Greetings to the Shire,

Spring is giving way to summer, and plans for the Pennsic War grow apace. At the Arts & Sciences gathering on Thursday 05/22/2025, two yards of black fabric were cut into 40 pieces (though five may be discarded for edges that may be too rough and uneven) that would eventually become Queen’s Favors for our glorious Rani Indrakshi to bestow at Pennsic LII.

If you wish to help create these, I will be bringing the pieces to the next gathering on Monday 06/09/2025 at:

Lakeland Universalist Unitarian Fellowship
231 Parish Drive
Wayne, NY 07470

I will be bringing pattern tracing paper and a white fabric pencil. If you wish to bring your own tracing paper and/or pencils, that would be appreciated. We can trace the pattern onto as many pieces as our time there (7:00 to 8:30 PM) would allow, and you may take as many pieces home with you to finish in whatever way you wish and then send to Sága mac Cianain. Her address is in the link that contains the pattern.

We will soon be hosting another Novice Day. A question was posed in our most recent Shire meeting, which I will answer here. Novice Day is meant for gentles of both martial and artistic pursuits to “dip their toes in the water,” to display their first attempts at such pursuits. The initial condition was that the entrants were never to have won at Baronial level or higher competitions. Someone had posed the question that if they had won at such an event at one pursuit, could they enter a display of something unrelated to that for which they had won.

After thinking about it a moment, I’ve made the following call: If your entry into this Novice Day is for a craft/art/science totally unrelated to such that had won you an award elsewhere, by all means, bring it forth. It’s called Novice Day for a reason.

There will be the usual small prizes/tokens of esteem, and the Magistra Isabeau d’Orleans Memorial scroll and cutting board will once again make an appearance.

Arts & Sciences Doings Beyond Our Borders

Across the great river to our east in the Crown Province of Ostgardr, the Canton of Lions End will be participating in the Annual Living History Demo at Farmingdale on Saturday 06/07. This is a demo that has extended its invitation for the SCA to attend. See the link for details, if you are so inclined to attend.

Thinking ahead to Pennsic LII, the Barony of Settmour Swamp to our south is sponsoring a Baronial Arts & Sciences championship at this War. From Charis Accipiter, Baroness Settmour:

“We are asking for one A&S participant to come from each and every Barony, Shire, or Provence. Even if your local group has no “official” A&S champion we would love to see each group represented.

The Competition will take place at the EK Royal Encampment on the Tuesday of War week (8/5) from 10am to 12pm. (Artisans are welcome to come at 9:30 to set up).”

I would suggest, if I may, that if this year’s winner of Novice Day’s Arts & Sciences is going to Pennsic this year, that they may submit their entry if they are so inclined.

At the service of your honors,

M. Ana de Guzmán, OL
Shire of Rusted Woodlands Arts & Sciences Minister