ANSTHRLD - Re: Heralds Required?

[John Ruble]

Donal spake thus, in reply to Modar Neznanich:

{snip}
> > 
> > Just for an example: Instead of having 10 local group officers,
> > have one regional officer who "oversees" the heraldic needs
> > of those groups, and let have anyone from those groups
> > interested in heraldry, be part of the regional staff.  It would be
> > easier to find 4-5 people REALLY INTERESTED in heraldry to
> > be regional heralds than 40-50 people REALLY INTERESTED
> > in heraldry to be local heralds.
> I like this idea.
> > 
> > Pluses of doing this:
> > 
> > Quality of heraldic work would go up because those involved
> > would be seriously interested.
> > 
> > It would provides a learning base because there would (hopefully)
> > be several people involved on the staff, allowing each to become
> > "expert" in an area and teaching it to others.
> > 
> > Minuses to doing this:
> > 
> > It adds another layer of "bureaucracy" to the Kingdom level (or does
> it?).
> > 
> > Those heralds from Kingdoms that have regional heralds, what are
> > your experiences with this "extra" layer?
> It takes a lot of workload (not to mention the gas saved) off the
> principal herald to have staff who not only can travel around each
> region, but can collate the reports of a dozen branches into one, for
> quarterly reading. A regional also has a closer acquaintanc with the
> people in his/her region, and can often steer through the pitfalls of
> local politics that the principal herald might fall into unawares. Bad
> points are the same as with any other bureaucracy - a tendency in
> individuals to try to handle problems "in-house" past the time they
> should have been referred to Kingdom.
> 
{snip}
While empowering such individuals would alleviate many problems faced at the
local level, such as "brand-new-herald" and "warm-body-herald", it would
stunt the growth of heraldry.  I, for one, would never have become a herald
if they hadn't needed someone to hold the office.  I was new enough to
not-know-better and still had a lot of enthusiasm.  Suddenly I find myself
immersed in a branch of medieval study I had previously been ignorant of,
but thought I knew all about.  What an eye opener!

Maybe one in ten local heralds stay active in the college after hold the
local position.  But without locals, we would never get that one.

I have been regional herald (Nordsteorra) twice.  I got some things done I
had wanted to do for the college.  I help consult.  I helped train.  But
there is no way I could have been the consulting herald for all the cantons,
strongholds, shires, and baronies of my region.  Nor could I have been the
precedence herald for all of them.  And certainly not the court herald.

We have 6 to 12 individuals in this region who are active in heraldry all
the time.  Whether we are holding an office or not, people still see the Big
Green H branded on our foreheads, and we get asked to help.  But we're
helping others become heralds too.  We cannot do it all ourselves.

Ulf

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