19 January 2005

Report: Monthly to Kingdom

Greetings unto Ibrahim and Ileana, Sultan and Sultana of the Outlands, Mistress Leah de Montgomerie, Outlands Seneschal, the Outlands College of Heralds, and to all others who come by these letters, from Lady Sorcha MacLeod, White Stag Principal Herald!

My apologies for the sparseness of this report. To encourage more detailed Domesday reports, and because there was very little heraldic activity in the month of December, I permitted local heralds to roll their December reports into their Domesdays. Some few sent regular December reports anyway, for which I applaud them. I have taken on the Rampart duties as of the first of January, and it is taking a great deal of work to keep things moving smoothly. I expect February to be less hectic.

Specific issues:

• I have received a new copy of my warrant from the Laurel files, and will be getting copies in the mail to the Crown and Kingdom Seneschal before the end of the month.
• There have been some issues with payments to Laurel and to the Heraldic Packet Service (Squidpak), and steps are being taken to resolve those issues. Communication had improved from the Exchequer office, but it seems to have fallen off again.
• I await feedback on suggested updates to the pertinent sections of Kingdom Policy to the Crown and Kingdom Seneschal for review, and to the Kingdom Exchequer for review of the financial policy, sent 14 July 2004. I have re-sent this information to the Crown and Mistress Leah for perusal on 17 October 2004. Having had a back-to-back Crown and Coronation, I have assumed this minor bit of housekeeping lost among more pressing business, and have therefore re-sent on 19 November 2004 to both the new Crown and Kingdom Seneschal.
• Vacancies in kingdom staff: Fretty Herald (CoA commenter), Stag’s Attire Herald (title currently not in use). Liber Pursuivant has been officially upgraded to Liber Herald, as a CoA commenter, and the title has been given to Herr Conrad von Zollern pending Laurel's approval of his appointment. Herr Conrad is taking the initial steps to become a CoA commenter.

Current activities:

• Updating Kingdom Policy pertaining to heralds. Goal: 15 July. Updates submitted for review 14 July, 17 October, and 19 November.
  Awaiting feedback.
• Informational/Educational articles for Outlandish Herald. Goal: Each month.
  Meeting goal.
• Informational/Educational posts to Outlands-heralds list. Goal: Each week minimum.
  Exceeding goal.
• Lord AEthelwulf issued a field heraldry challenge on 27 September, developed between himself and Master Adam Stedefast, by which heralds may earn points toward a prize set to be given at Known World Heralds and Scribes held July 22- 24. Heralds may earn points by performing any of a number of field heraldry tasks, including heralding rounds, working as a personal herald for a specific fighter or fighters in processional, and participating in the weekly field challenge on the Outlands-heralds yahoogroup. AEthelwulf has been on hiatus over the year-end holidays, but expects to restart those challenges soon. Heralds with suggestions for challenges should contact him at plover@outlandsheralds.org.
• In addition to my normal duties, I have been assisting the Laurel team in the initial mark-up of Letters of Intent and Letters of Comment.
• KWHS 2005 will be hosted by the Baronies of Unser Hafen and Caer Galen. I am handling organizing the heraldry track of classes. My duties as webminister for that event have been assumed by THLady Alia Marie de Blois. The website for this event is at: http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/kwhs/KWHSWebpage.html
• A joint effort to improve education among the heralds of the kingdom was launched by Master Balthazar, Weel Herald, and myself in mid-December. We will be revisiting this topic over the next few months, and implementing some of the suggestions we have received. This begins the second phase of my three-part goal for my tenure.

Reports

December reports were not required.

Administrivia:

Finances are in the hands of the Kingdom Exchequer. White Stag reports to the Exchequer each month on checks received for which groups, submitters, and items, and requests payment to Laurel for submissions likewise itemized.

My emergency deputy is THLady Alia Marie de Blois, as Palmer Herald.

In service and in duty,
Sorcha White Stag