The Chronicler has provided us with a new issue of the Althing, and it is a revival of the concept of an Arts and Sciences issue! Please visit the Althing page on the web site and follow the instructions to download your copy of our Baronial newsletter!
Category: Officers
Call for Letters: Webminister
My term as your Webminister is up in April, and while I am perfectly willing to continue doing this job, I will not be offended if somebody else would like a chance.
The Webminister is responsible for the official Baronial web site and its related functions. The Webminister updates the information on the web site as necessary, such as when office holders change or a new calendar event is announced. Knowledge of HTML and basic web design is required. Some functions of the web site are written in PHP, and an understanding of PHP would be helpful. You must have a reliable computer, Internet connection, and email address. Most changes to the current site can be made in a text editor and uploaded via FTP, so no special software is required. The web site is hosted by a commercial service provider, so the ability to pay hosting and domain registration fees via credit card is required, though you will be reimbursed by the Barony after you make payment.
The Webminister is also responsible for maintaining the list of email aliases. The hosting service also provides email forwarding so that senders can always send email to a Baronial officer without having to remember who currently holds that office and what that person’s address is. Updating the list of aliases involves logging into the hosting provider’s domain management web interface, so some ability to deal with that kind of thing is required.
The Webminister is also responsible for maintaining and administrating the Baronial Blog. The Debatable Blog uses the WordPress system and all interactions with the site are through a web interface. Some knowledge of WordPress usage and administration would be helpful.
The job of Webminister is not constant. It mostly consists of small amounts of work on a irregular basis, but occasionally requires a large amount of work in a short time period. The editorial policy of the website is available on the site. Some familiarity with the current policy, and an interest in upholding or improving on these traditions would be to your advantage.
The Webminister is not responsible for the Barony’s social media presence, as this is a function of the Seneschal’s office by society policy. Some coordination with the Seneschal or Social Media Deputy will doubtless be required, however.
If you are interested in standing for this position, please submit a letter of intent to the Webminister and Seneschal before the next officers’ meeting, which will be on April 5th, 2017.
12th Night Top 10 from the Baroness
We had a wonderful time this past Saturday at 12th Night! Thank you to the autocrats, THL Elss and THL Muirgheal, and all your staff. It was a day of merriment and laughter! Here are some of out favorite moments, in no particular order:
- The Court of Misrule, administered skillfully and with maximum ridiculousness by the incomparable I Genesii. The King (Lord Kuma), and the Queen (Lady Aine) of Misrule declared many silly things, including calling all Peers “Monster” or “Monstress”, and voguing instead of bowing, among other silliness. It was fun!
- Our beautiful new red wool garb, made in just a week by Mistress Ts’vee’a. Thank you!
- The ball! An amazing time dancing, with so many dancers! One of the best balls in the Kingdom every year. Thank you to Lord Pavel and all the musicians! And thank you for allowing the Baron and Baroness a dance to ourselves (Rosiboli Gioioso) to end the night. It was lovely!
- The Amazing Auction of Highly Desirable Items. Always so much cool stuff, and again, raised enough to cover the cost of the event, so our yearly revel can remain free! Thank you for running it again, Baroness Elizabeth. And, uh, sorry about Otto and Carl bidding on everything… I’ll make sure to explain to them what a “minimum bid” is next time….
- The Baronial Bard competition was superb! You made me laugh so hard! Vivat to our new champ, THL Silence!
- The Pillow fights! The kids just kept going and going – so much fun! Thanks to THL Jorundr and Mistress Arianna for running it, and Lady Arthes for MOLing, plus THL Muirgheal stepping in to marshal when the kids wanted to keep going after time was up.
- Cookies! Thank you Meistari Urho for running the cookie competition again. They were tasty, tasty things! I picked Snickertangles as my favorite. Snickerdoodles and Tang!! Lady Luceta plays to the audience. 🙂
- Court. Small and fun, and always a favorite, to recognize folks that give so much to our beloved Barony! A privilege and honor. And…ummm…. I’m really sorry about throwing the kisses so hard. Baronessing lesson #243: largesse tossing… always underhand!
- The wonderful A&S entries. Thanks to all that entered, and congratulations to the new champ, THL Bugga, for her beautiful knitted socks.
- The amazing rubbings activity run by Lady Maire. Just beautiful artwork! And thank you for providing an extra prize for Court!
- (What, so I can’t count…) The Brewers’ Tap Room. Mmmmmmm. ‘Nuff said.
And of course, the very best thing…all of you! A beautiful day of laughter and eating and drinking and frolicking and fun. Exactly what a 12th Night should be! Thank you all so much!
~Baroness Hilda
Winter Missive from the Baron & Baroness
Hello Debatable Lands!
As we write this, the weather is cold, but the days will soon be getting longer, and we are all enjoying the warmth of our hearths and homes. As our King and Queen have said, we know that this season can be difficult for some. Know that our thoughts are with you, you are valued, and you have friends to lean on; please do, if you need to.
Thanks to all our retainers, champions, scribes, those who make tokens, and everyone who has helped make our Courts this year fun and easy, particularly Lady Rivka, THL Rachel, and THL Jorundr. THL Jorundr has stepped down as Comet Pursuivant (Herald), and we thank him deeply for his years of fruitful service to the Barony. Welcome to Master Kieran, new Comet Pursuivant!
We are now looking forward to Baronial 12th Night on January 21st. The day is full of revelry, joy, fun activities and it is FREE! Ever wanted to introduce a friend or coworker to the SCA? Baronial 12th Night is the ideal event to bring them to! Read more here.
We are very excited to say that our new A&S Champion will be chosen at 12th Night. No theme, but bring your best! The Debatable Lands A&S Champs is a point of pride for us, as we do have the best artisans in the Knowne World after all…. All levels are encouraged to enter, and works-in-progress are welcome. There will be a display area for those not wishing to enter and thereby de-virginize their projects (Ice Dragon, it’s a thing…).
We’ll also be choosing the new Baronial Bardic Champion that fine day. The theme for the Bardic Champs is “Make Us Laugh, Make Us Cry, or Both!” Songs, stories and all bardic forms welcome!
Steltonwald 12th Night is coming up soon, too, on January 28th. A fun and unique event, a party at a restaurant. Read more here.
Additionally, we are very low on Comet award tokens. If anyone would like to donate some, we would appreciate it very much. We would very much prefer to give pouches as tokens, or other usable items, but medallions or belt favors are welcomed with gratitude. We also do need medallion/pouch strings. Let us know if you’d be able to help us with this, and we can give you more details.
Thank you all so much for being vibrant and integral to this amazing hobby of ours, that is so much more than a hobby. If you ever have and questions or comments, please do contact us by phone (See the Dark Pages) or email (baron@debatablelands.aethelmearc.org, and baroness@debatablelands.aethelmearc.org), or by social media (Hilda on Facebook, Brandubh on G+). We will see you soon!
In Levitate et Caritate, and Cheers,
Baron Brandubh, and Baroness Hilda
A and S at Washington Blvd NOT on Nov 13th
As this Sunday is the Barony Meeting and Practices with PIE at the Castle in Wexford, there will be no A&S at Washington Blvd. Make PIE, eat PIE, vote for PIE!
Also, I am looking for an indoor location for us to meet, so please keep your eyes open and let me know if you find anything around. Examples of places on my list so far: Panera (but no privacy or reservations); Stoke’s Bar on McKnight Rd (private room available); JoAnne Fabrics (unused classrooms, reservations needed); Tech Shop (East Liberty (on bus routes, probably free).
So, looking for: anywhere central, easily accessible by bus, and free or low cost. Let me know of any ideas!
Thanks, Elss Augsburg
BMDL Minister of A&S
Autumn Letter from the Baron & Baroness (Thanks, Champs, PIE, and Recommendations!)
Hello Debatable Lands!
It’s been a busy fall season so far, with both Archers to the Wald and Agincourt in October, and of course the practices and meetings we’ve all been enjoying. We want to thank the autocrats of our events, THL Aaliz and Baroness Constance, and their amazing staff members for putting on impressive events. Not only did the people of the Debatable Lands enjoy the days, but you showed the entire Kingdom what this Barony can do, as it hosted four of the Kingdom Championships. Vivant to you all!
Speaking of Champions… Congratulations to our new Baronial Champions this fall! Lord Ronan O’Connal is our Archery Champion, with Duncan MacCoulagh as second, Carl MacBranduibh is our Youth Archery Champion, and Lord Kuma is our new Thrown Weapons Champion, with Eorl Byron as his second. Vivant to you all, and we hope many Debatable Landers will join us in Endless Hills on Sept 9th, 2017, to cheer them on as they compete in the Seven Pearls Championships.
Thanks, too, to all our retainers, champions, scribes, those who make tokens, and everyone who has helped make our Courts fun and easy, particularly Lady Rivka, THL Jorundr, and THL Rachel.
We’re very much looking forward to our annual Harvest Revel and Barony Meeting coming up in November. Don’t forget to bring your PIE! For in PIE there, is GLORY!
As the weather cools, we are now looking forward to Baronial 12th Night on January 21st. We will be holding Court then, and we need Comet Recommendations! If you see someone working and playing here in the Debatable Lands, and you think they should be recognized in Baronial Court, don’t hesitate to write to us to let us know! baron@debatablelands.aethelmearc.org, and baroness@debatablelands.aethelmearc.org. Additionally, we are very low on Comet award tokens. If anyone would like to donate some, we would appreciate it very much. We prefer to give pouches as tokens, but other ideas are medallions or belt favors. Let us know if you’d be able to help us with this, and we can give you more details.
Thank you all so much for being vibrant and integral to this amazing hobby of ours, that is so much more than a hobby. If you ever have and questions or comments, please do contact us by phone or email (See the Dark Pages), or by social media (Hilda on Facebook, Brandubh on G+). We will see you soon!
In Levitate et Cartitate, and Cheers,
Baron Brandubh and Baroness Hilda
Calling All Throwers! Champs This Saturday!
Hello Debatable Lands!
Our Baronial Thrown Weapons Championship Throw is this Saturday at Agincourt! We hope to see throwers of all ages compete! Our outgoing Champion, Master Clewin has prepared a fun time for you all.
The Championship throw will be at 2pm. Loaner gear is available. The range will be open earlier for warm ups, courtesy of our industrious marshal, Lord Kuma. Thanks!
All are invited to throw, but only Debatable Landers are eligible to be Baronial Champion. We ask that the new Champion be available to throw in the Seven Pearls competition on Sept 9, 2017.
In Levitate et Caritate, and Cheers,
Baron Brandubh and Baroness Hilda
And don’t forget, both Queen’s Rapier Champs (10:15 am) and Kingdom Youth Fighting Champs (1 pm) are that day as well…. let’s show the Kingdom what Debatable Landers can do! Can’t wait!
See also Agincourt’s Facebook Page.
Calling All Archers! Champs This Saturday!
Hello Archers of the Debatable Lands, from Baron Brandubh and Baroness Hilda!
This Saturday is Archers to the Wald, in our Canton of Steltonwald. In addition to hosting the Kingdom Archery and Thrown Weapons Championships, it was also host the Debatable Lands Archery Championship and the Debatable Lands Youth Archery Championship!
We’d like to invite all archers to come and participate!
Master Urho, our outgoing Archery Champion, has a short and fun shoot planned for 11 am. All may participate, but only Debatable Landers are eligible to be Champion. (There will be other ranges open, too – it’s Archers to the Wald!) We ask that the new Champion be available on September 9th, 2017, to shoot for the 7 Pearls Championship against the other Baronies’ champs.
Baron Brandubh will be running the Youth Archery Championship at 1pm. This championship is open to youths 16 and under from the Debatable Lands and surrounding groups as well, as there are less opportunities for our region’s youth to participate in champs shoots.
We can’t wait to see you at the Baronial Champs shoots! And let’s show the Kingdom what our archers and throwers can do, too!
From the Kingdom Seneschal — SCA Insurance
Good Gentles:
Below is an official announcement from the Society Seneschal regarding the SCA Insurance. Event autocrats and local seneschals should be familiar with this and the limitations outlined in this message.
If you have any questions please drop me a line.
Yours,
Duke Christopher
Seneschal, Aethelmearc
———-
Greetings to all Kingdom Seneschals,
Questions about the SCA’s insurance coverage have come up over the past year and I would like to clarify matters.
1. An officially sanctioned event conveys “coverage” of officers and the Society against litigation and does not provide medical insurance to attendees. (A participant was recently injured at an event and while the individual had sufficient health insurance, someone had a question regarding our insurance and if it applied to our participants. The answer is no, our insurance does not cover injuries sustained during SCA activities at SCA events.)
2. Our insurance does not cover stolen property. This is especially true if we rent something with wheels, like a golf cart; it is incumbent upon the group renting the item (vehicle, trailer et al.) to obtain insurance for the item with wheels from the company that rents the item. (We recently had golf carts stolen from an event and the group was out of pocket for the golf cart.)
3. The SCA’s insurance does not cover the intentional damage to event sites inflicted by our participants. (Within the last year or so, someone came upon a locked gate at an event and then drove through the gate; this intentional tort is not covered by our insurance and the group was forced to compensate the site owner.)
Our insurance over the past ten years has become increasingly more expensive and there is no way for our organization to cover the insuring our participants, rented property or intentional damage to a site.
Please pass this down to your local group seneschals.
Best regards,
A.J. Pongratz
Vice President of Operations, SCA Inc.
Society Seneschal
Subscribe to the Official BMDL Facebook Page by going to https://www.facebook.com/BMDLOfficial/
Subscribe to the Official BMDL G+ Page by going to https://plus.google.com/b/113124989304184885338/113124989304184885338/posts?gmbpt=true&hl=en
Follow the Official BMDL Twitter feed by going to https://twitter.com/the_bmdl and using the official hashtag #DebatableLands
September Letter from the Seneschal
The September letter is delayed to allow the Althing to publish the letter first. This will happen every month that coincides with the publication of the Althing. Otherwise, look for the letter from the Senschal during the first week of the month.
Greetings to the Most Excellent Barony-Marche of the Debatable Lands!
Pennsic has come and gone and the one thing that stayed strongest with me is seeing how many Barony people were not only enjoying the event but how many people donated their time to making Pennsic happen. Everywhere I looked there was someone from Our Barony making it possible for everyone to enjoy themselves. I extend my thanks and appreciation for your taking some time out of your vacation so that others may enjoy theirs.
If you weren’t able to volunteer this year, there are still so many opportunities for you to share what you learned at Pennsic now that it’s over.
If you attended a class at Pennsic, please consider sharing what you learned at one of the weekly A&S classes being held by our A&S Minister, Elss. She will be hosting a variety of classes at the Washington Blvd practice site on Sundays and is looking for teachers. If you would like to teach a class, please contact her via email at ansminister@debatablelands.aethelmearc.org. If you’ve never taught a class before and would like to share what you’ve learned, Elss or I can guide you to some resources to help you do that.
If you aren’t comfortable teaching a class, consider submitting an article to either the Althing or the Debatable Blog. The Chronicler and Webminister are always looking for articles and can be reached at chronicler@debatablelands.aethelmearc.org and webminister@debatablelands.aethelmearc.org. The Althing is published quarterly and the Debatable Blog publishes on an as-needed basis, so you can work on your schedule and still be able to share your knowledge with the Barony. Articles are not restricted to the Arts and Sciences, if you have a martial bent, an article about how to get started in Heavy Weapons, Fencing, Thrown Weapons, Equestrian, Youth Fighting, and Archery would be very welcome, particularly by our new participants who may be curious about what the Arts Martial are all about. If you would like to share new techniques or information about your Martial Art, please share those as well.
That’s not all – on the 28th through the 30th of October, we have our yearly Agincourt event. It will be at Camp Bucoco and there will be a little something for everyone. Head over to the event page for details.
We are also very proud to unveil two new social media accounts for Official information from the Barony – An Official BMDL Facebook page and a BMDL Twitter feed. The facebook feed augments the already very active unofficial group and will be regularly updated with posts from the Debatable Blog, official news, and event announcements. There is no reason to unsubscribe from the unofficial group and it will continue to be a place for conversation and information. The Twitter feed will feature the same information and is provided for those who are on one platform but not the other.
To subscribe to the Official BMDL Social Media Accounts —
The Official BMDL Facebook Page
The Official BMDL Twitter The official hashtag is #DebatableLands
If you prefer to get this Official information via email, you can subscribe to the blog via email, just look for “Subscribe to the Blog via Email” on the right-hand side of the blog page. The Barony’s email list will continue to exist as there are still so many people that get their information that way. This is just another way to access information about things happening in and around the Barony.
There is so much going on and we are providing as many ways as possible to share this information in a way that people can access easily. We don’t want you to miss anything!
As always, if you have any ideas about how to improve anything in the Barony or have concerns, I am available via email (seneschal@debatablelands.aethelmearc.org) or in person at events and meetings.
In Service to the Barony,
Odriana, Seneschal