[ANSTHRLD] Suggestions needed

[Jay Rudin]

It's worth pointing out that the rules for arms on tabards are hundreds of 
years old, and we have no authority to change them.

The arms of the branch can be worn by the ruling noble, or by the herald 
only when acting for the ruling noble.  (At Steppes Artisan last year, I 
was wearing the Steppes tabard as herald.  When I called up to swear 
fealty, I was required to take off the Steppes arms, because at that moment 
I wasn't acting for the baroness.)

A member of a branch cannot wear the arms of the branch, for the same 
reason that an English subject cannot wear the arms of the Queen of 
England.

This has nothing to do with any rules of the SCA or Ansteorra, but with 
what wearing arms actually means.

An SCA herald can also always wear a green cloak or tabard with gold 
crossed trumpets.  This *is* based on SCA rules, because the crossed 
trumpet badge was passed as a badge for that purpose.  A badge can be 
assigned specific meanings or purposes, whereas the meaning of arms is 
inherent in the fact that they are arms.   Ansteorra has badges available 
for the holders of each Order, for the Premier Bard, for the bards in 
general, etc.  It also has the badge of the Ansteorran star within a 
bordure for the use of the populace, and that's what you see on the 
fighters at Gulf War.  Only the Crown (or their herald acting as herald) 
can bear the kingdom arms on the field.

This is why a populace badge is such a good thing.  Anyone in England can 
display the Union Jack, just as any American can display the flag but not 
the seal of the President.  And anyone in the Steppes can display the 
ensign, but not the arms.

Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin