From: Master Wilhelm von Schlüssel, Laurel King of Arms.
To: Members of the College of Arms
Greetings:
Here is the Letter of Acceptances and Rejections for April, which
covers all but one of the letters of intent in January. The Jan.
30, 1980 letter from Ansteorra will be considered in May. Enclosed
also is some extra documentation for one of the acceptances, which
I think are worth looking at.
The computerized ordinary and armorial is now operational again.
I am sending copies to the principal heralds and to the more active
associate members as Master Renfield finds the time to run them
off for me. This version is complete through my February letter,
ie it includes all accepted submissions listed in the letters
of intent through November, 1979. The massive reblazoning has
not been done yet, and there are a lot of known mistakes. This
ordinary is now in the Papworth format to facilitate its use as
a reference work. This means that you can now look in the same
category in both works. Please search through your copy carefully
and compare it to your records and let us know if there are any
errors. Hopefully after receiving all of the reports of errors
after the reblazoning and final resorting to Papworth format we
can have a proper version of the ordinary which will be a correct
reference and which we can then print for sale. We can also furnish
copies of the print file to anyone who sends us a magnetic tape.
Be warned that it takes about a megabyte of storage. The program
itself is in Magnum, a special language developed by Tymshare.
Now that copies of the ordinary are available I wish to require
that each kingdom office possess a copy of Papworth's Ordinary
as well as a copy of the SCA Ordinary. Inasmuch as some of the
new offices are short of funds, and none of the offices are full
of same, I am refunding $50 to each kingdom office out of excess
funds the Laurel has from the great catch-up last year. After
you get a copy of Papworth any left over money can be used as
the principal heralds sees fit, such as for postage or other office
expenses. Kingdom offices should be self-sufficient from device
fees. If you are not you should either raise your fees or come
up with another form of fundraising. The office should not come
out of the Principal Herald's pockets as it does in Atenveldt.
To cut down on the amount of photocopying for College of Arms
correspondence, this month I am cutting back the mailing list
for letters of intent and comments and replies on same. Copies
of emblazons are not required except for really unusual cases
where a pictures is required, such as for a new charge. All Principal
Heralds or their representatives shall remain on the mailing list,
as will Virgule Herald. Principality Heralds and other heralds
nominated by their Kingdom Principal Herald shall remain on the
list for two months after their last letter of comment. On the
third month they will be removed from the list. To get onto list
a herald must obtain a copy of the recent letters from the Principal
Herald and comment on them and send out letters of comments. This
show of interest plus a recommendation in the Principal Herald's
next letter shall constitute the proper method of getting on this
list. The current list is as follows:
College of Arms Mailing List
Laurel King of Arms: Wilhelm von Schlüssel
William R. Keyes, 2733 Sacramento Street, Berkeley, California
94703
Vesper Principal Herald (West): Aelfwynn Gyrthesdohtor
Cynara Branden, 2532-A Regent St., Berkeley, Cal. 94704
Brigantia Principal Herald (East): Wladislaw Poleski
Walter Soloniewicz, 91 Booth Street, New Britain, Connecticut
06450
Dragon Principal Herald (Middle): Daemon de Folo
F.L. Watkins, 805 E. Green #1, Urbana, Illinois 61801
Aten Principal Herald (Atenveldt): Baldwin of Erebor
Derek G. Foster, 825 Valencia Dr. SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico
87108
Beacon Principal Herald (Meridies): Oreta Heinemann
Oreta Hinamon Taylor, 550 Blvd. SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30312
El Munádi Herald (Rep. For Caid): John ap Griffin
John Trimble, 696 S. Bronson Ave., Los Angeles, Cal. 90005
Star Principal Herald (Ansteorra): Aurelian Rioghail O'Cadal
Jeanne-Marie Efferding, PO Box 7716, Dallas, Texas 75209
Virgule Herald: Alfgar the Sententious
William Linden, 83-33 Austin Street (4-S), Kew Gardens, New York
11415
Temporary Members of the Mailing List
Laurel Emeritus: Ioseph of Locksley, the Rhymer
W.J. Bethancourt III, PO Box 35190, Phoenix, Arizona 85069
Triton Herald (Atlantia): Moira ua Seamus
Sherna Comerford, 5400 Gallatin St., Hyatsville, Maryland 20781
Black Lion Herald (An Tir): Catherine Winifred of Tor Bitterroot
Sherry Laing, 1755 NW 62nd, Seattle, Washington 98107
White Stag Herald (Outlands): Rhonwen y Llysieuydd
Julia Howarth, 3240 S. 600 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84106
Sea Wolf Herald (Mists): Niko{l/}aj Zrogowacia{l/}y
Berry Kercheval, 157 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, Cal. 94596
Corona Herald: Alison von Markheim
Alison Lowe, 384 S. Corona, Denver, Colorado 80209
This list is now down to fifteen names. While I do require copies of the minutes for kingdom meetings be sent to the Laurel Office, I do not require this for the other members of the mailing list, although I do encourage it if possible. The documentation for names and devices should be sent with the letter of intent. Lengthy documentation for specific items need only be sent to the Laurel Office but a short summary should be included in the letter of intent. All emblazon sheet sent to the Laurel Office should be colored in. It is not necessary to document common names or provide translations. Copies of the roster of heralds in a kingdom should be sent to the Laurel Office and to the Principal Heralds once a year. Copies of the Kingdom Order of Precedence should be sent to all members of the mailing list at least once a year. Each Principal Herald shall, by the end of February each year, send to the Laurel Office a yearly report on finances and the state of their office. Each Principal Herald shall send out individual letters of acceptance or rejection to those members whose submissions are accepted or rejected by the Laurel Office. Each Principal Herald shall send copies of the minutes for kingdom meetings to all heralds in charge of a branch. This is all of the required correspondence for members of the mailing list.
I have a few requests. I need a copy of the emblazon sheet for
Bevin Fraser of Sterling (Caid.) I need the whole file for Catriona
nicChlurain (Caid). Karl of Clan Colin (West) was passed twice
with identical blazons, in June 30, 1975, and in June 1979 at
the Conclave, but no file exists. Please send me a copy of his
file and what happened. Did he also change his name? Alair of
the Bloody Fountain (Middle) has a badge for Sunka Witkotkotka:
Sable, a roundel barry wavy argent, gules, and azure. I do not
find any record of any action on this. Does Alair still want this?
Unlike my predecessors, I do not plan to be an absolute monarch
issuing commandments, but instead the head of a really active
college. I will make the final decisions, of course, but I will
try to solicit your opinions first on major decisions, and I will
be influenced by them. If this makes me seem wishy-washy, so be
it.
Concerning registration of mundane names and arms in the Society,
the consensus and my decision is that this is not desirable. A
person registers a society name which must be different from his
mundane name, although it can be similar. The College will then
register to that person under that society name a society device
which must be one and a half points of difference away from all
mundane arms, including any held by that person. Since the society
device is being registered under the society name and not the
mundane name it is not proper to register one's own mundane arms
as one's society device. The Society is also not able to establish
the right of anyone to bear mundane arms, and so could not verify
such a claim. The College does, however, treat with the actual
mundane person in the sense that there is only one file per person,
no matter how many personae they use. All honors are earned by
the mundane person and like the file itself are listed under the
current registered society name but actually belong to the mundane
person. If you change your registered name, your device, arms,
badges, and honors will all be listed under your new registered
society name.
Concerning inheritance of devices in the Society it is the consensus
of the College and my decision that it is desirable under certain
circumstances. Inheritance of a device or arms may only happen
upon the physical death of the mundane person who held the device
or arms. The holder of a device, arms or badge may send to the
Laurel Office a heraldic will specifying the heirs for such registered
items. Upon being notified by the heirs of the death of the holder
the college will reregister the device and/or badges to the heirs.
A $1 name-change fee will be charged by the College for the whole
transaction, no matter how many badges or heirs there are. Only
one person may inherit the arms or device, and he or she will
inherit as a device unless he or she is personally already armigerous.
Society honors, such as Awards of Arms are not hereditary at this
time. A person may will a badge to someone other than the heir
to the person's device.
If a person gives permission for another person to register the
first person's device with a label then this will be considered
by the college to be a heraldic will for the device only. If a
person dies without a heraldic will then only the legal offspring
of that person in the mundane sense (ie biological or adopted
children) are eligible to inherit the person's device. Whoever
wishes to inherit the device must include in the petition a letter
signed by all other legal offspring stating that they agree with
this transfer. In all other cases inheritance of devices and badges
is not allowed. It is still possible for a person to request the
College to void a device or badge and to give permission for another
to then register the exact same device or badge, so it is possible
to transfer devices or badges while the holder still lives. The
transfer of badges is quite acceptable, but the transfer of a
device should not be done lightly, as it may lead others to assume
the original holder has died and the device has been inherited.
The transfer of a badge shall count as a name change for the purposes
of the College's fee. The transfer of a device shall require the
full device fee.
Several members of the College of Arms have pressed for the re-classification
of submissions into more than the two cases of device and badge
now used. It is true that there are more than two cases, and that
there is reason for having different rules for them, and therefore
it might be a good idea to have more categories of heraldic submissions.
The categories that I can separate out are:
1) Heraldic Devices: This includes arms and devices. These are
registered by individuals, society branches, and by some non-household
groups. These may only be displayed by the individual or by the
officers of the branch or group. In the case of a Kingdom, Principality,
or Barony the arms may only be displayed by the King, Prince,
or Baron, respectively. An example of a non-household group in
this category is the University of Ithra in the West. This category
would follow all of the rules now set down for devices.
2) Herald Ensigns: This includes flags for heraldic branches,
badges for society offices meant for all members, and badges for
groups meant to be both displayed on banners and flags but also
by the members individually. An example of the first is the flag
for the Kingdom of Atenveldt. This is what any citizen of Atenveldt
can display. An example of the second is the golden crossed trumpets
on green, the badge registered to the College which is used by
all heralds. An example of the third would be an ensign for a
Mercenary Company, which would be both used on a banner, on the
shields of the members, and on their surcoats, but only when they
fought as a company, just as a herald should only wear the College's
badge when on duty. These submissions should also follow all of
the rules concerning devices now used, as they will be presented
as strongly, and look like devices. Historically, however, these
would be considered badges.
3) Personal Badges: These are simple designs, frequently omitting
a field, and sometimes omitting all tinctures. Often they are
a single charge. These are used by the owner as a mark of possession
or ownership. This includes makers marks and trademarks. These
can be used as a household badge if they are worn on a patch on
the clothing of members of the household. They may not be displayed
on a banner or shield or surcoat in a device-like manner. This
category also includes seals for offices, which do not specify
tinctures. Also in this category would be badges to be used as
a crest, badges which are former devices, badges registered just
for the fin of it. These would follow the rules currently laid
down for badges. It might be a good idea to specify tinctures,
and that they have one and a half points of difference from Society
devices and one point from everything else, in order to better
protect both devices and badges from conflicts. I lean towards
both of these.
This is how I currently do it. Please send me your view on how
you would like or not like to see it done. For now the published
rules still hold. I will make my decision on the basis of the
feedback I get from you. This will of course entail modifying
the submission sheets again. Notice that the second category would
be registered under the name of the group, not under the name
of a representative, although a name and address of a representative
to contact would still be required. Groups can also register personal
badges, again under the group name. A personal household can have
only one badge, and that is registered to the person who is the
head of the household.
Until next month then, pray believe, my Lords and my Ladies, that
I remain,
Your Servant,
Wilhelm von Schlüssel, OL, OP, OLM, QOG
Laurel King of Arms