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

The June 1995 Laurel meeting was held on Saturday, June 17, 1995, and considered the following Letters of Intent and Letters of Intent to Protect: Atenveldt (1/10, but mailed 2/6); Calontir (1/23, but mailed 2/6); Harpy Letter of Intent to Protect (2/1); Scribe Armarius Letter of Intent to Protect (2/1); East (2/14); Outlands (2/15); Drachenwald (2/15); Atlantia (2/19); Trimaris (2/25); Caid (2/25); and West (2/27). The An Tir (2/16) LoI was considered at a "roadshow" meeting run jointly by Laurel and the new Pelican King of Arms at the Known World Heraldic Symposium on Sunday morning, June 25. Original commentary on these LoIs must have been in the College's hands no later than April 30, 1995. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must have been in the College's hands no later than May 31, 1995.

The July 1995 Laurel meeting is scheduled for Saturday, July 15, 1995, and will consider the following Letters of Intent: Ansteorra (3/2); Atlantia (3/12); West (3/12); An Tir (3/14); Outlands (3/20); and Caid (3/27). Original commentary on these LoIs must have been in the College's hands no later than May 31, 1995. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must have been in the College's hands no later than June 30, 1995.

The August 1995 Laurel meeting is scheduled for Saturday, August 12, 1995, and will consider the following Letters of Intent: Meridies (3/31, posted 4/3); Atenveldt (4/4); Brachet Letter of Intent to Protect (4/11); East (4/14); Caid (4/16); Middle (4/17); West (4/19); Ansteorra (4/22); and Atlantia (4/23). The Letter of Intent from An Tir (4/13) will be considered at a "roadshow" meeting tentatively scheduled for Friday evening, August 18, at Pennsic. Original commentary on these LoIs must have been in the College's hands no later than June 30, 1995. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than July 31, 1995.

The September 1995 Laurel meeting is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, September 16, 1995, and will consider the following Letters of Intent: Outlands (4/30, posted 5/3), East (5/1); Maxen Letter of Intent to Protect (5/6); An Tir (5/11); Atlantia (5/20); Outlands (5/23); West (5/25); and Caid (5/30). Original commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's hands no later than July 31, 1995. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than August 31, 1995.

The October 1995 Laurel meeting is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, October 21, 1995, and will consider Letters of Intent dated and mailed in June. Original commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's hands no later than August 31, 1995. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than September 30, 1995.

Not all Letters of Intent may be considered when they are originally scheduled on this Cover Letter. Date of mailing of the LoI, date of receipt of the Laurel packet, or other factors may delay consideration of certain Letters of Intent. Additionally, not all Letters of Intent received have been scheduled because the administrative requirements (receipt of the forms packet, receipt of the necessary fees, etc.) have not yet been met.

ROSTER CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS

Battlement Herald (Caid), Colm Dubh, is moving to Meridies (where, he informs us, he will become Black Dove Herald). Please remove him from the Caid section of the Roster. His temporary mail drop is Scott Catledge, c/o Zetha Williams, 205 Stewart Circle, Pearl, MS 39208.

Habicht Herald (Calontir), Baron Charles Stewart O'Connor, after many years of service to the College in three different kingdoms (in two as principal herald), is retiring from activity at the College of Arms level. We will miss his unique perspective. Please remove his name from the Roster.

Trefoil Herald (Outlands) is ready to return from her sabbatical from commenting. Please add Lady Dulcinea back onto the mailing list.

Keystone Herald, Elsbeth Anne Roth, is changing her address. Kathryn Van Stone, 6004 Squires Manor Lane, Library, PA 15213-3799; (412) 831-8736.

The new Pale Herald (Middle) is currently listed as the Shield Herald. Please change to his new title. He will remain on the mailing list.

Buckler Herald (Middle) is former Dragon Herald Thorvald Redhair (Ron Sargent), 1673 Cove Court, Naperville, IL 60565; (708) 416-8721. He is not on the mailing list.

Talvas Herald (Middle) is Osric of Fayrehope (Wayne Morris), P.O. Box 68030, RPO Osborne Village, Winnipeg, MB R3L 2V9, CANADA; (204) 477-4065. He is not on the mailing list.

A copy of the most recent (I hesitate to say "up to date"; as sure as I do, I'll receive a change the next day. J) Roster is enclosed with this LoAR.

SOURCES AND RESOURCES

Enclosed with this LoAR is the most recent price list from Free Trumpet Press West. Please note the new items on the list. Please feel free to copy and distribute as widely as possible.

A REQUEST FROM PELICAN (Submissions Heralds, Please Take Note!)

Pelican, Baron Talan Gwynek, has two requests of submissions heralds.

(1) Whenever a change is made to a name at the kingdom level, please remember to write the change on the submissions forms. It is more difficult to keep track -- and to get it into the LoAR correctly -- when the change appears only in the LoI and not on the forms.

(2) Whenever a change is made to a name at the kingdom level, please mention the originally submitted version in the LoI in order to give the commenting members of the College a chance to justify the submitter's original preference. (For example, if the commenters had known that the person who submitted the name Hrodr-Havardr was trying to get as close as possible to the sound of "Hrodnovar", we probably could have saved him at least one submission.)

TEMPORAL COMPATIBILITY IN NAMES (or, When Did "One Weirdness" Become "The 300-Year Rule"?)

There have been some commenters of late who have been calling for the return of name submissions where the various elements of the name are not dated to within 300 years of each other. Other commenters are apparently under the impression that some names have already been returned because their various elements are not dated to within 300 years of each other. Laurel is at a loss to understand how a precedent set by Baron Bruce which said specifically that a temporal discontinuity of 300 years or more was not, in and of itself, sufficient reason to return a name, has become in recent times the "300 year rule" requiring the return of a submission. So that we may all be clear on the topic, I quote the relevant precedent here.

In a number of my recent rulings, I've ruled that excessive temporal mismatching can be considered a "weirdness", costing the submitter the benefit of the doubt. With this LoAR [March 1993], I hereby make the new policy official: If the elements of a submitted name are dated too far apart, then any other anomaly in the name may combine to force it to be returned. The greater the temporal divide, the greater the anomaly: a given name and byname whose spellings are documented within, say, a century of each other will probably be all right, but a three-century divide is pushing it.

By itself, temporal incompatibility is still not sufficient reason for return. I haven't yet been faced with a case so extreme (a couple of millennia, say) to require a return; our worst instance of temporal mismatch (Tamas of Midian) also involved geographic mismatch as well. But henceforth, excessive temporal mismatch may contribute to a name's unacceptability; another problem with the name may cause it to be returned. [Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme, 8 May 1993 Cover Letter, pg. 4)

A REQUEST FOR FEEDBACK

As many of you know, Symond Bayard le Gris and Marta as tu Mika Misliwy are the very hard-working people who do all the printing and mailing of the LoARs. Beginning with the May LoAR, they are using a new paper, a little less expensive and made 100% from recycled material, but which is a little "grayer" than the white paper they've been using. If you have any opinions or comments about the paper, positive or negative, they would appreciate your feedback. (Mistress Marta is the Brickbat Herald on Laurel staff; her address is in the Roster.)

1996 KNOWN WORLD HERALDIC SYMPOSIUM

Having received but one bid (many groups did not want to compete with the Thirty Year Celebration and Pennsic XXV, both of which will also be held next year), the 1996 Known World Heraldic Symposium will be held in the Shire of Thorngill, Kingdom of Meridies (Montgomery, Alabama), near the end of June 1996. Further details will be forthcoming as the particulars are firmed up.

NEWS OF NOTE (or, Something Else to Attend in '96!)

The International Congress of Heraldry is held every two years, organized by the heraldic authority of the country hosting the conference, or by the leading heraldic organization where no authority exists. Last year's Congress was held in Luxembourg, next year's will be held in Canada.

Events and meetings of the other international organizations are often held at the same time. Last year's main dinner was attended by about 300 guests, so the Congresses are well attended.

Here is the information for next year's Congress:

The 22nd International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences

Date: 18 - 23 August 1996

Place: Ottawa, Canada

Theme: Families and Emblems Transcending Frontiers

Patron: His Excellency the Governor General of Canada

Organizing Agency: The Canadian Heraldic Authority

Partner Sponsors: The Heraldry Society of Canada

The Ontario Genealogical Society

La societe de genealogie de l'Outaouais

President: President, Heraldry Society of Canada

Official Languages of the Conference: English, French, German, and Spanish

Congress Site: Sessions will be held at the University of Ottawa, in the heart of the city, Canada's oldest and largest bilingual (French-English) university.

There will be two sub-themes: The study and history of families transcending geographic and disciplinary frontiers; the study of emblematic systems transcending national, social and artistic frontiers. There will also be an Artists Workshop and exhibition of work.

Registration Fee: General registration $275 Canadian (includes participation, a copy of the subsequent publication, the official reception and the closing banquet - not included are the excursions and different dinners which follow the official meetings of the various international bodies). There will be a separate, smaller fee for accompanying persons.

Accommodation/Travel: Discussions are nearing completion with airlines concerning arrangements for excursion fares from several points in Europe. Accommodation is available with costs ranging from approximately $50 a night in University residences to $150 a night in first class hotels.

All correspondence should be addressed to:

The 22nd International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences

c/o The Canadian Heraldic Authority

1 Sussex Drive

Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1A 0A1

Tel: (613) 991-2228

Fax: (613) 991-1681

General correspondence should be directed to Mr. Robert D. Watt, Chief Herald of Canada, Secretary General for the Congress.

Correspondence concerning the program should be addressed to Mr. Charles R. Maier, Athabaska Herald, Chair, Programme Committee.

MISCELLANY

It is surprising that such a simple and effective coat [Per fesse gules and sable, in chief three escallops fessewise {in fess} or, and in base on a cross engrailed argent a rose of the first barbed and seeded proper] was approved by the then Garter, Sir Albert William Woods, one of the three Kings of arms to sign and seal the letters patent. He was notorious for demanding that his grants be Victorian in style and for his insistence that grantees should not expect simple coats; perhaps his failing health was to blame for this fortunate oversight.

The Arms of Reading University, Adrian Ailes, The Coat of Arms, Vol. XI, No. 169, Spring 1995, p. 32

Until next month, pray believe that I am, and remain,

Your faithful servant,

Da'ud ibn Auda

Laurel King of Arms