Archery practice tomorrow!

It’s almost Sunday again, and that means archery practice! This Sunday, April 25th from 11am-3pm, archery practice will take place at the home of Master Kieran and Mistress Odriana! We will be following proper pandemic protocol, so please take note of the rules posted below.

Hope to see you there!

*Note: Please send an email to archerymarshal at debatablelands dot org ahead of time if you need to borrow the loaner gear and I will bring a set for you.


The address of the site is 3000 Harts Run Road, Allison Park, PA 15101. To get there from the city, head north on Route 8 and make a right on Harts Run Road, then after 1 mile their house is on the right side. The driveway for the site is a small bridge.

Parking will be at the empty lot next door with the sign that says “Virgin Flooring” (2984 Harts Run Rd on Google maps). Anyone who needs to may drive directly up to the site to drop off people or equipment before heading to the parking lot.


We want to do this as safely as possible, so the following safety and social-distancing guidelines will be put in place:

  • Masks must be properly worn at all times (covering both mouth AND nose).
  • No sharing equipment. This includes bows, arrows, gloves, armguards, etc.
  • The loaner gear will not be available for general use. Contact the marshal ahead of time to reserve a set if needed.
  • Only the marshals can handle another person’s bow, arrows, or equipment, and only for inspections.
  • Maintain 6 ft. of separation when shooting on the line and when waiting in line to shoot. The ground will be appropriately marked by cones.
  • When retrieving arrows, only one person per target may retrieve their arrows at the same time.
  • Marshals will be monitoring the practice and reminding people to adhere to these guidelines.
  • This is a practice for archers only. Please do not come just to socialize.
  • DO NOT COME TO PRACTICE IF YOU ARE NOT FEELING WELL OR ARE ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO ILLNESS.
  • These rules will be reviewed with everyone prior to the beginning of practice. In addition to these guidelines, I will do my best to ensure there is hand sanitizer, hand wipes, etc. available for staying clean. Being considerate of the health and safety of our populace is greatly appreciated!
  • If anyone has additional questions or concerns regarding the practice please reach out to me at archerymarshal at debatablelands dot org.

Stay safe out there!

Yours in service,
Rónán Ó Conaill
BMDL Captain of Archers

Richard III, tonight!

It’s Shakespeare Movie Night! A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!. Tonight, April 23rd we’ll be showing Richard III starting at 8:00pm, followed by a chat after the movie. Watch from the comfort of your living room via the AEther.

Please contact Alaric at alaric (at) pobox (dot) com for the Zoom room information. 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. If you attended a prior Shakespeare Movie Night, the Zoom room information is the same. Hope to see some of you there!

Shakespeare’s Richard III, Friday

Greetings All!

It’s Shakespeare Movie Night! A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!. On Friday, April 23rd we’ll be showing Richard III starting at 8:00pm, followed by a chat after the movie. We’re moving the times later in preparation for some outdoor / in-person showings over the next few weeks.

This performance, starring Laurence Olivier, dates from 1966. We hope to see you there! Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun of York. Watch from the comfort of your living room via the AEther.

Here is the link to the schedule for the movie nights scheduled through May: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EhlgwgRZ923RhRJrCPIXsHEhWI1eJJigCv2YRLEavrE/edit?usp=sharing

Please contact Alaric at alaric (at) pobox (dot) com for the Zoom room information. 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. If you attended a prior Shakespeare Movie Night, the Zoom room information is the same. Hope to see some of you there!

Alaric & Elsbeth

Exchequer Call for Letters

As all good things must come to an end, my time as Exchequer is nearing its completion. I was the deputy exchequer for approximately two years, and I have been serving in this office for the last four years. In that time, I have had the opportunity to work with a plethora of people at business meetings, addressing the barony as a whole at barony meetings, and working with staff at the Barony’s events to ensure the money was handled properly. I am now issuing a call for letters. My last business meeting as Exchequer will be the first week of June.

Please send any letters of interest to the seneschal at seneschal@debatablelands.org. If you have any questions about what the position entails, please feel free to reach out to exchequer@debatablelands.org The physical requirements for the position will require access to a computer with Office or Google Docs, a scanner or scanning program on your phone, (I use Adobe Scan), and space for about three or four file boxes. People with a history of retail cash management and some basic Excel knowledge will be well equipped for this position.

The exchequer runs the budget meeting every April, attends 6 business meetings yearly, attempts to attend as many Barony meetings as possible each year, attempts to attend kingdom exchequer meetings at select events including a one hour session at Pennsic, and keeps in touch with the barony’s officers as well as the kingdom exchequer’s office. They will submit four reports each year, as well as a one-page report after each Barony event. The overall time commitment will vary throughout the year; some weeks there will be zero hours spent in this position. Near Barony hosted events or when reports are due, you may spend up to 10 hours per week ensuring other members have reimbursements, that the money ends up at the bank, and that the event reports are filed. Thank you for allowing me to serve the barony in this fashion. I plan on continuing to work with the Barony’s officers to help create the best place to play.

In Service,

Lady Arthes

Archery is ON again this Sunday

Last week’s archery practice was such a success that we thought we’d do it again this week! This Sunday, April 18th from 11am-3pm, archery practice will take place at the home of Master Kieran and Mistress Odriana! We will be following the same pandemic procedures as last year, so please take note of the rules posted below.

Hope to see you there!

*Note: The loaner gear policy has changed! Loaner gear can be provided on an individual basis if you contact me ahead of time. If you plan on attending practice and you require loaner gear please send me an email at archerymarshal@debatablelands.org and I will provide a set for you.


The address of the site is 3000 Harts Run Road, Allison Park, PA 15101. To get there from the city, head north on Route 8 and make a right on Harts Run Road, then after 1 mile their house is on the right side. The driveway for the site is a small bridge. Look for the SCA sign!

Parking will be at the empty lot next door with the sign that says “Virgin Flooring” (2984 Harts Run Rd on Google maps). Anyone who needs to may drive directly up to the site to drop off people or equipment before heading to the parking lot.


We want to do this as safely as possible, so the following safety and social-distancing guidelines will be put in place:

  • Masks must be properly worn at all times (covering both nose AND mouth).
  • No sharing equipment. This includes bows, arrows, gloves, armguards, etc.
  • The loaner gear will not be available for general use. Contact the marshal ahead of time to reserve a set if needed.
  • Only the marshals can handle another person’s bow, arrows, or equipment, and only for inspections.
  • Maintain 6 ft. of separation when shooting on the line and when waiting in line to shoot. The ground will be appropriately marked.
  • When retrieving arrows, only one person per target may retrieve their arrows at the same time.
  • Marshals will be monitoring the practice and reminding people to adhere to these guidelines.
  • This is a practice for archers only. Please do not come just to socialize.
  • DO NOT COME TO PRACTICE IF YOU ARE NOT FEELING WELL OR ARE ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO ILLNESS.
  • These rules will be reviewed with everyone prior to the beginning of practice. In addition to these guidelines, I will do my best to ensure there is hand sanitizer, hand wipes, etc. available for staying clean. Being considerate of the health and safety of our populace is greatly appreciated!
  • If anyone has additional questions or concerns regarding the practice please reach out to me at archerymarshal@debatablelands.org.

Stay safe out there!

Yours in service,
Rónán Ó Conaill
BMDL Captain of Archers

Missive from the Baron and Baroness

By now, as many of you know, Pennsic has been postponed again until 2022, due to the ongoing pandemic. For many of us, this news is disheartening, as Pennsic plays such a large role in how we play in the SCA here locally. We miss our friends, we miss the camaraderie of the fields of honor, we miss hugs and campfires, and being surrounded by 10,000 of our closest friends. It seems at times, our souls are frayed with the longing of it.

Take heart, Debatable Lands…. We are still here. We are still a community.

We know that this past year, and even before that, has been full of challenges – and the pandemic has just been one. Our personal lives have changed dramatically, in ways that only you personally can know and understand. Our hobby, like most of the world, has endured the rough edges of social awakening, in all its forms. We’ve seen each other’s words, and have spoken words, online and in social media, that stem from pain, and cause pain. Our humanity has been on display, in every facet. It’s difficult. So difficult. And we’ve felt it, too.

But, Debatable Lands… We are still here. We are still neighbors.

The edges may feel bruised right now, but the core – the very core – of what makes our hobby so amazing endures. Courtesy. Honor. Shared Passions. Camaraderie. Joy. Our challenges cannot shake them. They cannot be erased. We are still here.


We remember Baroness Hilda’s first event. A small 30-ish person schola in Highland Park. She took a class by Master Dani on medieval counting, learned what Troll was, and pasties. She was offered a seat on a cloak at a bardic circle and made dear friends. We can still have these events.

We remember the day Baron Brandubh chose his SCA name. It means “black raven” in Gaelic. And he wanted a wolf on his heraldry until we joined Mistress Elsbeth’s Laurel staff, and spent hours and hours in her basement, absorbing all things heraldry and making lifelong friends, and discovering jicama. We remember, too, the day he attained Grand Master Bowman, the swelling of pride and accomplishment. Our interest groups can still meet.

We remember the day the Brewer’s Guild opened that oak cask of aged, redacted 14th century mead to bottle, from under Master Tofi’s stairs – the smooth, perfect taste of it, the feeling of shared appreciation, the laughter of friends brought together. We can still research our passions and share in the joy of it.

We remember the day we saw our first tourney – the raw feeling of it just below the surface of the type of chivalry we thought only existed in storybooks. The violence and speed and beauty of our athletes giving primal life to our ideals of honor. Those ideals and feelings of chivalry are alive and well and are still burning bright in our hearts. And very soon, we will be able to bring that to external realization again. Soon.

We remember our first SCA campfire, the cold, still air meeting the warm light of the fire, songs and conversation and laughter ringing into the night, our bellies warm with drink and friendship. We can still meet with our friends over a campfire.

We know you have had experiences just like these, and countless others. Remember them. Recreate them in all the old and new forms that are available to us today.


They Joys and Passions of the SCA do not live on the fields and in the camps of Pennsic. They live in US. No one place is the SCA. WE are the SCA.

We Are Still Here.

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

And Ad Gloriam Aethelmearc, and SALVE ACCOLENS!

Shakespeare’s Othello – Tonight

Tonight, Friday, April 9th we’ll be showing Othello starting at 7:30pm, followed by a chat until 10:30pm. This performance, starring Orson Welles, dates from 1951. We hope to see you there! O heavy ignorance! Thou praisest the worst best. Watch from the comfort of your living room via the AEther.

Please contact Alaric at alaric (at) pobox (dot) com for the Zoom room information. 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. If you attended a prior Shakespeare Movie Night, the Zoom room information is the
same.

Congratulations to the New Webminister!

Unto the Barony, greetings from Kameshima, former Webminister.

It has been my honor and privilege to serve the Barony for the last 4 years as your Webminister. Especially in these tumultuous times when virtual communication is essential, having not only a functional but user-friendly website is indispensable to a group.

My successor, Reinhard Regenbogen, has been approved by the Baronial Officers. I wish him the best of luck going forward, and am confident that he will continue the improvement and expansion of the site and its functionality.

Thank you to everyone who worked with the Webminister’s office, including the offices of the Seneschal, Chronicler and Baronage, as well as my deputy, THL Kathryn Tantzel.

In Honor and Service,
​亀島
Kameshima Zentarou Umakai

Shakespeare Movie Night – Friday April 9th

Greetings All!

It’s Shakespeare Movie Night! I prithee speak to me as to thy thinkings. On Friday, April 9th we’ll be showing Othello starting at 7:30pm, followed by a chat until 10:30pm. This performance, starring Orson Welles, dates from 1951. We hope to see you there! O heavy ignorance! Thou praisest the worst best. Watch from the comfort of your living room via the AEther.

Here is the link to the schedule for the movie nights scheduled through May:

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

Please contact Alaric at alaric (at) pobox (dot) com for the Zoom room information. 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. If you attended a prior Shakespeare Movie Night, the Zoom room information is the
same.

Hope to see some of you there!

Alaric & Elsbeth