Category: Officers

Input Requested: Baronial Activities Online

Hello Debatable Lands! Salve Accolens!

By now, you may have heard that the SCA Board of Directors, at the behest of most of the Kingdoms, has suspended all in-person SCA activity until at least January 31, 2021.

Here’s the announcement:
https://www.sca.org/news/resolution-to-suspend-in-person-sca-activity-until-january-31st-2021/

There are provisions for small gatherings like meetings and martial practices, when it is safe and within local regulation to do so. Here in Allegheny County, that may be awhile, as cases of the virus do not seem to be decreasing.

While we can’t hold in-person events, we can continue our activity online! We’d like to hear from YOU! What would you like to see from our Barony over the next 6 months? What would you like to organize and run? Let’s get creative! What shall we do for Barony meetings? For Baronial Courts? Other online gatherings?

What would ignite the fun, passion, and camaraderie?

We’re looking forward to the conversations!

In Levitate et Caritate, Cheers, and In Service,

Baron Brandubh
Baroness Hilda
THL Muirgheal, Baronial Seneschal

AEcademy This Weekend!

Are you ready to learn something new? Need a virtual break from isolation? Here’s your perfect opportunity to see some familiar faces and get your A&S on, virtually!

From the Chancellor of the AEcademy:
Good morning AEthelmearc!

It is my pleasure to share the draft list of classes and schedule for this
weekend’s AEcademy. Please keep an eye on this document between now and
Saturday, as classes are still being registered;
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1f3ILOuhvYvjOjiTR_ojK3-T4RCpeHfGHLXJjbme_nFg/edit?usp=sharing

And please remember, if you’d like to join us this weekend, YOU MUST SIGN
UP to receive the Zoom login information:
http://ae.scaforms.org/view.php?id=55949

Yours in service,
Elena de la Palma
Chancellor AEcademy

Scroll & Award Tour of the Debatable Lands – 6/20

From the vibrant mind of Lady Tierrany Rose Orre:

On Saturday, June 20th at 1pm, we’d love to invite all to participate in a virtual show-and-tell Scroll and Award Tour, via Zoom!

We invite everyone to come and watch, but hope lots will participate in the tour!

If you’d like to join the fun, please choose anywhere from one to five of your favorite scrolls, tokens, and/or awards to share via your webcam, then bring us all on a little trip down Memory Lane, telling us a bit about where, when, and how you received them. It can be as simple as a token received from your favorite Queen’s hand or as ornate as a treasured scroll crafted by a friend. We’d love to see and hear about your items of honor!

We hope this will be a fun chance for our populace to learn a bit about each other, revisit pleasant times past, and view some of the beautiful pieces of artistry the members of our Kingdom (and perhaps others!) have created. Chances are pretty good that you have an item made by one of our barony’s gifted artists… imagine how seeing it once again will make your scribe’s day!

We envision this as a great opportunity to create deeper connections in these disconnected times. Hope to see you there!

Zoom link, when available, will be provided as a reply on the email list, and in the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/848414322318730/

Virtual Spring AEcademy coming soon!

Come one, come all to the Virtual Spring Æthelmearc Academy!
When: *July 11th, 2020 * classes begin at 10 AM
Where: *Your computer!*
How?
*Sign up to be a student*
http://ae.scaforms.org/view.php?id=55949
*Sign up to be a teacher * http://ae.scaforms.org/view.php?id=56562

Do you have something that you’d like to teach? What are you itching to learn? Get your A&S on!

From the Chancellor of the AEcademy:
Greetings all!

Come one, come all to the Virtual Spring Æthelmearc Academy! Enjoy a day of digital teaching and learning through our kingdom Zoom account. We’ve got plenty of space for classes. We’ve got great opportunities to teach in new ways. And for those who might be wary of the digital space, we’ve got experienced folks to help make your class vision a reality.

When: *July 11th, 2020 * classes begin at 10 AM
Where: *Your computer!*
How?
*Sign up to be a student*
*Sign up to be a teacher *

Please note – you do *have to sign up *to attend so we can make sure you have classroom access.

Any questions may be directed to Elena de la Palma, Chancellor of the AEcademy, at ae.academy@aethelmearc.org

Call for Letters – Chatelaine

Greetings fine Barony!

After four years serving this wonderful Barony, it is time for me to step down as your Chatelaine. I am officially calling for letters and requesting that letters be sent to me (chatelaine at debatablelands.org) and the Seneschal (seneschal at debatablelands.org) by June 1, 2020.

The job of Chatelaine is rewarding and fun. Duties include (but are not limited to) welcoming newcomers, connecting them with others doing things of interest to the newcomer and coordinating demos. Should you have questions about the duties associated with this position, please email me at chatelaine at debatablelands.org.

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the Barony. I am thankful and grateful that I was blessed with the support of my deputy, Lord Ronan O’Conell.

Again, the deadline for letters is June 1, 2020 and voting will be at the June 3rd business meeting.

Thank you all for your time and for allowing me to be your Chatelaine for the last four years.

Lady Elizabeth “Libby” Parker

On the Pennsic Postponement

Salve Accolens Debatable Lands,

By now, you may have heard the announcement that Pennsic 49 has been postponed to 2021 for the safety of the populace. You can read the words of King Maynard and Queen Liadain on this here. As Their Majesties say, we applaud this difficult decision and the people that agonized over it, including the Pennsic Mayor and staff, and the Primary Kingdom Seneschals, and particularly our own hardworking Kingdom Seneschal, Master Illadore de Bedegrayne.

Our dear friends… we, like you, have heavy hearts today. Like many of you, we feel Pennsic is more than just a convention for a cool hobby…. it’s home. It’s a place to create space outside the mundanities of modern life. A place where strangers and friends alike greet each other with genuine affection. A place where, when you need ANY kind of help, strong hands and smiling faces greet you at every turn. Pennsic is a distillation, in two weeks, in the fields and hills of Western Aethelmearc, of a great part of the love and happiness in our lives. Our hearts ache today. Truly ache.

And yet, we remember today, too, that that happiness and love and joy does not stem from a field in Pennsylvania. It doesn’t come from tents or even camps and fires. It comes from YOU. The peace and well-being of Pennsic is, at its heart, you. Chosen family and friends, joining together in joy and love common interests to stimulate the heart and mind. We are still here!

Dearest Barony, your safety is more important than anything. We can still join in joy and laughter through these strange and difficult times. It’s just going to look a little different for a little while.

We will eventually gather in smaller groups when it is safe to do so. Until then, let us gather aethereally this Sunday, in the Kingdom Zoom Rooms, from 2pm to 4pm. Link to follow. See you there.

With all our love and affection,
In Levitate et Caritate, and Cheers,
Baron Brandubh and Baroness Hilda

THL Guillaume Named as Jewel – and more!

Today, Their Majesties held an Æthereal Court – Kingdom Court via Zoom, a video conferencing program. Over 250 people attended, and Their Majesties recognized many worth people. But here, we give our hearty congratulations to the Debatable Landers (and former Debatable Landers):

THL Guillaume le Noir – 48th Jewel of Æthelmearc… Vivat!
Lady Sorcha McKenzie – Order of the Cornelian… Vivat!
THL Gesa von Wellenstein – Queen’s Award of Excellence… Vivat!
Master Illadore de Bedegrayne – Augmentation of Arms… Vivat!
THL Sumayya al Ghaziyyah – Golden Escarbuncle… Vivat!
Baroness Hilderun Hugelmann – Golden Escarbuncle

Congratulations, All!

Note that this Æthereal Court was held on the Kingdom’s new Zoom account, which has 8 channels able to hold simultaneous meetings. Anyone wishing to hold an eSCA activity (personally-hosted or branch-hosted) can request a Zoom Room online here:
http://aethelmearc.org/zoom-room-availability-sign-ups/

If you’re hosting an eSCA activity (personal or official), on ANY platform, and want to be on the Kingdom calendar, use the form here:
http://ae.scaforms.org/view.php?id=53679

See yinz in the Æther!


From Their Majesties

Unto home bound Aethelmerac do Timothy and Gabrielle send greetings,

Things in the world around us are filled with chaos and uncertainty. We have all seen the horror stories of people hoarding things and price gouging things, not caring for their fellow man. However, here in the SCA, we see, hear and read story after story of people looking after the people in their community, whether scadian or mundane. It is very reassuring to be shown time and time again the quality of people who make up the circle of friends we call Aethelmearc and indeed the Society.

While there is a small part of us that is sad that the remaining royal progress events we had scheduled have all been canceled or postponed, We would much rather do what is in the best interests of all our members, and indeed the mundane world around us. We have had a phenomenal time serving this kingdom, and know that these decisions are for the best.

Since so many of you have asked, as of now, the plans for Coronation are still fluid. As of now, Coronation still is planned for April 4th, but it will be very limited, but plans may change, so that the event and ceremony can be a grand celebration worthy of them. They have both always served our Kingdom in with every ounce of energy once could ask for, and we hope their special day can be glorious and memorable.

Most of the items on our court dockets will be absorbed by TRHs, but there are a few that they have graciously allowed us to do as regency courts in their name once things return to normal.

Keep doing those things that make Aethelmearc a model of kindness and generosity that we only wish the world around us would follow. We have been honored and privileged to count ourselves amongst your numbers for many years, and will continue to do so until we no longer walk the earthy,

Timothy and Gabrielle

Business Meeting TONIGHT

The Business Meeting for the Debatable Lands will be TONIGHT Wednesday, 6 February 20202 at the Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church (416 W North Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 – map. From 8p until 10p.

Agenda

If you would like more information about attending a Business Meeting, please read the Seneschal’s Spotlight article.

If you would like to be on the agenda, please contact Odriana.

A gentle reminder that the minutes from the previous meeting should be read prior to arriving at the meeting on Wednesday.