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"pocket" herald is a new office created under the current Brigantia to denote the office of the head herald of any given reign. Troubadour is no longer no longer holds sway over Royal Court heralding.

And I HATE IT. It gives the impression that other people are not welcome to offer to help; that you need an entree to their staff. It's unfriendly.

This one I really don't know how to react to, seeing as i wasn't around for the old way... Malcolm is the current Pocket. I assume they wanted to relieve the responsibilities of troubadour since in effect troub had to essentially be on duty all the time, running tournaments and also overseeing the court herald.

No idea. This is the first I've heard of it. But I know that during Brion and Anna's reign, we were working very hard to train local folks on how to run court, so that Troubadour would be able to delegate.

Now I don't know why I bothered.

Well, I'm sorry that you had that impression, because it wasn't the case. All people had to do was e-mail me.

Did you tell anyone that? Did anyone know that all they had to do was ask? When we were training local heralds to run courts during Brion and Anna's reign, we made a point to say, "Please, we want the help. We WANT you to read in court. We WANT to teach you to set up dockets." And we got lots of volunteers. I haven't heard ANYTHING like that since 2006. At all. And I've been waiting and listening. Not. A. Peep.

If you'd like a longer historical perspective...

The one consistent thing about court heralds for the crown for as long as I've been involved is that there's no real consistency. One crown prefers their own person, another uses Brigantia or a delegate, another uses locals. There really has been no historical norm in my observation - it continually changes.

As for helping, it's always been my impression in the SCA that if someone was interested in doing a particular thing, they usually went to ask those who were doing it. In that respect, I'm not sure a broadcast is necessary, but that's just my two bits.

No kidding, which is why I said, in essence, "I hope that Edward and Marguerite will be encouraged to use the system we worked so hard to set up three years ago," seeing as how no one has used it since. I'm not new, I've been involved in heraldry for about ten years now, though for whatever reason no one on Brigantia staff seems to know who I am except for Rowen.

What I did not realize, because for some reason it was never publicized, is that this "pocket herald" foolishness had been institutionalized. Had I realized, had it been publicized, I might not have waited around for court heraldry to open up and become welcoming again. I also would have counseled STRONGLY against it.

I'm not new, I've been involved in heraldry for about ten years now, though for whatever reason no one on Brigantia staff seems to know who I am except for Rowen.

Hey! I'm on brigantia staff too.. :(

Okay, him *and* you. Sorry, sweetie.

I'm on Brigantia Staff and have been for more than 15 years! I know who you are.

Heh. Okay, the three of you. :-D But you and Ryan don't talk down to me like I'm new/stupid, either.

Edited 2009-11-02 02:08 (UTC)

Brigantia only very recently began to institutionalise it when he realised the rapidly diminishing chance to reattain the work he'd started when he was Troubadour. Just sayin'. You'll have to call him and mention your frustrations, but I understand he is accessible on matters like this. :-)

Just been waiting for you to pop into chat, darlin'.

Very, very few people feel they can approach Their Majesties' Court Herald (and by that I mean the Chief Herald for the reign) and ask to help. For maybe the last fifteen years or more - you, Ulric, Kenric, Avelina, Ernst, Alys, Adhemar, me - every one with the exception of me has been *at least* a single Peer if not a double peer with a barony.

Thomas, honestly, no one has consistently used locals in 15 years, except during Brion and Anna's and Griffyth and Aikaterine's reigns when I was actively approaching every local herald before each RP and asking them to participate or, in their absence, give me the name of a local voice herald who wished to. I regularly pinged the EKVH list for volunteers. Regretfully, that happened neither before nor consistently has happened since.

Peer fear is a very real thing for many. And, unfortunately, the attitude of "Well, if you'd just asked, I'd have let you" doesn't produce near the sense of welcome and inclusion of "Hey, who out there would like a chance to help?"

It's not EVEN peer fear. You know me; is that ever been a problem for me? It's the perception that TRM have chosen Their Herald for the reign and aren't interested in using strangers. This perception can be easily remedied by saying "Who wants to play? There's plenty to go around," but no one has, for whatever reason.

Edited 2009-11-02 04:41 (UTC)

I'm not inclined to clutter Caitlin's LJ with this discussion. If you actually are interested in hearing what I have to say, you know how to find me.

I posted before reading yours above, and you're quite right: this isn't the place.

OTOH, I have my own account and hereby declare -- because I can -- that both enthusiastic agreement and rotten tomatoes may be deposited there. Whether the problem is functional or perceptual, there is a problem that clearly needs resolution, and we are the ones to resolve it.

Congratulations to you,

msmemory, and to their Highnesses (who once again have shown their wisdom early). Clearly, you need more activities to fill up that empty schedule of yours %^).