Officers – Page 4 – Stórfréttir

Mellon Park Herb Garden

I recently received a flyer from the Point Breeze Organization about the Mellon Park Herb Garden:

The Elizabethan Herb Garden beds include culinary and medicinal herbs, a fragrance garden, a dye garden, a knot garden, a tea herb garden, a Shakespeare garden, and a rose garden. The Pittsburgh 250 Garden celebrates the 250th birthday of the city of Pittsburgh, and includes vegetables, fruits, and herbs that were grown at Fort Pitt (now Point State Park) at that time. This summer, a section with edible herbs and herbs native to Africa has been added.
Wikipedia lists the Mellon Park Shakespeare Garden/Elizabethan Herb Garden as one of only 34 such gardens in the world!

This garden is definitely worth a visit if you have the chance. Mellon Park is right along 5th Avenue, and quite near the practice site. On Sundays, you can park right on 5th Avenue!

Turlough’s Pouch Project

If you were able to attend the recent coronation event, or if you are an avid reader of Court Reports, you probably saw this item:

Her Majesty was very pleased by the Arts and Sciences display and wanted to recognize her choices for the day, Turlough Feolain and Douceline de la Hay, with rings from her hand.
Final Court of Maynard and Liadain Coronation, 25 September a.s. 56

Turlough is local to the Barony, but he and his spouse Finé (fee-nyuh) joined just before lockdown, so not everybody knows them well. Together they built the vardo camping trailer that you may have seen at the Barony meeting. So what was Turlough displaying at Coronation? I reached out to Turlough regarding this project and he sends:

This is a fancy kidney pouch with brass mounts and buckle. The body has “accordion” side panels that allow it to hold more than one would guess, a modern contrivance for cell phone accommodations. The fine black leather is layered with a second thicker leather for sturdiness. The pouch is decorated with red stitching and the closure strap has a simple tooling pattern for added visual interest.

Want to learn more about the SCA? Come chat with us tomorrow!

Welcome All Newcomers!

Tomorrow evening at 7pm the Debatable Lands is hosting a newcomer chat! Want to know what the SCA is all about? Curious about how you can get started? Join our Zoom chat as we give an intro presentation on the SCA and answer any questions you might have.

Come hear about all the SCA has to offer and how you can go forward into the past and enjoy these modern Middle Ages.

Hope to see you there!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82914844943?pwd=MHdDSE5GNkdEd1RTWlZzeHhpZzFFUT09
Meeting ID: 829 1484 4943
Passcode: 603249

Award Recommendations Requested!

Salve Accolens! Hello Debatable Lands and neighbors!

The Debatable Lands event, Agincourt, on October 23rd, has been named a Royal Progress! And Their Highnesses (Who will be King and Queen then) are asking for award recommendations!

This means that the King and Queen are coming to our event and will be holding a Royal Court, during which they will be recognizing people (from anywhere, not just here!) for their contributions to the SCA, including the Kingdom and local groups.

But how do They know who to recognize with these awards? YOU recommend people! That’s right, our Royalty can’t see everyone and everything with their own eyes, so they rely on yours. You can write an Award Recommendation for deserving people you see, by going to the form and filling it out: https://aethelmearc.org/award-recommendation-form/

It’s OK to leave some stuff blank, but try to fill in as much as you can.

How to know what to recommend these folks for? First check to see what award might be appropriate for their activities and activity level. Check “Awards and Orders” HERE, or HERE, or see the links below.

Then you may want to check to see if they have the award already in the Order of Precedence, the list of awards people have (this part isn’t totally necessary, but it does help out the Royalty, and you can always ask a herald to help, too).

When should you do this? Right now! Or, as soon as possible! One of the beautiful things about our Kingdom is the personal scrolls given for nearly every award. Our talented and generous scribes need time to create these, and Agincourt is just around the corner!

Still confused and not sure what Award might be appropriate for the person you have in mind? Contact us at baron@debatablelands.aethelmearc.org, or via our social media messages, and we’ll help you out, or just ask a trusted friend who might know.

Be sure to think of our neighbors across the Kingdom as well as Debatable Landers! If the person you’re writing in isn’t going to Agincourt, write them in anyway! There are other events coming up.

And if you’d like, drop us a line to let us know who you’ve recommended to Their Highnesses – it may help us, too!

Happy writing!

In Levitate et Caritate, and Cheers,
Baron Brandubh and Baroness Hilda

Some helpful links:

Kingdom Award Recommendation Link:
https://aethelmearc.org/award-recommendation-form/

Order of Precedence (list of people’s awards) Link: http://heraldry.aethelmearc.org/precedence/

List of Kingdom Awards and What They’re For: http://heraldry.aethelmearc.org/resources/armory.html, or
https://sca.org/awards/aethelmearc.html

There’s also some more detail about what awards are appropriate in the series of articles in the Althing from a few years ago. Here’s a quick link to the articles directly: http://bit.ly/AE-Awards. The articles are outdated by a few years (missing some awards, like the Peerage for Rapier!), but the general information is still handy.

If you need If you need some inspiration for Debatable Landers, scroll through the Dark Pages here: http://debatablelands.org/resources/darkpages.php

Would you like to recommend someone for a Baronial Award, too? Check out our blog post here for how-to: https://debatablelands.aethelmearc.org/blog/?p=347

Crown: A Banner Day for the Debatable Lands!

Salve Accolens! Hello Debatable Lands!

I bring you news of Crown Tournament, held in the Shire of Misty Highlands on August 21st. VIVANT to the Kingdom’s new Heirs, Prince Gareth and Princess Juliana!!! So many wonderful things happened for and by our Barony members and former members. Time to share!

In Royal Court, Their Majesties in Their wisdom:

-Awarded Mistress Antoinette a Golden Escarbuncle and Baroness Shirin an Award of Excellence and wished them well as they transferred the office of Slyvan Signet to Master Jonathan

-Awarded now-Lady Forveleth Arms

– Awarded 3 other AoAs to Debatable Landers not present and bade Baroness Hilda to convey them. We will do so at our Baronial Court on Sept 11.

-Named the Moneyers’ Guild the Principal of a new order – the Order of Crowns Treasure, which is for those that go above and beyond in contributing largesse. The Guild is a Kingdom Guild, but many are Debatable Landers! The new Bookmaker activity at Crown Tourney, for example, was run and coins made by Earl Byron, THL Guillaume, Lady Violetta, Lady Argentia, THL Nicola (ooh, spoiler!) and our neighbors Master Ian and Master Annais.

-Awarded Lady Dorothea a Keystone for service

-Gave Lord Ronan a Cornelian, the Kingdom’s award for Courtesy

-Surprised His Excellency Baron Brandubh with an Augmentation of Arms, which allows the recipient to use elements of the Kingdom Arms in their own personal heraldry.

-Inducted THL Nicola Beese into the Order of the Fleur d’Aethelmearc, the Grant Order for Arts and Sciences

-Inducted our neighbor THL Sumayya al Ghaziyah into the Order of the Millrind, the Grant Order for Service.

-Inducted our former Baronial Seneschal (now Kingdom Seneschal) Mistress Illadore into the Order of the Pelican

-(and other wonderful things for our neighbors around the Kingdom!)

The Baron and I would like to thank the folks that contributed to the gift basket for the new Baron and Baroness of Blackstone Mountain: The Debatable Lands Brewers’ Guild, Lady Tristan for her beautiful embroidered napkins, and Mistress Arianna for her lovely handwoven trim! And to THL Hara and Lord Owen for retaining for us. Vivant!

A VERY special thank you to Master Ishiyama for handing me a HUGE stack of new Baronial stickers!! one with the black comet badge and one with our motto, Salve Accolens (which means “Hello Neighbors!”) on a yellow background. Ask me (or him) for them!

A BIG WELCOME to the folks for whom it was their first in-person SCA event: Rei, Eleanor, Austin, and Lady Forveleth (our Exchequer), and anyone I missed!

Also, to the Debatable Landers serving at the event, you rock! I’m sure I didn’t see everyone, so forgive me if I miss you: Meesteres Odriana and Baroness Soteria for MOLing; Lord Ronan, Baron Edward, THL Kuma, and Forveleth as Heralds for the tourney and procession; THL Boden, Master Ishiyama, THL Hara, and Otto as banner-bearers (Boden resplendent in his Defender of the Sun baldric!) Don Jorundr, Baron Brandubh, Lord Owen and Master Kieran for heralding for the Kingdom; the Moneyers Guild folks (above) for the new Bookmaker activity and the site tokens; the MANY folks who ran Mistress Illadore’s reception and provided reception food; Countess Ali, who provided social media updates; Duke Sven and Duchess Siobhan for serving as Their Majesties Chamberlains; many folks that helped set-up and tear-down (so many I didn’t write them down!) A special thank you to Otto, Makilah, Don Marcus, and THL Sumayya for helping with our personal pack-in and pack-out, too!

And of course, to the combatants and their inspirations who fought and inspired honorably: Count Byron and Countess Ariella for each other, Sir Maghnus for Brehyres Gwendolyn, our neighbor Syr Hagar for Baroness Anna Eisenkopf, our former members THL Lothar for THL Sumayya, and Lord Patrokles for Fox.

A Banner Day for the Barony! Celebrate!

In Levitate et Caritate,
Baroness Hilda

Henry VIII – Friday Night

Greetings All!

It’s Shakespeare Movie Night! On Friday, August 20th we’ll show Henry VIII
(BBC Production) starting at 8:15pm, followed by a chat after the movie.
Due to the high level of community transmission of COVID in our area, this
showing will be online only. This is also the final Shakespeare Movie
night (for now).

He was a man of an unbounded stomach. This performance features the BBC
Production. We hope to see you there! Watch from the comfort of your living
room via the AEther or join us at Alaric & Elsbeth’s. Some come to take
their ease and sleep an act or two.

Here is the link to the schedule for the movie nights scheduled through
August (including the Zoom link):

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EhlgwgRZ923RhRJrCPIXsHEhWI1eJJigCv2YRLEavrE/edit?usp=sharing

Please contact Alaric at alaric (at) pobox (dot) com for the Zoom room
information (or see the linked document). He can also be reached via DM on
Discord (Alaric#9264). Get your information before the movie starts, if
possible, as Alaric is also watching and might not see your request to join
right away.

Hope to see some of you there!

Alaric & Elsbeth

Arts & Sciences in the Park

Your A&S Minister has no organized activity lined up, but if people want to spend some time in the open air working on their own personal projects, I will probably be at the Washington Boulevard practice site some time before noon until some time in the afternoon.

Although the SCA complies with all applicable laws to try 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.

Let’s Make Target Stands

Once more the passage of time (time flies like an arrow, they say) has wrought its depredations on our Barony’s archery target stands. Two years ago, the Debatable Lands A&S community and the Woodworking Guild banded together to make new target stands, and we are planning to do so once again this Sunday, July 18th!

Two of the new stands, at practice. — Two open archery target stands, with archery practice in the background.

Come learn or practice some basic woodworking skills while providing service to the Barony and its Archers! Join us at the Washington Boulevard site from 11am to 2pm, the same time as Archery Practice. Please wear close-toed shoes, and bring your protective gear like gloves, eye protection, and mask.

Captain of Archers Ronan is providing materials, Master Alaric is providing a good set of instructions, and I’ll be bringing tools. Feel free to bring your own tools if you have them.

See you Sunday!

Virtual Known World Arts & Sciences Display

I just heard about this today, so I apologize if this notice seems late. (Thank you Scheiny for posting someplace non-Facebook!). It seems that the staff of what would have been the Pennsic Arts & Sciences Display are hosting the display online this year since there is no Pennsic.

https://sites.google.com/view/kwasdisplay

They will be making online space available to host your photos and documentation, and scheduling zoom meetings for people to discuss their work with interested parties. Registration deadline is August First, so get your act together if you are interested! We normally have a pretty good showing at the Pennsic display, so I am hoping some of us have something ready to go.

Let me (ansminister {at} debatablelands {dot} org) know once your stuff is up, and I will post links here to direct viewers to your entry!

Stellar Tournament Sunday! (Sun List – Heavy)

Hello Debatable Lands! Salve Accolens!

We are pleased to announce that the second Stellar Tournament, Sun List (Heavy) will occur at the Heavy Fighting Practice on Washington Blvd this Sunday, July 18th!

The current Defender of the Sun, Sir Bors of Rouen, will be defending against all comers! We’ll begin at about 3:30pm. The format is a grand tournament in double elimination. Get that practice in!

We would love to have any and all heralds wishing to practice their field heraldry craft to join us!

So, too, do we ask if any marshals are available, we would love to have you volunteer so those that have already marshaled have a chance to fight for glory!

MoLs, here is a wonderful chance to train on double elim tourneys!

Fighters can sign up with our MoL, Lady Vika, the day of. This tourney is open to folks from any group (welcome neighbors!), fighting at any level.

(Note: this activity is in addition to regular practice, not in place of – fighters not wishing to participate will still have plenty of space for regular practice activities.)

See you Sunday!

In Levitate et Caritate,
Baroness Hilda
and the Sun List advisors, Master Kieran and THL Guillaume

P.S.: Watch this space for some exciting Archery News in the next couple of weeks!