Seneschal's Report
Unto the populace of the Incipient Barony of the Southern Wastes, greetings from Lady Halli Patagonica, Seneschal!
My lords and ladies, we have finally heard back from the College of Arms regarding our submitted device, without which we cannot become a full Barony. It took three years, mainly because the Kingdom Herald didn't believe we were a real group at first. Unfortunately, our device was rejected. You can see the full reasons why at:
I would like to address their reasons for rejecting our device.
First, they quote Corpora's requirement that a group has to have 25 paid members to become a barony, and insinuate that we're padding our membership rolls with penguins. I'd like to point out that nowhere in any of the Governing Documents does it require SCA members to be human, and we do have 25 paid members on the books. So there.
Second, they claim there was no populace poll, which is silly. There's no space on the heraldic device submission form to indicate whether a poll was taken, so how would the Heralds know whether we did or not? However, rest assured that a poll was taken. From the minutes of the meeting in question:
The matter of Baronial status was placed before the populace. The Seneschal called for a vote, placing a vat of herrings in a square marked "yes" and a pile of rocks in a square marked "no", and asked the populace to stand in the square which represented their decision. A unanimous "yes" vote was recorded.
Third, they claim no paperwork was received, which raises the question of how they knew we had submitted anything, or how they knew what name and blazon we had submitted, as both were clearly stated in the rejection letter. Obviously some herald lost the paperwork and decided to blame us instead. As usual.
Fourth, they say that we didn't include a laurel wreath on the arms, as required by the Administrative Handbook section blah blah blah. Apparently this one was our fault, and makes me wonder why our herald didn't know this. We now have an opening for the position of herald; if anyone wants it, please give me a call or send me an email.
And finally, they complain that The Quarter, our group's official newsletter, owes a clock to the Laurel Clerk and Keeper of the Records, which I suspect might be the real reason our submission was rejected. I have ordered Lady Kathryne d'Inkepenne to send him his clock. I'd fire her too, but she's the only person in the Southern Wastes who's managed to actually produce a newsletter in the last ten years.
Speaking of The Quarter, I am pleased to note that the cover letter for the Heralds' January Letter of Acceptances and Returns contains the following warning:
[W]e are putting http://www.thequarter.org/ into Administrative Handbook Appendix X, "Index Librorum Prohibitorum" ("Index of Prohibited Books"). All heralds are formally enjoined from reading it without prior written permission from Laurel.
Keep Warm,
Halli.