Follow two submissions from the client to the SCA Sovereigns of Arms and back again.
What happens with the first submission is a comedy of errors!

	Ýves’ interactive class on the SCA heraldry submission process or... "Armorial or Bust!"
	Updated: Feb 9, 2003

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CONTENTS

 

> Props, Roles, Act 1, Act 2

 

The first topic is PROPS — what you (as teacher) want to bring to the class.

Second is ROLES — what parts you need for the "play".

Then the "play" itself, Act 1 and Act 2 — the two scripted parts of the class.

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Props

All are optional.

Scratch paper, "forms", "documentation", "copying machine", and some large envelopes.

The forms and documentation can be real or pretend.
The "copying machine" could be, for example, a cardboard box with a separate lid.

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Roles

Client

The client, who wants to register a name and device, submits a packet of paperwork and documentation to their...

Local group herald

-- who checks it, puts it with other submissions (usually from the local populace, but not always) into a packet, and sends the packet to the...

Kingdom submissions herald   

-- who, with helpers, checks the submission... [or, depending on where you live, it might go to a regional deputy first on the way to kingdom] puts it with other submissions from all over the kingdom into a packet each month, and sends the packet out for review by...

College of Arms commenters

-- a bunch of volunteer book heralds who look at the submissions and make comments in order to help the...

Sovereigns of Arms*

-- who make final rulings on submissions and appeals. News of the results will get to the...

Kingdom Chronicler

-- who publishes the kingdom newsletter, which might include acceptances and returns of heraldic actions for the populace in the kingdom.

* As of about August 2001, Laurel handles appeals and administration; Pelican handles names, and Wreath handles armory — that is, devices and badges. Actually, I've learned that Pelican has been handling names since 1994 on the history of the SCA College of Arms page.
 

All of these parts need not be filled. None are absolutely necessary to the class, but having more people involved can make the class more interesting and memorable.

 

Act 1 – In which there is a comedy of errors

In this run, the client and herald are both lazy or very busy and meet only once a month. They prefer to do business in person rather than using the mail. Also, things go awry with the submissions that are out of their control. Using the timeline below, the teacher announces the time and what happens. The actors don't need to say a thing if they don't want to. Miming and silent overacting can be entertaining, though, and is encouraged.

The table below describes what happens when and what the actors should do. The teacher will act as the postal carrier (and/or Internet connection for e-mails), or can find a volunteer to do so.

January YEAR 1	Client consults with their local herald (Herald) with ideas for a name and device. Herald has no submissions forms handy — will bring them to next month's meeting.
February	Herald gives copy of submission forms to Client with brief instructions - number of copies, proof of membership and fees.
March	Client gives submission packet to Herald — who accepts it, but doesn't check it.
April	Herald notices Client didn't sign the forms. Meets with Client again, forms signed.
May	Herald files local copy of forms and mails packet to KSH.
June	KSH checks submissions and "returns" both for rule violations. KSH mails notice to local herald and standard report to KC. (Depending on the policy in a given kingdom, a return or acceptance notice could go to the client instead of, or as well as, the submitting herald. For simplicity, we'll say that the notice goes to the local herald — who then has to give the client the good or bad news — unless the client first reads it in the kingdom newsletter or on the SCA Heraldry Web site. More on that later.)
July	Herald consults with Client — giving the bad news. Problems are fixed, new forms prepared. Herald files a revised copy and mails new packet to KSH. KSH checks submissions and they pass. KSH adds them to Letter of Intent (LOI). Oops, the LOI gets misplaced! (The KSH could have an attack of Real Life, or maybe it gets lost in the mail, or both. Here's a chance for some overacting.) KC publishes the kingdom newsletter with KSH's June report.
August	KSH's report in kingdom newsletter lists that Client's name and device were returned at Kingdom in June.
September	Yay! The LOI is found and distributed for commenting for three months. (Teacher can pick a few audience members to make verbal comments, mimic writing or typing, and eventually pass the submission back to the teacher.)
January YEAR 2	Yay! Client's Name is registered. But the LOI had the device blazon wrong. Boo! (Bad KSH, no biskie!) The Letter of Acceptances and Returns (LOAR) lists that Client's device is pended until the May meeting. (This is so that the commenters can check it again.) KSH receives LOAR, mails notice to Herald and standard report to KC.
February	Commenting again for the next three months (that is, through April). KC publishes the kingdom newsletter with KSH's January report.
March	The kingdom newsletter lists Client's name as being REGISTERED in January and device pended until May.
May	Well, phooey. The Wreath Herald lists in the LOAR that Client's device must be returned because it conflicts with a recent registration. KSH mails notice to Herald, report to KC.
June	KC publishes newsletter. Herald consults with Client about the conflict.
July	Client changes device. Herald does research to make sure it is likely to pass. New forms are prepared (more copying), herald keeps copy for local files. Herald mails new packet to KSH. KSH passes device, adds to LOI.
August	College of Arms does commenting through October.
November	Yay! No conflicts this time. LOAR says that Client's device is registered. KSH mails notice to herald, report to KC.
December	KC publishes kingdom newsletter. Herald gives good news to Client.
January YEAR 3	Kingdom newsletter lists that client's device is listed as being REGISTERED in November.

 

This is far from a worst-case scenario. At least one kingdom principal herald who has seen this agreed! The scenario presents just a few ideas of what can go wrong to make the submission process take a lot longer than normal.

The SCA Web site has an archive of Laurel Letters — which includes cover letters, LOARs, and errata letters — going back to 1970!

 

Act 2 – In which the process goes very smoothly

In this run, the herald and client both have a clue!

January	Client consults with Herald on name and device ideas. Herald does research to see which ones are likely to pass — checking that they follow the rules and are free of conflict — and gives recommendations to Client. Client makes final decisions. Herald goes over the forms with Client, giving detailed instructions.
February	Client gives complete submission packet to herald. Herald checks the paperwork. It's fine. Herald mails packet to KSH. KSH passes the submissions and adds them to the LOI.
March	LOI is mailed out for CoA commenting. (Audience activity as above.)
June	The submitted items are registered.
September	The name and device are listed in kingdom newsletter as being REGISTERED in June.

I hope you enjoyed this class guide.

The Web site for Laurel (the Laurel Sovereign of Arms, that is) has an article on
why it takes six to nine months for a submission to be registered.

Also see the end of the main heraldry page on this site for links to
kingdom-specific SCA heraldry sites.

 

Your feedback is most welcome!

 

Click this button to ... or write me at: rwalla _at_ comcast dot net

Original page posted: May 18, 2001. Links tested: September 2, 2007. Last tweaked: July 1, 2006.

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