21 December 2005

Report: Monthly to Kingdom

Greetings unto Hrorek and Caoilfhionn, King and Queen of the Outlands, Mistress Leah, Outlands Seneschal, the Outlands College of Heralds, and to all others who come by these letters, from Lady Sorcha MacLeod, White Stag Principal Herald!

Items of note:

• I submitted revisions to kingdom policy pertaining to my office for review and approval on 13 August 2005. The Kingdom Exchequer has found no fault with the financial portion of those policies, and I await word from the Crown and Kingdom Seneschal regarding the sum of my suggested updates - again, because portions of the previous policy are obsolete and because no negative feedback has been received since these were originally submitted over a year ago, the Outlands College of Heralds currently functions under the suggested updates. There has been a peaceful succession to the throne, and I will send copies anew. [NB: I missed doing this last month, having been overly optimistic about my lord husband's recovery. I will endeavor to send these policy updates in the next week or so.]
• Vacancies in kingdom staff: Fretty Herald (CoA commenter).
• Recent mundane issues have somewhat hampered my usual prompt correspondence. I have made arrangements with my staff to redistribute some tasks until I may assume them once more. This has the benefit of allowing some staff members to become familiar with some of the work my office does.

Current activities:

• Updating Kingdom Policy pertaining to heralds. New Goal: 01 February. Updates submitted several times. After several real life sorts of delays all around, this is back on the table.
• Informational/Educational articles for Outlandish Herald by White Stag. Goal: Each month.
  Meeting goal.
• Informational/Educational posts to Outlands-heralds list by White Stag or other senior herald. Goal: Each week minimum.
  Meeting goal, though these past several weeks I have relied heavily on my senior heralds.
• The Second Annual Plover Field Heraldry Challenge began on 1 August. More information can be found at: http://plover.outlandsheralds.org/challenge.html
• The OCoH Web Team continues work on various aspects of the www.outlandsheralds.org website. Portions of the dynamic Wharrow pages are in the testing phase.

Summary of Reports:

Reporting is at an acceptable level, but there is room for improvement. I have given the College the month of December off from reporting, to allow them more time to compose their Domesdays, due 15 January 2006. Reporting for November is a bit shaky, I assume due to the holidays.

Administrivia:

Finances are in the hands of the Kingdom Exchequer. Castle reports to the Exchequer each month on checks received for which groups, submitters, and items, and Rampart requests payment to Laurel for submissions likewise itemized. A budget proposal for 2006 has been made for this office.

In service and in duty,
Sorcha, White Stag