[Scriptoris] Scrolls and Charters--why?

[Donna Hufford]

Having followed the current discussion and its various tones and suggestions
for several days the radical idea has occurred to me that we could clear the
backlog of Peerage Scrolls, the chronic shortage of Award Scrolls and any
need for revisions or the like in one fell swoop if we just eliminate them
altogether.
Why do we have scrolls at all?  Award scrolls as we use them have no
equivelent in the Middle Ages.  If artist are "wasting time" on Award
Scrolls for local event Champions just so they can "have something to hang
on the wall", is that not true of all scrolls?  From what I have been able
to find, every Kingdom Award in Ansteorra--with the exceptions of an Award
of Arms or a Rising Star--has some sort of Regalia that goes with that
Award.  So isn't any scroll just a superfluous thing to hang on the wall?
If all the Scribes and Artists of Ansteorra were not bogged down with the
need to produce Award Scrolls and to clear the giant Backlog, think of the
wonderful things that could be produced---Books of Hours, Herbals,
Beastiaries, and fabulous originals of all sorts for the folks who really
wanted them--and were willing to pay for them!  Hmm..the imagination
staggers at the possibilities.
one last thought, returning to the lack of regalia for an Award of Arms, I
know it is common thinking that the higher the award the more elaborate the
scroll and that AoAs are simple, easy and can and should be whipped out in
as little as an hour since they are not that *important*.  But perhaps we
should keep in mind that that pre-printed, painted scroll is all you get
with an Award of Arms and that for  most folks that is the only Kingdom
award they will ever receive.

Just some thoughts from 'only a painter'
I remain 
In Service
Siobhan,
Northkeep Scribal Guild