Dallas, TX 75221-1646

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

The attached Letter of Acceptances and Returns covers the following Letters of Intent considered at the Laurel meeting held Saturday, May 18, 1991, and considering the following letters of intent dated in February, 1991: Ansteorra (2/10), Middle (2/15), Meridies (2/24), West (2/25), Atlantia (2/27), and Calontir (2/28).

The June Laurel meeting is scheduled for Saturday, June 22, 1991, and will consider the following letters of intent dated in March, 1991: An Tir (3/1), Caid (3/1), Ansteorra (3/11), Caid (3/12), Atenveldt (3/15), Trimaris (3/15), Meridies (3/20), East (3/25), Calontir (3/31), and West (3/31). The following two letters of intent dated in March will be scheduled to be considered at the traveling Laurel meeting to be held at the Heraldic Symposium in Atlantia on Sunday, June 30: Atlantia (3/18) and Middle (3/16). Commentary for all LoIs to be considered in June must be in to me well before the regular Laurel meeting on June 22.

The July Laurel meeting is scheduled for Saturday, July 27, 1991, and will consider the following Letters of Intent: An Tir (4/1), Caid (4/4), Ansteorra (4/15), East (4/15), West (4/10), Meridies (4/29), and Calontir (4/30). (I have received the LoI but no packet yet for the Outlands 4/6 LoI, and I have not even received the LoI for the Atlantia 4/6 LoI. These will not be scheduled to be considered until the paperwork is received by my office.)

The August Laurel meeting is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, August 24, 1991, to consider LoIs dated in May.

ROSTER CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS

The telephone number on the roster for Lord Beacon, Carlwyn of Canterbury, is incorrect. His telephone number is (404);993-6389.

Laurel missed the address change for Lady Brachet on the CoA roster, Kathrine of Bristol. Her new address is 2322 Russell Street, Berkeley, CA 95704; (415) 486-0633.

TIMELINESS OF COMMENTARY (or, Late Again!)

Three days before the May Laurel meeting, I found not one, not two, not three, but four Letters of Comment from various commenters containing commentary on submissions to be considered at the May Laurel meeting. Two letters contained original commentary, rather than simply responses to earlier commentary. One letter contained additional original commentary. I have addressed this issue before, but apparently need to stress it once again. I prepare for the Laurel meeting for most of the week before the meeting. This is when the final collating of the comments is done, and I re-read all of the commentary collated by each submission. Commentary arriving after this preparation period has begun serves to dramatically increase the time necessary to adequately prepare for the meeting. I do not want to have to state that commentary arriving less than a week before the meeting to which it applies will not be considered, but if commentary continues to arrive in the few days before the Laurel meeting, I may have to do so. Come on, folks, this job has enough hassles without the extra burden of having to double-process some submissions because late commentary which has to be collated in. (And I do not here even begin to address the fact that you give submissions heralds no time at all to respond to original commentary which arrives the week of the Laurel meeting!)

The "Bran Canutesson" Decision (or, How Complex Is Simple?)

In the April 1991 LoAR, p. 2, the badge of Bran Canutesson ([Fieldless] On a mullet of four points argent, a chevron gules) was held not to conflict with Elena des Nachts (Purpure, ona mullet of four points elongated to base argent, a sword inverted gules) with a CVD for fieldlessness and another for changing the type of tertiary per revised X.4.j.ii.(a). X.4.j.ii.(a) grants a CVD for changing the type only of a tertiary on armory consisting of "an ordinary or similarly simple geometric charge alone on the field". There were questions put to me regarding whether a mullet of four points is a "simple geometric charge" for purposes of X.4.j.ii. It has been, and remains, Lord Laurel's belief that mullets of four points, mullets of five points, and possibly mullets six points, may be considered "simple geometric charges" for the purposes of this rule. (Mind you, I also consider mullets of four, five, and possibly six points to be the outer limit of acceptable complexity to be considered a "simple geometric charge".) Admittedly, this opinion is based on Laurel's early schooling, wherein stars were classified with other "geometric charges" like squares and circles (and parallelograms, oh, my!).

MISCELLANY

Dukes are the first in order of Nobility and second only to Royalty; they may perhaps be entitled to remain with covered heads in the presence of the King. Their Duchies, even if not independent of the King and his realm, will be enviable in size, vassalage, and wealth and may indeed exceed the possessions of the King. A Duke will be haughty, with fine taste in wine and horses, and should always be taken into account in the King's decisions. During negotiations at the close of wars they are particularly useful in making peace.
Dukes are accustomed to Viceregal appointments or to being beheaded for treason.

The Book of the Weird, by Barbara Ninde Byfield, p. 58

Your servant,

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