Announcement Regarding the Royal Talossan College of Arms

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Announcement Regarding the Royal Talossan College of Arms

Over recent years, we have observed the quietude of this great College with dismay.  For many years, Talossans of every stripe delighted in seeking a grant of arms, and for many it was one of the formative moments for their life as a new Talossan.  They found their people and they were given the opportunity to choose important symbols for themselves as they added this laurel to their identity -- a visible new sign of belonging to their new community.

Even further, the process of obtaining arms was a boon for the whole nation.  Seeking out the College and engaging in the process required detailed conversations about ideals and history.  For many Talossans, the conversation has been among the first few chats they've enjoyed with their compatriots, and it was often a chance for the country to get to know each new immigrant a bit better.  Flush with success, the honoured citizen might turn their attention to some other aspect of civic life.  All profited from the process, and we are the poorer for its diminishment.

In the coming days, the Crown will turn its attention to assisting the leaders and members of the College to reform and reinvigorate their ranks.  No one shall lose their place in the College; that's not something that's done.  But we will be acting promptly to show Talossans a revitalized Royal College of Arms.  We all owe it to each other and to our nation.

              —  Sir Alexandreu, Rexhaint d'Ian Regeu

[Açafat del Val]

Hear, hear!

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I plan on moving forward with these goals.  As I said, I don't think anyone should lose their place, since that isn't done.  But that doesn't mean we can't grant emeritus status to more of our serving staff and improve the active-facing look of the College as we start to pick up steam again.

Accordingly, I'd like to check if any of the following members of the College are still actively interested in assisting people.  If not, I propose moving them to an emeritus status in appreciation of their fine efforts.

   
• The Penzance Pursuivant, Sir Mick Preston, UrN
• The Mellow Fellow, @owenedwards
• The Jolly Good Fellow, Alèxandreu Soleighlfred

[King Txec]

I plan on moving forward with these goals.  As I said, I don't think anyone should lose their place, since that isn't done.  But that doesn't mean we can't grant emeritus status to more of our serving staff and improve the active-facing look of the College as we start to pick up steam again.

Accordingly, I'd like to check if any of the following members of the College are still actively interested in assisting people.  If not, I propose moving them to an emeritus status in appreciation of their fine efforts.

   
• The Penzance Pursuivant, Sir Mick Preston, UrN
• The Mellow Fellow, @owenedwards
• The Well-Met Fellow, @Cresti da Ion Nouacastra-Läxhirescu, MSC
• The Jolly Good Fellow, Alèxandreu Soleighlfred

I believe it is a safe bet to place Sir Mick on emeritus status, as he retired from Talossa quite a long time ago. The Jolly Good Fellow is an apprentice level fellowship in the College, and if its present occupant is still holding it after all this time, he should also be placed into emeritus status. We also should create a fellowship for those fellows who have not advanced in rank, such as the Jolly Good Fellow, so that the apprentice level fellowship he currently occupies can be freed for future applicants to the Royal College. As for the Mellow Fellow and the Well-Met Fellow, we will have to wait and see what their desires are.

Txec dal Nordselva
The Kingsbridge Pursuivant

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I figure we wait a fortnight and see if any of these fine folks are indeed still interested.  If so, no change.  If not, then they all go to emeritus status -- a status that can be reversed at any time and which doesn't affect their ability to jump in and offer advice or help.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Unrelatedly, I have wikified our rules: http://wiki.talossa.com/Rules_of_Heraldry

No content was changed, but there are some changes I'd suggest we could make -- most specifically, by simplifying the whole thing.  There's no real need for it to be subdivided so much.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I have transferred over from the old board the instructions about requesting arms.  I hope that it is okay I made two changes: I replaced the long explanation of some of the rules with a link to the wiki page about them, and I simply removed the entire passage about which gender gets which shape.  That seems a little dated at this point, and doesn't have any basis in traditional heraldic practice as far I could tell, since the shape of the shield is a cosmetic choice and not discussed in the blazon.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

No one seems to be bothered by the change, which is good. I'm going to draft a concentrated and less chopped up version of what is currently there, next. Shouldn't take much. I will ask for approval afterwards before it goes live.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Okay, I took a first pass at consolidating the rules and reorganizing them.  There was a lot of repetition and the organization didn't make any sense to me.  I also added some info about badges and banners.  Right now it's on the talk page:  http://wiki.talossa.com/Talk:Rules_of_Heraldry

I'll fiddle with the formatting a bit more, and simplify a bit more. A couple of the sections are a bit too long and need subheadings, and some categories need to be made into lists. But anyone have any thoughts thus far?

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I further propose that that earlier list of the inactive has stood for a long time, and we should act with some common sense about these inactive folks, and be a bit more consistent. We should create the unnamed positions of Fellow emeritus and Pursuivant emeritus.  Heralds should probably be permitted to keep their titles for life, even when moved to an emeritus status, as now.  Then we should make the following changes:

The Odd Fellow, Iustì Canun, should be stripped of all office and privilege, and he should be formally ejected from the College and stricken from its rolls.

The former Lookout Fellow, Sir Tamorán dal Navâ, UrN, the former Long Fellow, Davíu Lundescu, the former Well-Met Fellow, Tímoþi Asmourescu, and the former Oblivious Auditing Fellow, Pôl d'Aurìbuérg, should all be appointed as Fellows emeritus.  They are welcome to return and assume a named position at any time (assuming they are Talossan citizens at the time).

The Mellow Fellow, Owen Edwards, and the Jolly Good Fellow, Alèxandreu Soleighlfred, should all be moved from their positions and appointed as Fellows emeritus.

The Penzance Pursuivant, Sir Mick Preston, UrN should be moved from his position and appointed as Pursuivant emeritus.

[King Txec]

I further propose that that earlier list of the inactive has stood for a long time, and we should act with some common sense about these inactive folks, and be a bit more consistent. We should create the unnamed positions of Fellow emeritus and Pursuivant emeritus.  Heralds should probably be permitted to keep their titles for life, even when moved to an emeritus status, as now.  Then we should make the following changes:

The Odd Fellow, Iustì Canun, should be stripped of all office and privilege, and he should be formally ejected from the College and stricken from its rolls.

The former Lookout Fellow, Sir Tamorán dal Navâ, UrN, the former Long Fellow, Davíu Lundescu, the former Well-Met Fellow, Tímoþi Asmourescu, and the former Oblivious Auditing Fellow, Pôl d'Aurìbuérg, should all be appointed as Fellows emeritus.  They are welcome to return and assume a named position at any time (assuming they are Talossan citizens at the time).

The Mellow Fellow, Owen Edwards, the Well-Met Fellow, Cresti d. I. Nouacastra, and the Jolly Good Fellow, Alèxandreu Soleighlfred, should all be moved from their positions and appointed as Fellows emeritus.

The Penzance Pursuivant, Sir Mick Preston, UrN should be moved from his position and appointed as Pursuivant emeritus.

I'd also like to see that the title of The Odd Fellow is never able to be used again by any future fellow.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I further propose that that earlier list of the inactive has stood for a long time, and we should act with some common sense about these inactive folks, and be a bit more consistent. We should create the unnamed positions of Fellow emeritus and Pursuivant emeritus.  Heralds should probably be permitted to keep their titles for life, even when moved to an emeritus status, as now.  Then we should make the following changes:

The Odd Fellow, Iustì Canun, should be stripped of all office and privilege, and he should be formally ejected from the College and stricken from its rolls.

The former Lookout Fellow, Sir Tamorán dal Navâ, UrN, the former Long Fellow, Davíu Lundescu, the former Well-Met Fellow, Tímoþi Asmourescu, and the former Oblivious Auditing Fellow, Pôl d'Aurìbuérg, should all be appointed as Fellows emeritus.  They are welcome to return and assume a named position at any time (assuming they are Talossan citizens at the time).

The Mellow Fellow, Owen Edwards, the Well-Met Fellow, Cresti d. I. Nouacastra, and the Jolly Good Fellow, Alèxandreu Soleighlfred, should all be moved from their positions and appointed as Fellows emeritus.

The Penzance Pursuivant, Sir Mick Preston, UrN should be moved from his position and appointed as Pursuivant emeritus.

I'd also like to see that the title of The Odd Fellow is never able to be used again by any future fellow.

Yes, you're right. If you don't have any objection to any of the rest of this, should we see what the Dean or SKA thinks?

[Mic’haglh Autófil, O.Be]

Okay, I took a first pass at consolidating the rules and reorganizing them.  There was a lot of repetition and the organization didn't make any sense to me.  I also added some info about badges and banners.  Right now it's on the talk page:  http://wiki.talossa.com/Talk:Rules_of_Heraldry

I'll fiddle with the formatting a bit more, and simplify a bit more. A couple of the sections are a bit too long and need subheadings, and some categories need to be made into lists. But anyone have any thoughts thus far?

I think it feels much easier to read. Well done.

I further propose that that earlier list of the inactive has stood for a long time, and we should act with some common sense about these inactive folks, and be a bit more consistent. We should create the unnamed positions of Fellow emeritus and Pursuivant emeritus.  Heralds should probably be permitted to keep their titles for life, even when moved to an emeritus status, as now.  Then we should make the following changes:

The Odd Fellow, Iustì Canun, should be stripped of all office and privilege, and he should be formally ejected from the College and stricken from its rolls.

The former Lookout Fellow, Sir Tamorán dal Navâ, UrN, the former Long Fellow, Davíu Lundescu, the former Well-Met Fellow, Tímoþi Asmourescu, and the former Oblivious Auditing Fellow, Pôl d'Aurìbuérg, should all be appointed as Fellows emeritus.  They are welcome to return and assume a named position at any time (assuming they are Talossan citizens at the time).

The Mellow Fellow, Owen Edwards, the Well-Met Fellow, Cresti d. I. Nouacastra, and the Jolly Good Fellow, Alèxandreu Soleighlfred, should all be moved from their positions and appointed as Fellows emeritus.

The Penzance Pursuivant, Sir Mick Preston, UrN should be moved from his position and appointed as Pursuivant emeritus.

I'd also like to see that the title of The Odd Fellow is never able to be used again by any future fellow.

I'm for all of the above, though while I am familiar now with the background, I do question whether it is better to never use the title again, or to reclaim it. Could go either way, I guess.

- TLF

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

We could probably do what Rouge Elephant advises now, and if in some future year we want to redeem the fellowship, we can do that. Would that work?

[Mic’haglh Autófil, O.Be]

We could probably do what Rouge Elephant advises now, and if in some future year we want to redeem the fellowship, we can do that. Would that work?

Sounds like a fair compromise to me! 100% on board with the damnatio memoriae of the previous fellowship holder, for reference.

- TLF

[King Txec]

I'm good with the changes in the rules, as well as the shifts in personnel. Let's approach the SKA.

-REH

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I emailed him. He has not been very active in a while, but as we've seen that can all change as people get interested in involved again. Maybe this will be the thing that does it for him!

-NRH

[Þon Txoteu É. Davinescu, O.SPM]

@Baron Alexandreu Davinescu ,
I wanted to take a moment and thank you for spearheading this refreshment of one of the more important cultural elements on the Kingdom. We haven't always seen eye to eye on issues, but I do know you are passionate about this nation and I appreciate your efforts with the College. Well done sir!

Gen. Txoteu É. Davinescu, O.SPM
Seneschal of Talossa

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Dean says that the rules consolidation seems fine to him, but that he's less sure about the staffing changes since he thinks maybe only heralds should get emeritus status.  Not sure if he's made up his mind, quite?  Either way, going to move the rules changes over to live.  I think this is actually the first refresh and update to the arms process in... what, fifteen years or so?  Pretty happy to be moving forward with it, either way, and glad this place is humming again.

-NRH

[King Txec]

I'm thinking also that major changes or staffing decisions such as emeritus, movement from Fellow to Pursuivant to Herald could be more formalized. This is a college, after all, so perhaps some system of voting for future shifts? Just an idea.

-REH