenacity that it took to enter the day of tournaments.
Our winner of the Iron Comet A&S Tournament was Ishiyama Shonagon with his entry of a Masu rice measure from 15th century Japan! Please enjoy pictures of his entry, along with all of his competitors below! Additionally, thank you to Lord Ingvar for running his first A&S competition – one which required legwork and diverse advertising to make sure it reached all different communities of people!















YIS, THLady Elinor Walden, baronial A&S Minister
The Iris Festival, Iron Comet Challenge, and Iron Skillet competition event is in 2 days. The date is Sunday May 24, 2026 and the site is the Barn at Old Economy Park, #5 Forcey Drive, Baden, PA 15005. Here is the location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/1K2ZTiw4uqRvNu8i9. The site opens at 9 am and closes at 7pm. The autocrat for this event is Hara Chunagon , Sharon Booth, 1105 Shady Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, 412-441-1607 sbooth@sbooth.net. This is a land-line with an answering machine. Please leave a message. No calls after 9pm.
I need help for setup. If you can come at 8am to setup that is great. Please email Hara or send message in discord if you can help with setup. There are 3 pop-ups to put up, some folding tables, and chairs to setup. Also there are road signs to put up.
Here is the schedule:
8:00 AM – Setup
9:00 AM – Troll Opens
9:30 AM – A&S Display and Competition Sign-in Opens
10:00 AM – MoL Table Opens for Heavy
10:00 AM – Lawn Games Begin
10:30 AM – Sign-in for Iron Skillet Competition
10:30 AM – Heavy Tournament Begins
11:00 AM – Iron Skillet Competition Begins
11:15 AM – Thrown Weapons Tournament Sign-up
11:30 PM – Thrown Weapons Tournament
12:00 PM – Bento Box Lunch Available For Pickup
1:00 PM – A&S Competition Judging
1:30 PM – Fencing MoL Sign-up
1:45 PM – Fencing Tournament
2:15 PM – Archery Tournament Signup with Archery MoL
2:30 PM – Archery Tournament
3:00 PM – Lawn Games End
3:00 PM – Iron Skillet Teams Present Desserts
4:30 PM – Baronial Court
6:00 PM – Site Cleanup
You should bring the following: If you are a member, have a current blue card or proof of current membership on your phone, water, food, if you aren’t purchasing a bento box, sunscreen, stools or chairs, folding table, and day shade if you have one.