Congratulations to our new Minister of Arts and Sciences, the Honorable Lady Elinor Walden! Her Ladyship Elinor has some great plans to expand arts and sciences activities in the Barony, and better communicate the opportunities for participation that are available. Remember that you can always contact the current minister by sending email to “ansminister (at) debatablelands (dot) org”.
Category: Arts and Sciences Minister
12th Night A&S Championship
As is traditional, we had the Baronial Arts and Sciences Championship at the Debatable Lands 12th Night event yesterday. We had 8 excellent entries, and I do not envy them having to choose their champion from among the entrants.







homasyn Fletcher

In the end (and after some argument), Michiharu’s Kimchi of Various Styles was chosen by the Baronage as their favorite entry, and Oyama-dono was named as their new Arts and Sciences Champion!
Call for Letters: Arts and Sciences Minister
The time has come! My second consecutive term as Baronial Minister of Arts and Sciences is coming to an end at the February Business Meeting, so it is time for me to issue this Call for Letters and begin seeking my successor. Please consider submitting a Letter of Intent to stand for election to this office.
The job of the Minister of Arts and Sciences is to support and promote historical arts, crafts, and research within the Barony. The only true requirements of the position are that you pay attention to what is going on, make quarterly reports to the Kingdom Minister, and make reports to the other officers of the Barony at the bi-monthly Business Meetings. This position is a member of the financial committee, so it is important that you understand Baronial, Kingdom, and Society policies.
Any effort you can put into encouraging, participating in, and helping others participate in the A&S activities of the Barony is a great service, so there is plenty of room for new ideas.
Send your letters to me at “ansminister (at) debatablelands.org”, to the Seneschal at “seneschal (at) debatablelands.org”, and to the Baronage at “baronage (at) debatablelands.org”. Please submit your letter of intent by the 31st of January, 2025 so that it can be presented to the officers ahead of the Business meeting.
You should also plan to attend the Business Meeting on February 5th (online is fine if you can’t make it in person) so that you can speak for yourself to the officers about your involvement in the A&S activities of these Debatable Lands, and your plans should you be chosen as the next Minister.
Entry Photos from Today’s 7 Pearls A&S Competition
Largesse at Agincourt
The Honorable Lady Lisabetta de Rossi ran a largesse derby at Agincourt 15 this past weekend. Nominally, it was a competition, but the real purpose was to collect items that their Majesties Aethelmearc can give as gifts to their populace and to other Kingdoms.





Thank you everyone for enabling the Crown to disburse the artistic generosity of Glorious Aethelmearc!
Post Pennsic A&S Report
My report to the Kingdom is due on September first and I need your help!
- Did you teach any classes at Pennsic?
- Did you complete any projects for or at Pennsic?
- Did you participate in the Pennsic A&S Display?
- Did you participate in any competitions at Pennsic?
- Did you participate in any demos at Pennsic?
- Did you personally or as part of a group perform someplace at Pennsic, either in the Performing Arts tent or anywhere else?
- Were any scrolls you worked on (for Barony or Kingdom) given out at Pennsic?
- Did any guild in which you participate (Brewers? Scribal? Food?) have any activity at Pennsic?
- Did you provide any artwork or writing for the Pennsic Independent?
- Did you see any of your Debatable Lands neighbors do something so awesome (Can’t spell “AweSome” without A and S!) for or at Pennsic that you thought, “That wonderful person deserves an award”?
Well this is your chance to make sure that that information about your awesome self and your awesome neighbors makes it into this report!
Send any and all awesome A&S information to your humble A&S Minister at ansminister(at)debatablelands.org, please if you can before the end of next week (September 1st). Please! Your friends and I are counting on you.
Iris Festival Arts+Sciences
In addition to the many classes at Iris Festival this year, space will be set aside in the main pavilion again this year for an Arts and Sciences display. Please bring examples of your work in any art or craft. All are welcome. Projects related to East Asia or Japan are encouraged, of course. If you will be wearing your project that day, photographs and short write-ups would still be a great way to let people know about your work. If you have research to present, please bring copies for people to read.
This site is covered but outdoors, so make sure to protect your project from errant breezes and possible stray raindrops. There is also a site restriction of “No glass bottles.”
I had some lovely discussions with last year’s entrants, and they provided great content for my report to the kingdom. There will be no competition and no judging. If you have any questions you’d like to ask a more experienced craftsperson, we can probably find somebody to help out.
Æthelmearc A&S Faire
The Æthelmearc Arts & Sciences Faire 2023 is in a few weeks, and it’s not that far away in the Shire of Nithgaard. This is always a wonderful event, and a good way to display your work and get direct feedback from others. You can even enter virtually if you are still nervous about attending in-person events.
The Queen’s Prize Tourney is limited to entrants not already in the Order of the Laurel, but to enter your work you must be sponsored by peer of the Laurel, or by a Fleur d’Aethelmearc (or foreign equivalent).
If you would like to enter the Tourney, but have not yet lined up a sponsor and don’t know who to ask, please let me know and we’ll get you matched up with a sponsor. You have until April 20th to register for virtual participation, and until April 27th to register for in-person.
Call For Letters: A+S Minister
Greetings Debatable Lands, from your Arts and Sciences Minister.
My term comes to an end this February. I am fully willing to commit to a second 2-year term, but I am required by courtesy and policy to request letters. If you are interested in being the next Minister of Arts and Sciences, please send a letter of intent to myself and the office of the Seneschal by January 31st, 2023.
This office is the best office in the Barony. There is all kinds of leeway to try new things in your pursuit of supporting arts, crafts, and research in the Barony. It’s still difficult to feel connected with the SCA at this point, so anything you have the energy to do to bring others together will certainly be appreciated. I have some things I’m still itching to implement, but new ideas are always welcome.
It has been my pleasure to serve you for the last year and ten months. I hope to continue and to up my game with more service for the next two years. However, more choice is always a good thing! Please submit your letters if you would like your chance sooner rather than later.
Kingdom A&S Champs This Weekend
Their Royal Highnesses, Arnthor Inn Sterki and Ceirech Na Hinnsi, are pleased to let it be known to all that they are looking forward to choose their Arts & Sciences Champions at the Kingdom Arts & Sciences Championship to be hosted by the the Barony of Rhydderich Hael this Saturday, October 22nd.
It’s too late to set up a virtual entry, but you can register an in-person entry if you show up first thing at the event.
The event is from 9am to 5pm, and it’s just a four-point-mumble hour drive up to Sanborn, NY if you want to day-trip it. More information:
https://aethelmearc.org/event/kingdom-as-champs/
Even if you aren’t entering, this is a great event to see what others in the Kingdom are working on, and some of the best arts and research the SCA has to offer.