Month: December 2022

Greetings Good Gentles,

The Rattan, Fencing, and Throwing Marshals and I submitted a mask-less practice plan to the Kingdom that was approved. Baron Alaric, Dame Elsbeth and I have done all that we can to obtain the supplies but… We are dreadfully sorry to report that we do not control the shipping routes in the local area.

We are having practice tomorrow at Ace’s Axes but masks are required.

The Marshals and I are resolved to get the last 4 necessary 20 x 20 box fans to create our corsi -rosenthal filters for next week’s practice on 1/8/2023.

THIS WEEK, 1/1/2023 You must mask.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

In Service,
Muirgheal, Seneschal Debatable

In a little less than 6 months the Barony will host its second Japanese Iris Festival. “What is that?” you may ask. In Japan it is also called Tango no Sekku or Ayame no hi and was one of the five festival held at the Japanese imperial court. Originally it was on the fifth day of the fifth month or moon in the Chinese lunar calendar. When Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar the date was set to May 5th. Our festival is in early June due to the busy May calendar. Other countries in Asia have a similar festival on the same day. The festival marks the beginning of summer rainy season. Formerly the festival was known as Boys’ Day and the corresponding Girls’ Day was March 3th. After World War II, the two holidays were combined to be Children’s Day and was renamed to Kodomo no Hi. You will typically see carp-shaped banner displayed, one for each child. Treats that are traditional on this day are rice cakes called mochi rapped in oak leaves called kashiwa. The kashiwa-mochi are filled with red bean paste. Another traditional treat is chimaki, which is a sweet rice paste wrapped in an iris or bamboo leaf.

Our festival will include demonstrations and classes of various Japanese arts and skills. The demonstrations and classes include taiko drumming, shibori make and take gift cloths, kumihimo, and tea ceremony. All are welcome to come watch and learn. If you want to wear traditional Japanese kosode with an obi, or hakama and kosode there will be in-person supervised sewing workshops to help you sew your own. There will be pre-packaged bento boxes that can be purchased at event preregistration.

The traditional festival name Tango no Sekku has meaning in Japanese. Tan means beginning and go is the simified character for horse. Horse is the Chinese zodiac sign for the fifth month. Sekku means festival. So the basic translation would be first day of horse month festival. But in Japanese go is the word for five so the double meaning of go means it’s the fifth day of the horse month. Well then, horses are the perfect addition to the Iris festival. We will be holding a number of games for the equestrians and the horses. There will be Baronial Equestrian Champs. But we will have more game than just the champs. These are great fun to watch.

The event will be held on Saturday, June 10th, from 9 am to 7 pm at the Horse Arena at Bradys Run Park, 121 Bradys Run Road, Beaver Falls, PA, 15010. The autocrat for this event is the Honorable Lady Hara Kikumatsu, mka Sharon Booth, 1105 Shady Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232. sbooth@sbooth.net, 412-441-1607. This is a land-line with answering machine. Please leave a message. No calls after 9pm.

Event cost:
Adult Event Registration $15
Adult Member Registration $10
Youth 17 and under are free
Bento box lunch $5

There are a limited number of prepared bento boxes. Preregister to ensure you get a lunch box. Send email to the bento box lunch lady, the Honorable Elss of Augsburg, elss.of.augsburg@gmail.com with dietary restrictions, allergies, or if you want vegetarian or vegan box.

To preregister for the event and to purchase a bento box lunch, send a check payable to SCA PA, Inc. – BMDL, to the head trollner, Lady Forveleth Dunde: Miranda Gavrin, 326 Lincoln Avenue, Carnegie, PA 15106.

For folks who would like to come to in-person sewing, the sessions will be on the following Saturdays in February: 11th, 18th, and 25th. There is limited space at my house, so please contact me at sewing@debatablelands.org if you want to attend. You will need to have fabric washed, pressed, and cut before you arrive so you can just pin, sew, and press while there. I can advise on about fabric choices, and recommended amounts, as well as cutting instructions.

You will need to be masked in the house. However, I will arrange for air filters in a heated garage so there is a space where food and drink are allowed. In addition, there will be sewing at the March barony meeting on Sunday March 5th. There will be more information about this meeting posted in the blog.

As a reminder, we do not have Ace Axe Throwing the 3rd Sunday of every month. Also, the following Sunday is Christmas Day. Therefore, no practices will be held on 12/18 or 12/25.

Practices will resume on 1/1.

Guillaume

Salve Accolens Debatable Lands!

We have great news, the deadline for Nominees to respond as to whether they would accept and run for the Baronetcy of the Debatable Lands has passed. We are pleased to announce that all 18 sets of nominees have responded and three couples have accepted the nominations to campaign for the Office of the Baronage of the Debatable Lands. Those that have accepted the call are:

Sir Maghnus an Chnoic na n’Iora and Brehyres Gwendolyn the Graceful

THLady Violeta de Valencia and THLady Aurelia Argentia Prima

Lord Skjoldr Bjorn and Lady Arthes MacLeod

We applaud these gentles, and look forward to working with all of them over the next couple months as the elections progress. Vivant to all of them!

The Selection Committee needs some time to finalize the design of the ballots and other administrative matters. Ballots will be mailed approximately early January, and we will continue to communicate with you on that. Please make sure your mailing address on file with Corporate is correct and membership is up to date.

The ballot counting meeting has been set for Sunday, March 5th at our March Barony Social Meeting at the Rose Barn in North Park. Details to follow at a later time.

Cheers,

Brandubh et Hilderun

In Levitate et Caritate

Greetings Noble Populace,

Please find the Zoom information for the Business Meeting this evening.

In Service,
Muirgheal

Topic: Debatable Lands Business Meeting
Time: Dec 7, 2022 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82450691287?pwd=eW91SkxCRmJqSTlvdVdMUjUrcWZZQT09

Meeting ID: 824 5069 1287
Passcode: 660436
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Meeting ID: 824 5069 1287
Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/keqBzsBpM2

Hello Debatable Lands! Salve Accolens!

In just under two weeks, we will be traveling to the Barony of Rhydderech Hael (Buffalo, NY), to witness the Investiture of their New Baron and Baroness. It’s traditional in our Kingdom for other Baronies to gift the new Coronet with Largesse they can use during their tenure, as an act of camaraderie.

Why largesse? All landed folks (Kingdom Royals and landed Baronage) and lots of other people use gifts to individuals to show appreciation, welcome, and to set an example of our strong values of generosity and hospitality. Many (most?) of you have received tokens or gifts from our hands, or the King and Queen, or even members of the populace. Doesn’t it feel great to be appreciated?

If you can donate any largesse to add to the gift basket for the Hael, please contact the Baron and/or Baroness, either by email, phone, or social media (see below) before Dec 17th. The colors of the Barony of the Rhydderech Hael are green and gold, with black accents, and their mascot is a golden dragon (as in Ice Dragon… eh? eh?).

We will be similarly traveling to the Barony of Delftwood in February for the Investiture of *their* new Baronage. Their colors are blue and white/silver, and their totem is a windmill.

Thank you so much for whatever you might be able to provide!

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

baron@debatablelands.org
Phone numbers in the Dark Pages
Baroness Hilda is on Facebook and Discord

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Not sure what sorts of things are good for largesse? Take a look at this great list, complied by Lady Tierrany:

A (totally not complete) idea list of possible largesse items:

Items made with fragrances must be bagged and labeled. No food items, please!

Paper goods: Handmade paper. Parchment and pergamenata sheets, Thank you/appreciation cards (illuminated or blank), Mini notebooks, Bookmarks, Card-weaving cards, How-to crafting books for period items

Metal, wire-weaving, and woodworking: Raw materials and things to work them (wire, metal ingots, stones, tools, etc.), Beads, Tokens, Coins, Bracelets, Rings, Pendants, Brooches (big or small, penannular, turtle, etc.), Pins – decorative or purposeful (a bit of cork placed on sharp ends), Veil pins (a bit of cork placed on sharp ends), Buttons (metal or wood), Mug jewelry (IDs), Weaving shuttles, naalbinding needles

Sewing/fiber arts: Yarn of all types and appropriate colors, Trim for mugs (IDs), Mug covers, napkins, Fibers and fabrics, Wool needle books, Pouches & small bags, Kumihimo disks, Naalbinding needles, Fan cases, Ribbon bookmarks, Cloth buttons, Pin cushions, Archery tassles for cleaning arrows, Mini sewing kits for adults (emergency needle/thread/pins, or a kit to make a special item such as a veil), Sewing kits for children (such as embroidery hoop with yarn/needle/cloth with pattern to make a cup cover), Dolls or stuffed animals (for children), Period gaming sets (for children)

Fighting/fencing/archery: Duct tape, Leather washers/grommets, Chicago screws, Leather strapping, Bees wax, Fletch tape, Fletching, Hot melt glue, Arrow tips, Nocks, Shafts. Ready-to-go arrows, Bracers, Quivers

Misc skills: Candles, Handmade beads (clay, glass, wood, etc.), Clay tokens, Wooden toys, games (for children), Wooden award medallions, Painted wooden boxes.

Feast kit items – mugs, plates, silverware, napkins

Practice for Heavy, Fencing and Thrown Weapons will be moving indoors to our winter site, Ace Axe Throwing, starting this Sunday, December 4th. Hours for practice will be 11am to 3pm. Until we have an approved safety plan in place, masks will be required per the current kingdom covid policy.

This year the site is booked the third Sunday of every month for another organization. We will not have access for those days.

Additionally, since Christmas falls on a Sunday we will not be holding practice on the 25th.

Directions for the site linked here:

Ace Axe Throwing
(412) 368-8579
https://maps.app.goo.gl/eyzfJFHku8kF2NKf7