Category: Practices

Archery Season Comes to a Close!

The temperatures are dropping, as are the leaves, which means that’s a wrap* for this year’s Archery Season!

(*for outdoor Sunday practices at the Washington Blvd. site)

We will resume regular outdoor practices next spring, likely mid-March, weather-permitting, so watch the blog and the Facebook page for updates.

Next week, martial practices are being hosted at the Debatable Lands Harvest Revel (Barony Social) at Duke Byron and Duchess Ariella’s in Wexford. Archery will be included, but not a full Royal Round range (and unfortunately, no archery off the roof… this time…), but all are invited to come for arrow-launching good times.

If you want to keep your archery skills from getting rusty, our neighbors in Steltonwald continue their practices through the winter at the Beaver Valley Archers’ Association (site for 7 Pearls and Archers to the Wald) on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month from 6:00 to 8:00 pm – contact Bill Moore for more information.

Also, watch for information for our annual Archery Potluck at Chieftain Archery in New Kensington early next year (January or February).

It’s been a joy and an honor serving as the barony’s Captain of the Archers this year:

  • We had so many new archers join our ranks that once or twice we nearly ran out of loaner gear!
  • We had five archers attain the rank of Marksman or higher for the first time, including the first Junior Royal Round Bowman in our area in at least a decade!
  • Our monthly Sky List Stellar Tournament produced 5 different Defenders of the Sky, and each competition was a unique shoot crafted by the defending champ.
  • Several of our archers received recognition for their skills at the Baronial and Kingdom level, including several Hematite Comets and Golden Alces, and even a couple of Scarlet Guards!

We close this season on a high note and I look forward to what next season will bring.

Yours in service,

Niall mac Raedwulf

Fiber Guild July Meeting

Looking for some camaraderie while you prepare for Pennsic? The Fiber Guild is having a laid back July meet up to keep each other company while we work on our Pennsic projects. Please bring a fiber project if you have one, and your smiling face if you don’t. If you are already perfectly prepared or just prefer procrastinating, our Arts & Sciences minister has mentioned that the largesse gift basket for Pennsic needs to be filled.

Our meeting will be on July 15th at 7:30 PM at 5167 Rosecrest Dr, Pittsburgh, PA. This meeting will not be virtual, just this once (I will be out of town and so will my laptop), so please come in person.

Photo for the Algorithm – Court Ladies Preparing Newly Woven Silk
Zhang Xuan / 907

Gate Work Sunday

Turlough, Brandubh, and Ishiyama got a bunch of work done on the gate project last Sunday, but there is still plenty more to do. If we get enough of it done, we might be able to try first assembly and make sure this thing stands up! Towards that end, let’s meet at the Sunday practice (Washington Boulevard site unless it’s raining) again (April 28) and put in a few more hours. Ishiyama can’t bring the lumber until after lunchtime, so there is plenty of time in the morning for other stuff.

I know that some of you will still be at Blackstone Raids, and some of you are not able to help with woodworking, but there will be a least a few more work sessions (including probably at War Practice), and a few different kinds of work to do (including general finishing and painted lettering) so don’t worry about missing out.

Gate work Sunday

For those of you who don’t follow the minutes of the business meetings, the Woodworking Guild has been granted some funds to build a new entrance gate for the Baronial encampment at Pennsic.

Click to access proposal-gate-debatablelands.pdf

I have already purchased some lumber to get started, and will host the first work session this Sunday, April 21st at the Summer practice site (weather permitting).

I probably can’t get down there until after Lunch, so there is plenty of time in the morning for your other interests.

Mid-week archery practice is happening on Wednesday!

Hello Debatable Lands!

Do you wish you could practice your archery more than once a week? Well you’re in luck! This week on Wednesday June 14th from 5:00pm to 8:00pm, Lord Godzimir the Golden will be holding another weekday evening archery practice at the Washington Boulevard site.

Come on out and sharpen your skills as we shoot until the sun goes down!

The Stellar Tournament series returns with the Sky List this Sunday!

This Sunday, April 23rd from 11am to 2pm, we will once again be holding archery practice at the Highland Park practice site. During this week’s practice we will also see the return of the Stellar Tournament series with the first Sky List of the season!

There will be a qualifier shoot happening from 11am until around 12:30pm and then the tournament will begin shortly after. Join us for a fun day of archery and competition as we determine who will be named the next Vindex Coelorum, the Defender of the Sky!

If you’d like to borrow our loaner gear please reach out to me via email at archerymarshal (at) debatablelands.org, or send me a message on Facebook or Discord, and I’ll make sure to bring a set for you.

Good luck to all competitors!

Archery Returns to Highland Park!

Archers of the Debatable Lands, ready your bows and arrows! Spring has sprung and archery practice is on once again!

This Sunday, April 16th from 11am to 2pm, our regularly scheduled archery practice returns to the usual practice site at the Highland Park Northeast Parking Area. For location information, see the Google Maps link here: https://goo.gl/maps/xgCP69bPX2KRK2Qq5.

We have loaner gear available for anyone who’d like to give archery a try but doesn’t have equipment of their own. Just reach out to me via email at archerymarshal (at) debatablelands.org, or send me a message on Facebook or Discord, and I’ll make sure to bring an extra set for you.
*Loaner gear is first come first serve.

Look for more announcements here on the blog for updates on the practice schedule, upcoming archery events, and the dates for our monthly archery portion of the Stellar Tournaments – the Sky List!

See you all in the park!
Ronan Ó Conaill
Debatable Lands Captain of Archers

Here’s the archery schedule for the next few weeks

Archers of the Debatable Lands! We’ve got some fun events coming up in the next few weeks. Here’s the schedule coming up:

Oct. 23rd – Mounted Archery Clinic – An introductory clinic for our archers to learn how to shoot from horesback! For more details, check the event page here.
***Regular archery practice for this week is canceled.***

Oct. 30th – Halloween Shoot! – Everyone is encouraged to wear your costumes and make and bring your own spooky targets. We’ll shoot at novelty ranges and come up with fun competitions for candy prizes!

Nov. 6th – Normal practice resumes!

Nov. 13th – Baronial Harvest Revel Social Meeting
***Regular archery practice for this week is canceled.***

Nov. 20th – Another regular practice. (Weather depending)

As always, if you need loaner gear or you have any questions you can reach out to me at archerymarshal@debatablelands.org

Arts and Sciences at Barony Social

The Baron and Baroness really hope to see you all at this Saturday’s picnic, and I as the Arts and Sciences minister hope that you will bring your crafting projects with you to work on and show off. There will not be any official classes or display, but while we socialize we’d like to see what you’re working on and ask you questions about your particular craft. This is not the best venue for noisy or messy work, but anything portable and interesting is fair game, and it’s all interesting to us.

I know that we have some knitters, narrow weavers, and braiders coming out. I can’t imagine the calligraphers, illuminators, and painters will leave their supplies behind at home. Personally, I will be bringing some sharpening stones and similar implements to help others with putting a useful edge on their tools and weapons. The site has plenty of room for stuff and people, so please bring whatever you feel like working on.

See you Saturday!