Arts and Sciences in January

It must be the dead of winter because we’ve got so many A&S opportunities this month! With many guilds meeting regularly again and posting their information across several places on the internet, I wanted to do a round-up of all the guild postings I’ve seen recently in one centralized place. See below if any of these meet-ups interest you; email Elinor Walden at gabbie.kaplan@gmail.com if you have questions about guild specifics and I’ll direct you to the right person.

Sewing Guild – meets in-person every Sunday from 3pm-6pm at the home of Hara Kikumatsu (1105 Shady Ave). There is also a virtual only meet-up on January 18th from 7:30-10pm.

Fiber Guild – Fiber Guild is back! They’re meeting both in-person and virtually today, January 8, from 7pm-9pm at Mistress Ts’vee’a’s home (5167 Rosecrest Dr). Let Rei Morikawa or Helewys Spinner know if you have any questions or need the zoom link.

Debatable Lands Choir – meets every Tuesday at the home of Mistress Ts’vee’a from 7pm-8:30pm; contact Mistress Arianna of Wynthrope if you want to join them.

A&S Nights – There are two monthly A&S nights. The South Hills meet-up will be on January 11th, hosted by Beth Chatham. The Stanton Heights meet-up will be on January 25th from 6pm-10pm hosted by Elinor Walden (recurring schedule update – we’re going to take up that last Thursday spot every month this year for consistency).

Scribal Guild – Pittsburgh Scribal West is every Tuesday from 5-9pm in Moon Twp. Contact THL Nicola Beese for the address and details.

Brewing Guild – The Brewing Guild has a meet-up at Spoonwood Brewing Co. at 7pm on January 11 for craft brew tasting and twelfth night(s) planning. Email Muirgheal if you have questions.

Baronial A&S Championship and Display – the A&S Championship will be held at Debatable Lands Twelfth Night on January 27th with a theme of “pastoral”. There will also be a display for those who do not wish to complete and for works-in-progress. Again, contact Elinor if you have any questions about whether you should compete (yes) or if there is room for your art at the event (absolutely).

If I’ve missed your guild meeting this month, please let me know and I’ll add your information to the next round-up! Happy crafting!

YIS, Lady Elinor Walden

Brewers Guild – Meeting at Spoonwood Brewery at 7 pm on 1/11/2024

The Brewers Guild is meeting Thursday (1/11/24) at Spoonwood Brewing Co. at 7 pm est. [https://spoonwoodbrewing.com/ address is 5981 BAPTIST ROAD, PITTSBURGH, PA 15236]

Anyone is welcome to come join us. We’re going to get snacks and taste some of their craft brew. We are going to be planning for Kingdom Twelfth Night and Debatable Lands Twelfth Night and starting to look forward to our upcoming events!

If you would like to be added to the brewers guild email list; please email me at Muirgheall@gmail.com

In Service,
Muirgheal; Brewing Guildmistress

Sunday Sewing Jan 7th 3-6pm

There is in-person sewing on Sundays after martial practice, but at a different location. It will be held at 1105 Shady Ave, Pittsburgh 15232 from 3-6pm The goal is to provide some guidance for basic garment patterns and construction. However, if you are working on your own sewing project and would like to come work on it feel free.

Call for Letters of Intent – Office of the Seneschal

Good Populace,

I have served as your Seneschal for 4 years and my time draws to a close. We will need someone that is willing to serve as your Seneschal starting in February of 2023.

If you have an interest in keeping the Policy and Law of the Debatable Lands, Æthelmearc, and the Society, overseeing the activities and events, encouraging the other Officers and in general being a helping hand to your fellow Debatablelanders; this is the job for you!

Please feel free to reach out to me or seek me at practices and events to ask questions. I will freely share all that I know and assist you in learning the job or just help you to understand the job.

You will find a copy of our current policies for the Barony located at http://debatablelands.org/resources/policies-and-forms/

Please send letters of interest and intent to myself and Their Excellencies by no later than February 7th, 2024 or be present at the February Business meeting with your letter of intent in hand.

baron at debatablelands.org
seneschal at debatablelands.org

In Service,
Muirgheal, Seneschal Debatable

Baronial A&S Championship at 12th Night!

It is time for the Debatable Lands to find their next Arts and Sciences Champion! I will be holding a competition at Debatable Lands Twelfth Night on January 27 to find this good gentle to serve as champion for Baronessa Violeta and Praetoria Prima. Documentation is not required but appreciated. If you do not plan on attending but would like to enter, please let me know so we can arrange transport and display of your work.

The theme of the championship will be “Pastoral Life – The Beauty in Simplicity”. I encourage you to submit your works that celebrate that which would be made in the home of the average medieval person; the mundane works which go unnoticed but demonstrate the timeless accessibility of crafting. Baronessa Violeta and Praetoria Prima will use these entries to award the title and role of their Arts and Sciences Champion for the coming year.

There will additionally be an A&S Display for those who would like to showcase their works-in-progress and ongoing research but do not wish to compete! All are encouraged to participate so that we may show off the widespread and varied talents of our barony.

Please direct any questions to me via email at gabbie.kaplan at gmail.com or other methods of contact. I look forward to seeing all that our barony has to offer!

Sincerely, Lady Elinor Walden, A&S Champion Second

A&S Night This Thursday!

It’s time again for an A&S Night! We’ll be gathering at Elinor Walden’s home in Stanton Heights this Thursday, December 28, from 6pm to 10pm. Bring your projects, your curiosity, your competition pieces for the upcoming year. Last month, we had sewing, scribal, fiber arts, and brewing, so feel free to bring whatever you’re working on! The address is 5509 Celadine St, Pittsburgh PA 15201 and will lead you to park behind the house; you’ll enter through the fence gate marked with 5509. The gathering is drop-in, drop-out as your schedule allows, so no worries if you show up after 6 or need to leave before 10.

Contact Elinor at [gabbie.kaplan at gmail.com] if you have specific needs for tools or space so she can best accommodate you. For those of us with pet allergies, please note that a friendly dog and two cats live at the home.

A successful event takes the work of many!

Investiture went well, thanks to the help of so very many people. I’ll try for a full list, but if I’ve missed you please remind me- it’s my faulty memory not the value of your contributions.

So, THANK YOU!
Arianna, Sasson and Alan for painting masks as a fundraiser, and Arianna for several events worth of mask making for everyone.
Sideboard Elss, Elsa, Blanche and Alastair.
Bar- Muirgheal, Jean Philippe, Alaric, Caz, and Hal, with donations from the above plus the Baroness of St Swithins Bog.
Elle, T’svee’a, Michi, and members of the Sky Guard for royalty support and retaining.
Jorundr, Don Robert, Master William and Sir Maghnus, the Debatable Choir and iGenisii for entertainment.
Alaric, Rachel, Dorothea, Keirin, Willow, Pavel, Arianna for live music for dancing.
Gwen for coordinating and calling all the dancing, and teaching in advance.
Cadence and Byron for gaming.
Set up, take down, and decorations- Arianna, Robert pour Maintenant, Turlough, Fine, Don Robert, Barbara, Salvadore, Alaric, Rachel, Cadence, Elle, Michi.

Last but not least, thank you Praetoria Prima and Baronessa Violeta for doing us the honor of letting us autocrat your investiture, and Jorundr for mentoring us on our first event.

Ceindrech and Dorothea

Lost and Found- Ceindrech has two wooden bowls, a mask, and a black hexagonal game piece- pictures on FB and Discord.

New Landed Baronage for the Barony-Marche of the Debatable Lands

Greetings Most Beloved Populace,

I would like to Introduce to You and Officially Congratulate and Welcome our New Excellencies; Baronessa Violeta de Valencia and Praetoria Aurelia Argentia Prima; Ninth in the line of succession to the Baronial Seat.

Their Excellencies, Baronessa Violeta de Valencia and Praetoria Aurelia Argentia Prima

Their Excellencies have been participating with the Society for many years having tried their hands at vending, fencing, bardic, scribal, moneying, brewing, archery, and teaching of all these arts.

Their Excellencies are committed to serving with joy and working to continue Our efforts to make the Barony-Marche a community that welcomes Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

Baronessa Violeta de Valencia and Praetoria Aurelia Argentia Prima at Their Investiture
December 16, 2023

In the coming year, please make an effort to get to know Our New Landed Baronage; seek out Their company and bring your joys and concerns to Them as They are Our voice to The Crown and Our advocates to The Society.

In Service,

Brehyres Muirgheal inghean Dubhghaill, O.P.
Seneschal of the Barony-Marche of the Debatable Lands

Salve accolens, from the new Baronage!

Dearest neighbors,

Yesterday’s Investiture was absolutely amazing. Even though we didn’t get to partake in all the festivities, we’re so happy that you enjoyed yourselves and had so much fun. We felt strongly about it not being a day just for us, but for the whole Barony to come together and celebrate the wonderful years we had under Brandubh and Hilda, and to look forward to the years to come.

The list of people who contributed to the event yesterday is tremendous, and we feel so blessed that so many people stepped up to help make the day special.

But first and foremost, we want to thank Their Majesties Gareth and Juliana for their kind and gracious presence. We are so honored that you were the ones to invest us in this office.

And once again I want to thank Brandubh and Hilda for their years of heartfelt service, and for setting the bar so very high for us as we step into the role of the Baronage. We aspire to the show the same levels of love and care you showed the Barony during your tenure. Though the stars may not shine as bright as the sun, they strive to do their best every night, and so too shall we.

And with Barony like this, how can we not shine? I’d love to put a period-appropriate quote here, maybe something by Seneca, but the best quote I can think of right now is one from Helen Keller: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart.” Yesterday was heart-felt, and it was beautiful.

So here is a very long list of the wonderful people who made it so:

Dorothea Stark Schutz and Ceindrech verch Elidir, the event autocrats.

Elss Augsburg, who ran the kitchen, and her staff: Alastar Scott MacCrummin, Blanche, and Elsa Taliard.

Luceta DiCosimo for the Barony themed gingerbread cookies.

Gwendolyn the Graceful for leading the dancing, as well as the talented folks who provided live music: Alaric MacConnal, Arianna of Wynthrope, Willow, and Kieran MacRae.

Jorundr hinn Rotinn, Robert MacEwin of Thornhill, Kieran MacRae, and William Colbert, for their gladiatorial battles to entertain the populace. As well as the Debatable Choir, and i Genesii (The Greatest Commedia del’Arte Troupe in the Known World), for their wonderful performances.

Cadence Mayberry for arranging for the period gaming, and Byron of Haverford for creating betting tokens.

Elle (Elinor Walden) and Kate (Catherine O’Herlihy), our wonderful Head Retainers, and the volunteer retaining staff and guards: Cerva, Michiharu, Thomasyn, Reinhard, Isabel, Yacob, Kit, Faye, Agnella, Etienne, Cassiano, Godzimir, Sebastian, Niall, Jiro, and Dagon.

Tsveea for my beautiful gown, and Nicola Beese for helping make sure the show could go on until we were able to get me into said gown. Also Ishiyama Gen’tarou Yori’ie for his timely donation of award favors.

Finally, congratulations to the first recipients of the first new comet awards: Etienne Renault and Emrys Eustace recipients of the Amber Comet, Bran Riddl recipient of the Hematite Comet, and Kara Ivarsdottir recipient of the Jade Comet.

This list feels too short, and I’m sure I’ve missed people. Any error or omission should be corrected, so please let us know if any are needed.