[ANSTHRLD] question about baronial service order award charters

[Diane Rudin]

Master Duncan asked:

"A dilemma has come up in how to fill in a charter for a person who did
not have a baronial service award prior to becoming its principal, so
my question is this: Would their predecessor be considered as the one to
give them that award? Themselves? The crown?"

In my official capacity as Awards Texts Deputy to Star Principal Herald, 
I have been being consulted by her Excellency Steppes in the creation 
of the new Oak charters.  This is one of the issues she brought up.  I told
her Excellency that I would ponder the matter, and get back to her on it.

Obviously, the topic must have come up at the Steppes C&I guild meeting
last night, hence your question today.  I am sorry I missed the meeting;
I could have saved you some time today.

Master Robin already has described, in a previous post in this thread, why 
neither their predecessors nor they themselves could give them the Oak.

After due consideration, here is my conclusion: that, in the Steppes at least,
where we have continued to remember and observe the early ruling by Crown
and SPH as to the BSO membership status of a retiring B&B who were not
members of the BSO prior to their investiture as B&B (for fuller discussion of
said ruling, see Master Robin's earlier post on this thread; thanks, honey!),
said persons should receive a specially-phrased Oak charter 
**from their successors as B&B**  
***confirming*** (not granting) their status as Oaks, with date and precedence 
from their investiture as B&B, and thus also Principals of the Order of the Oak.

Within Ansteorra, by tradition, custom, and practice the Crown has deputized 
their B&B's in Fief to rule their respective baronies in the Crown's stead, 
including the administration of their respective BSO's. That is why I consider
it to fall under the successor B&B's purview to confirm them in their status as
members of the Order of the Oak.

These would be original charters, not pre-prints, in the same fashion as retiring
B&B's who weren't already CB's are given a special, original CB charter, the
text of which reflects the special circumstances of their CB (including language
that backdates the CB to the date of their investiture as B&B).  (See the Official
Awards Texts document on the Ansteorran College of Heralds website 
for more on special CB and B&B texts.)

This is specific to the Barony of the Steppes.  If anyone has a question about
how to handle such a situation in a different barony, I would need to research 
the specific history and precedents of that barony's practices before I could
offer a solution for that specific barony.

Guide to abbreviations:
B&B -- Baron and/or Baroness, in this post always meaning "in Fief"
SPH -- Star Principal Herald
BSO -- Baronial Service Order, specifically the armigerous one
CB -- Court Barony

In service to Crown and kingdom,
Serena Lascelles
Blanc Gryffon Herald
Awards Texts Deputy to Star Principal Herald