ANSTHRLD - Branch device change-how to's?

[Timothy A. McDaniel]

Cyniric Cyniwarding / "Richard Culver" <rbculver at hotmail.com> wrote:
> The populace of the canton of Glaslyn voted on and accepted by
> majority a new design for a device which they would like to replace
> the current one.

I'm feeling a premonition of dread here.  Did they consult with
experienced heralds before getting designs?  Mind you, I'm not saying
anything about Glaslyn in particular.  I don't know anything about
Glaslyn (except that it's a canton of the Steppes, and I have a vague
memory of consulting about something last Warlord).  It's just that
SCA groups are some of the worst perpetrators of cliches and
non-period-but- registerable things.  A single submitter you may be
able to convince to go with better style.  Once a group decides that
their design "sings" and "resonates", it's like trying to convince
musk oxen.

As a general call to all: before working on group names or arms,
please consult with experienced heralds who may be able to advise on
period style and registerability before the group settles on the SCA
standard of wretchedness.

> I know I should contact our baronial herald for the device,

In the sense that he (Erc, I think?) is your boss so you have to
report to him on heraldic activity, but there's no *requirement* to
get him to sign off on anything.

> but, more on a kingdom level, what must be done for us to change our
> device?  In other words, are there any specific procedures I must
> follow in doing this?

Kingdom isn't involved with this either, any more than any other
device change.

Step 0: reply to this note and give us a blazon or plain-English
description of the arms.  We can comment on style issues, maybe find a
conflict, et cetera.

Step 1: go to the Free Trumpet Press West webpage at
http://www.sca.org/heraldry/ftpw/ and order paper copies of SCA Rules
for Submissions, Admin. Handbook, Alt. Titles List, Glossary (item
FT-43B), for a mere $6.  Get a notebook binder ready for when it
arrives, so you can answer rules questions wherever you take it.

Step 2: While you're waiting for the order to arrive, bookmark and go
to http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/regs.html , the Web page that
links to the HTML versions of the RfS, AH, Alternate Titles, and CoA
Glossary.

Step 3: go to the Admin Handbook.  Read it once all the way thru, but
I didn't retain much any of the times I've done it, so I expect you
won't either.  That's just to give you an idea of what's in there, so
when such a question arises, the back of your mind may tickle you and
hint that this is the place to look.

In general but with exceptions, the Admin Handbook tells you how to
proceed on various things, and the RfS tells you about the
registerable style of any particular item.

Step 4: Go back to the Admin Handbook, and re-read with more attention
  II (Registerable Items)
    D (Tinctured Armory)
      2 (Branch Arms):
        gotta have at least one laurel wreath
  IV (General Procedures for Submissions)
    C (Completed Paperwork)
      5 (Evidence of Support)

        "Submissions involving the name or arms of an active branch
        must include evidence of support for the action on the part of
        a majority of the active members of the branch.  In the case
        of branches with no ruling noble, this support may be
        demonstrated by a petition of a majority of the populace and
        officers or by a petition of the seneschal and at least
        three-quarters of the other local officers.  In the case of
        branches with ruling nobles, such petitions must also include
        a statement of support from the ruling noble. ... Branch
        badge(s), order or award names, and other Branch names (such
        as names for guilds, Herald's Titles in the case of Kingdom,
        etc.) do not require support at the Laurel level.  Kingdom may
        require it if they so desire, for their internal procedures."

(Note: it's a really good idea to get the canton's approval for any
badges or guild names -- a canton can't have awards or orders --
regardless of whether it's required or not.)

As to how to demonstrate group approval: I don't think you should go
the officers-only route; this is something to get everyone in on.  Get
a sheet of paper with lines for signatures.  Put at the top something
like "We, the undersigned, are members of the populace of the Canton
of Glaslyn.  We support the change of the canton arms to be [blazon],
as emblazoned in the margin."  Get someone to draw a line drawing of
the proposed arms on the sheet, with enough detail that everyone knows
what they're approving, but with enough room for enough signatures.
Copy this master sheet a few times (just to provide enough lines for
everyone), and color in the line drawings so people know the colors
too.  Don't get the boilerplate on each page be *too* big.  
Kingdom and Laurel are completely unimpressed by fancy calligraphy or
large words, especially if that means there's only room for two
signatures per page and hence a 15-page petition.  Double-sided
copying is your friend.

Might as well have the seneschal or herald certify that it's indeed a
majority of the populace.  I can't think of a good way to word it
right now, because the Admin Handbook leaves "populace" undefined and
it's lunchtime.

As for your barony.

I think Laurel would not say that a canton has a "ruling noble" or
not.  The *barony* has a ruling noble.  The *canton* is itself a
branch just like any other branch.  Corpora just says kingdoms can
allow other local group types.  Kingdom law
( http://www.ansteorra.org/publications/law/kingdom_law.html ) says
that a canton is "under the protection of a Barony" and "Branches
under the protection of a Barony or Province shall report both to the
designated Kingdom level superior and to the protecting branches [sic]
officers".

That premised: a canton should NOT piss off the barony.  Especially, a
new canton should NOT piss off a barony with more than $10,000 in their
treasury.  (Are you guys *nuts*?)  Especially because I bet the barony
won't particularly *care* about this.  The canton herald and/or
seneschal should go to the next baronial meeting (some Tuesday night
at La Madeleine, right?), and report.  Predicted skeleton dialog:
    Glaslyn: We're planning to change the Glaslyn coat of arms.
             This is the design we've approved by vote.
    Someone: Have the heralds looked it over?
    Glaslyn: Yes.  They say it's registerable.
    Everyone: Sounds good.
    Glaslyn: Can we get Your Excellencies to sign the petition of
             support?  [flourish the petition and a pen.]
    Baron and baroness:  Sure.  Glad to.

(You *do* carry at least one pen wherever you go?  I docked people one
point each at the Court From Hell competition because they didn't.)

The sheet may be the one with the seneschal/herald's certification of
a majority.  You might glitz it up with signature spaces labelled
"Baron, Lord, and Protector of the Canton" and "Baroness, Lady, and
Protector of the Canton"; maybe Fritz and Kitrin will be tickled by
the glitz, I dunno.

By the way: Laurel will not be picky about the wording; the above is a
reasonable suggestion.  There's a Laurel precedent from Bruce to the
effect of

    This group submission had a sheet attached labelled only
    "Petition" and with a list of signatures.  For all I know, it was
    a petition to serve ice cream at fighter practice.  I'm going to
    assume they're honorable and give them the benefit of the doubt.
    However, in the future, please indicate on the petition *what*
    you're petitioning for.

The color version is just to make sure everyone knows.  I don't think
Laurel has ever really looked for a certification of the results, but
heck, why not cross the Ts and dot the Is beyond all question?

Any other questions?

Daniel de Lincolia
-- 
Tim McDaniel is tmcd at jump.net; if that fail,
    tmcd at us.ibm.com is my work account.
"To join the Clueless Club, send a followup to this message quoting everything
up to and including this sig!" -- Jukka.Korpela at hut.fi (Jukka Korpela)
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