Unto the members of the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive does Shayk Da'ud ibn Auda, Laurel King of Arms, send Greetings!

The February Laurel meeting was held on Saturday, February 12, 1994, and considered the following letters of intent: Caid (7/27), Caid (8/25), Meridies (9/27, mailed 10/8), Atenveldt (9/30, mailed 10/7), Drachenwald (9/30), An Tir (10/16), Middle (10/17), Caid (10/19), East (10/20), Outlands (10/20), Ansteorra (10/20), Atlantia (10/23), Calontir (10/24), West (10/25), and items pended from the September and October Laurel meetings.

The March Laurel meeting is scheduled for Saturday, March 12, 1994, to consider the following Letters of Intent: Meridies (10/25, mailed 11/5), East (11/10), Middle (11/11), Atlantia (11/14), Outlands (11/20), An Tir (11/21), Calontir (11/21), Trimaris (11/25), Caid (11/25), and Atenveldt (11/27). The Letter of Intent from the West (11/15) will be considered at a "roadshow" Laurel meeting to be held the weekend of March 19-20, 1994, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Commentary on these LoIs should have been in the College's hands no later than January 31, 1994. Responses and rebuttals to commentary on these LoIs should have been in College's hands no later than February 28, 1994.

The April Laurel meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 23, 1994, to consider the following Letters of Intent: Ansteorra (11/24, mailed 12/1), Meridies (11/27, mailed 12/2) An Tir (12/10), Atlantia (12/12), West (12/13), East (12/15), Caid (12/18), Calontir (12/19), Outlands (12/20), Middle (12/21), Ansteorra (12/24), and Meridies (12/28). Commentary on these LoIs should have been in the College's hands no later than February 28, 1994. Responses and rebuttals to commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's hands no later than March 31, 1994.

The May Laurel meeting is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, May 21, 1994, to consider the following letters of intent: Middle (1/12), Atlantia (1/14), An Tir (1/17), West (1/17), Calontir (1/22), Caid (1/25), Trimaris (1/25), East (1/26), and Ansteorra (1/28). Original commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's hands no later than March 31, 1994. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than April 30, 1994.

The June Laurel meeting is tentively scheduled for Saturday, June 11, 1994, to consider the following letters of intent: West (2/7), Middle (2/9), Drachenwald (2/10), Atlantia (2/11), An Tir (2/17), Calontir (2/19), East (2/24), and Meridies (2/25). Original commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's hands no later than April 30, 1994. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than May 31, 1994.

Not all Letters of Intent may be considered when they are scheduled on this Cover Letter. Date of mailing of the LoI and date of receipt of the Laurel packet may delay consideration of certain Letters of Intent.

ROSTER CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS

Well, see, I just knew there would be things to change on the Roster sent out last month.

Please add the Palmer Herald of the Outlands to your mailing lists: Renna of Battersea (Cindy Smith), 1108 Wilson Road, Carlsbad, NM 88220; (505) 885-3382.

The Star Principal Herald of Ansteorra, Richard Silverdawn, has a new telephone number. It is (817) 763-5255.

The Estencelé Pursuivant of Ansteorra has resigned. Please remove Katherine Constancia da Feltre from the mailing list and roster.

The time allotted having passed, please remove the former Aten Principal Herald, Letitia des Montagnes Bleues, from the mailing list and roster.

And I need to remind people NOT to send LoIs, LoCs, or anything else to me at the Laurel P.O. Box via Air Courier Express, Federal Express, or any of the other overnight delivery services. They can't deliver to Post Office box addresses, so not only does the package end up costing you more, but I don't get it any earlier, because they leave a message on my answering machine and I have to call them back and arrange for delivery somewhere at a later date.

THE LEGAL NAME ALLOWANCE a/k/a THE "MUNDANE NAME LOOPHOLE"

In some of the commentary for the submissions reviewed at the February Laurel meeting, "once again call upon Lord Laurel to remove the mundane name allowance from the rules." Additionally, other commenters have called for documentation that names submitted under the legal name allowance of the Rules are compatible with period style and naming practices.

Let me make my position concisely and clearly: as long as I am in this office, I am not going to remove the legal name allowance from the Rules for Submissions. Names submitted under the legal name allowance do not have to be proven compatible with period naming style and practices. (If they could, we wouldn't need the allowance.) The only criterion regarding registration of names under the legal name allowance is whether or not the name is obtrusively modern (to the average "Joseph" on the SCA street, not just to knowledgeable onomastics members of the CoA).

The legal name allowance is there in the Rules as a consideration to some of our submitters. Yes, it is sometimes used as a lazy "short-cut" to documenting a name. Nonetheless, the number of times it is invoked in LoIs serves to demonstrate, at least to me, its usefulness. But unless those calling for its removal from the Rules can demonstrate that this provision is harmful to the Society in some general way, calling "once again" to have it removed from the Rules is not going to be a productive use of time, paper, or postage.

MEDICAL SYMBOLS RESTRICTIONS REVISITED

I recently received a letter from Master Crag Duggan of Calontir (m/k/a Craig J. Brown,M.D., F.A.C.S., F.R.S.M.), who made a number of cogent arguments in favor of retaining the former restrictions of the use of the Rod of Asclepius and Caduceus as charges to those with medical credentials. Among his arguments was the note that, having such a charge on his arms, he has been approached "many times" for medical assistance "on that very basis". As the belief that such never happened was one of the arguments in favor of relaxing the restriction on these these charges, I believe we need to take another look at this decision. I am therefore going to place "on hold" the relaxation of the restriction of the Rod of Asclepius and Caduceus as charges to those with medical credentials until the College has a chance to see all of Master Crag's arguments (I have asked him to work with Baron Charles Stewart O'Connor in placing these before the College) as well as to get the opinion of the Society Chirugeon (who was copied on Master Crag's letter to me).

1995 KNOWN WORLD HERALDIC SYMPOSIUM BIDS, PART II

By now, you should have received a second bid to host the 1995 Known World Heraldic Symposium, from the Barony of Tir Ysgithr (Tucson, Arizona).

This makes (so far as I am aware) two bids to host the 1995 Symposium. I will summarize each bid in next month's cover letter, and we can get down to discussing the pros and cons and making a decision to be announced at the 1994 Symposium in Orlando at the end of June.

MISCELLANY

Just when I was starting to think that maybe I knew something about heraldry, The Heraldry Society of England begins a new newsletter section called "The Pursuivant", "A Newsletter for Young Membrs of The Heraldry Society", which contained a 20 question heraldic quiz. How many can you get right without looking them up in the books?

1. What is a Cordeliere?

2. What is another name for an Ogress?

3. Where is the Numbril point?

4. What are margin lines?

5. What is an Alerion?

6. What are the famous arms of Fitzgerald?

7. What does Forcene mean?

8. What is a Gimmel Ring?

9. What are the current Scottish heralds titles?

10. When the letters "Ob.s.p." are used ona pedigree what do they mean?

11. How many tassels has a Cardinal's hat?

12. Byronny Or and Sable. To which Scottish family do these arms belong?

13. What is an Ypotryll?

14. What is sinople?

15. To what order of Knighthood deos this motto belong? "Nemo Me Impune Lacessit"

16. What is the difference between the supporters granted to a peer and those granted to a Knight Grand Cross?

17. What is the difference mark for an adopted child?

18. What is "crenelle"?

19. Whose arms are supported by a hippopotamus and a crocodile?

20. What do heraldic mermaids usually hold in their hands?

[Answers next month.]

Until next month, I remain, as ever,

Your servant,

Da'ud ibn Auda

Laurel King of Arms