Author: webminister

In-Person @ 1898 Grant Street, Utica, PA 16362

Online via Zoom – Link will be posted on Shire Facebook group and via Gmail.

The Shire Meetings moved to the first Friday of each month. We can take care of business early (both in-person and online) and then start our weekend relaxations.

Post-BBB Breakdown

Thank you for relighting the Baconforge at the last minute!   Caoilfhionn of the Woods bought the bacon; Lothbroke setup the equipment; Sir Tarl pre-cooked all the bacon. And the kitchen was staffed all day by Rachel , Aodhan Mac Michael and Caoilfhionn of the Woods (Kelly Wood).  Your efforts were appreciated by everyone!

The Troll was unexpectedly short-staffed due to illness of an expected staff member.  However, Katerina McGilledoroughe, Ulf Halfdanson, and Leah of Newcastle (Kelly Hand) handled the duties expertly and smoothly.  Without this staffing our event can’t exist and the paperwork was perfect for submission.  Thank you!

I wish I got a chance to participate in Heavy Fighting, or at least watch more of it.  It looked like everyone had fun and  everything ran smoothly with our  Marshal in Charge – Halfdan Rauthkinn “Drake” and Sir Tarl.  Always, we thank our MOL, Baroness Rynea von Ingen for officially managing our tourneys.  Also, Lothbroke did an excellent job organizing a weapon repair session before the event.  Thank you to everyone that came that night.

So often the weather does not cooperate with Thrown Weapons.  I don’t remember the list being so well attended before at a BBB event.  Thank you Hrungnir Hjaldrbjorn for setting up and marshalling the list.  Thanks also goes to Burgos for bringing the impossibly strong oak blunts.

It pleased me to see our Madoc Arundel and Virgil judging our Brewing Competition again.  I am embarrassed to say I didn’t brew anything yet again.  We thank all the brewers that brought their efforts, potions, tinctures and elixirs that make our heads dance.

The Shire’s skills at Arts and Sciences would remain hidden if it were not for the efforts of some creative people.  We thank Lady Maggie Rue for organizing our Bardic Competition of Drinking Songs.  I apologize that the locations of other activities changed, making it too difficult to hear your contestants.  We also thank Constance Waite for sharing in her instruction on Beaded Edging and Keyhole Necklines.  With Catherine of Aksu course on “Decorating Your Keyhole Neckline” supporting instruction.  I was pleased to see your classes well attended and appreciated.

The Royalty expressed how much they had such a good time, and they could see how the good people of Hunter’s Home were so happy to have them there.  They felt welcomed!  Thank you  Metheus T Weasel and Ottilige von Rappoltsweiler for formally assisting in that hospitality.  

The event was attended by 66 people with a $130.53 profit

War Practice – May 19-22 – Cooper’s Lake Campground

Camp is breaking into two groups this year and land is being claimed for both at War Practice on Thursday afternoon. Lothbroke is setting up the bar and camping down near the lake. There will be a Toga party there at the Horse Piss Tavern Friday night. Thorfinnr is setting up near the old barn where there is electricity and its easier to put trailers. Camp Potluck will be there Saturday night for electric roasting pans and crockpots. You are welcome to camp at either spot. We’ll will post updated locations once we claim our spots.

Future plans for our group..

We have a lot of people that want to see things starting up again and want to recruit to build up our numbers. We are looking at participating in demos at pop culture/gaming conventions and parades. We will pick a park and host some fighter practices publicly after we get the permits. All this is with the idea that more people = more fun. I am excited to help.  Based on our last shire meeting discussion, we are looking at Demos being planned for late summer, labor day.

Covid remains a problem. However, I believe that if we organize our activities to outside venues we can get our participation back. I am hoping to host some small picnic/camping events this summer with A&S on primitive survival with medieval tools.  I will attempt to organize some group picnics to be planned for June and late August   I will host some official A&S workshops and fighter practices with official status starting in June.

From our understanding, Stormsport is still interested in merging with us. They are trying to thoroughly poll their populace before finalizing a decision. We are patient and will be here with open arms.

The Shire offers congratulations to Arnthor Inn Sterki and Angela Conklin on becoming our newest royalty of the Kingdom of AEthelmearc!  We know that they have worked long and hard to achieve this goal.  Know that the populace of the Shire will support you as you need to plan for your Coronation and/or the Fall Crown Tournament.   

Future Meetings

June 3, 2022  @ 7pm @1898 Grant Street, Utica
July 1, 2022 @ 7pm @1898 Grant Street, Utica

Aug 10, 2022 @ 7pm @ Pennsic around the Soup Cauldron

April 16th, 2022  

9:00am – 8:00pm

Utica Volunteer Firehall, 

3860 Academy Street, Utica, PA

Traditions are a little out-of-sync as we return to our SCAdian lands. So in reverse order.

THE BASH

This will be our “traditional” Heavy Combat Random Weapons Bearpit at the Borderwatch Training Hall. You and your opponent will have to roll a D20 to determine with what weapon you will use in the list. You have to roll the dice with every fight! It might be a spear, a dagger, a sword, a chicken… We will also provide the rubber chicken if you happen to roll the unlucky “13”. You need to hit them in the face with the chicken if you want to win that fight. We will have a supply of pre-inspected weapons you can borrow if you roll a weapon you didn’t bring yourself.

THE BACON – BYOB –> BRB w/BLT

We are sorry to say with the ever changing conditions of the plague we did not PLAN to distribute the bacon this year. So it WAS “Bring-Your-Own-Bacon”. We were suggesting the money saved from the lower event cost should be used for you to buy a pound of good thick-cut bacon. We encouraged you to bring your basket of bacon and hoard it. Eat it aggressively as you stare into the eyes of the poorly prepared and see the lamentations of those who forgot their bacon.Well, we have a hard time seeing sad people. So we will Be-Right-Back with bacon via a Build-a-BLT sideboard. I am not going to raise the price again though. Welcome to Hunters’ Home hospitality.

THE BREWING

The sampling for the competition will be held in the outside shelter. This competition will be for beer/ale, cider, and wine/mead only. Judging will commence at 3PM, and will run in 15 minute increments for each entry. We will use the judging rubric currently posted on the brewers’ guild website. http://brewers.aethelmearc.org/competition.htmlBrewers should come prepared for active judging, meaning the brewer should be prepared to answer questions during the judging. Entries will be judged one at a time, and we will make every effort to judge multiple entries from a single brewer back-to-back. We can also attempt to schedule fighters later in the judging to give them maximum time to come off the lists. Documentation must be written, and should cover style, ingredients, and techniques/procedures for production. Where modern ingredients or techniques are used, the brewer should supply documentation for the period equivalent and an explanation of why the modern substitute was used (period ingredient is illegal in the USA, good vs. poor sanitation, etc.) Primary and secondary sources are preferred. We will not include presentation in the judging of Aesthetics, but all entries should be labeled with (as a minimum) the name of the brewer, the style of beverage, and whether or not sulfites have been added. For entries that require chilling, competitors should come prepared with their own cooler.Traditionally this competition decided the The Brewers’ Guild Region 2 champion (the entrant from Region 2 scoring highest in the competition) and included an additional prize for the overall winner regardless of region.

WHAT ELSE?

Well there are murmurings of more updates coming.
-Adding a Bardic Competition of Drinking Songs?
-Adding A&S Classes on sewing?
-Adding Thrown Weapons?
-Adding Yard Sale Tables?

Costs

Adult Event Registration is $10,Adult Member Discount Event Registration is $5,Children 11-17: $5,Children 10 and under: Free.Make checks payable to SCA-PA, Inc. – Shire of Hunters Home. Reservations may be sent to the Autocrat.
AUTOCRAT for this event will be Thorfinnr y Elsfiord (Tod Elford) PO Box 1, Utica, PA 16362, 814-720-9017, thorfinnr.elsfiord@gmail.com
CO-AUTOCRAT is Baroness Mistress Constance Waite (Lois Ament) constancew@zoominternet.net