Information for Local Heralds

Reports are due on the 7th of each month to the reporting deputy.
(Viscountess Gwynna Emrys. Email: darcie [at] hughes [dot] net)

Policy enacted November 2007.

What's on this page?

What the populace can ask you for

Beacon’s expectations

Submission and report forms

Mentor program

Some articles on how to do the job

What the Populace Can Ask You For

Help with researching, designing, and preparing a submission for a name, device, or badge
Help with correcting the online awards database and kingdom order of precedence
Contact another SCA herald on their behalf

Beacon’s Expectations for Local Officers

Adapted from Mistress Amicia Readyman, September 2007

Be an active member of your group. This means attending meetings as often as possible. Your schedule should allow you to regularly attend the business meetings of your group - or right now probably isn't a good time to be a local officer. This would also mean supporting your group's events and other activities such as class nights, dance practice and perhaps even hanging out at fighter practice ocassionally. The key to this expectation is that the members of your group have the chance to see you and talk with you about matters heraldic.
Report the activity of your group each month to the designated kingdom officer. It is also my recommendation that you always copy your seneschal on your report.
Be a paid member of the SCA. This should be a requirement to hold a local office.
It would also be nice if you were a member of the meridies-heralds Yahoo Group. This isn't required, but it is very helpful, especially for new heralds.

Some additional suggestions

Be responsible for all heraldic services of your local group's gatherings (meetings, practices, demos, and events)
Work well with your fellow officers

Submission and Report Forms

Master Alexander's Heraldry Submission Tracking Site for Meridies

Mentor Program

Posted on the meridies-heralds email list on July 21, 2007.

The Meridian College of Heralds is putting together a mentor program, and we are looking for mentors to help out.

Many are the new heralds who have little idea of what they have been volunteered for/drafted into. A new herald has a lot of questions, and very frequently does not know who to ask. The mentor program will help give someone to contact, someone to ask, someone to help out.

When new heralds first introduce themselves to Beacon, they will be assigned a mentor. The mentor will be available to help out with the questions a new herald has. A mentor herald does not have to know everything about heraldry, but should be familiar with the various aspects, and be willing to help find the answers.

First contact should be arranged by two weeks from assignment, and can be in any way they find mutually agreeable. Mentoring should run about six months, depending on how both feel it is going. At some point in that timeframe, the two should meet face to face. This interaction will help the new herald, and the college greatly. At the end of the mentoring period, each will be asked to review how things went, which will help continually improve the program.

Please consider being a mentor. One of the goals is to have a number of mentors around the kingdom so that new heralds and mentors can be geographically close to each other. You do not have to be currently in office to be a mentor, just willing to help out.

For more information or to get involved, contact the Torch Herald, Master Alexander Ravenscroft.

Email: torch [at] meridies.org ... or see the Regnum in Popular Chivalry.

Some Articles on How to Do the Job

These are all from The Rotunda.

Duties of local SCA heralds
An "ideal" procedure for processing SCA heraldry submissions
An interactive class on the SCA heraldry submission process ... or ... "Armorial or Bust!"
(Note, the page hasn't yet been updated to include the role of OSCAR)
Field Heraldry and Its Finer Points
Some advice for the aspiring SCA court herald
An interactive class on SCA court heraldry
Some ideas on how to be a better local SCA herald

Many of these pages also have links to similar articles by other people.

There are plenty of more articles about heraldry in Lantern's List.

	Home ~ Beacon and Staff ~ Lantern's List
	Information for Local Heralds Reports are due on the 7th of each month to the reporting deputy. (Viscountess Gwynna Emrys. Email: darcie [at] hughes [dot] net) Policy enacted November 2007. What's on this page? What the populace can ask you for Beacon’s expectations Submission and report forms Mentor program Some articles on how to do the job What the Populace Can Ask You For Help with researching, designing, and preparing a submission for a name, device, or badge Help with correcting the online awards database and kingdom order of precedence Contact another SCA herald on their behalf Beacon’s Expectations for Local Officers Adapted from Mistress Amicia Readyman, September 2007 Be an active member of your group. This means attending meetings as often as possible. Your schedule should allow you to regularly attend the business meetings of your group - or right now probably isn't a good time to be a local officer. This would also mean supporting your group's events and other activities such as class nights, dance practice and perhaps even hanging out at fighter practice ocassionally. The key to this expectation is that the members of your group have the chance to see you and talk with you about matters heraldic. Report the activity of your group each month to the designated kingdom officer. It is also my recommendation that you always copy your seneschal on your report. Be a paid member of the SCA. This should be a requirement to hold a local office. It would also be nice if you were a member of the meridies-heralds Yahoo Group. This isn't required, but it is very helpful, especially for new heralds. Some additional suggestions Be responsible for all heraldic services of your local group's gatherings (meetings, practices, demos, and events) Work well with your fellow officers Submission and Report Forms Branch name submission Fieldless badge submission Name submission Device submission Badge submission Master Alexander's Heraldry Submission Tracking Site for Meridies Mentor Program Posted on the meridies-heralds email list on July 21, 2007. The Meridian College of Heralds is putting together a mentor program, and we are looking for mentors to help out. Many are the new heralds who have little idea of what they have been volunteered for/drafted into. A new herald has a lot of questions, and very frequently does not know who to ask. The mentor program will help give someone to contact, someone to ask, someone to help out. When new heralds first introduce themselves to Beacon, they will be assigned a mentor. The mentor will be available to help out with the questions a new herald has. A mentor herald does not have to know everything about heraldry, but should be familiar with the various aspects, and be willing to help find the answers. First contact should be arranged by two weeks from assignment, and can be in any way they find mutually agreeable. Mentoring should run about six months, depending on how both feel it is going. At some point in that timeframe, the two should meet face to face. This interaction will help the new herald, and the college greatly. At the end of the mentoring period, each will be asked to review how things went, which will help continually improve the program. Please consider being a mentor. One of the goals is to have a number of mentors around the kingdom so that new heralds and mentors can be geographically close to each other. You do not have to be currently in office to be a mentor, just willing to help out. For more information or to get involved, contact the Torch Herald, Master Alexander Ravenscroft. Email: torch [at] meridies.org ... or see the Regnum in Popular Chivalry. Some Articles on How to Do the Job These are all from The Rotunda. Duties of local SCA heralds An "ideal" procedure for processing SCA heraldry submissions An interactive class on the SCA heraldry submission process ... or ... "Armorial or Bust!" (Note, the page hasn't yet been updated to include the role of OSCAR) Field Heraldry and Its Finer Points Some advice for the aspiring SCA court herald An interactive class on SCA court heraldry Some ideas on how to be a better local SCA herald Many of these pages also have links to similar articles by other people. There are plenty of more articles about heraldry in Lantern's List.
	Page first posted: Feb. 1, 2008. Site links tested: June 15, 2008. Page last tweaked: July 16, 2008. The address for this page is heraldry.meridies.org/local.php Nothing on this Web site is the official publication of anyone else. Unauthorized use of any material on this Web site for profit is not permitted.