Scribe Notes

Volume 4, Number 10



Editorial

Unto the Scribes of the Principality of Lochac does Richard de la Croix send greetings

Good gentles, welcome to another late edition of Scribe Notes (only a couple of weeks). I have found that there is probably not enough happening around the place to warrant an issue every 2 months so henceforth, I'll put them out quarterly.

Unless this suggestion meets with negative remarks, next issue will come out around October-November. That may very well be my last Scribe Notes (more on that later) so I'll try and make it a little special.


Progress Report

There were quite a few original scrolls handed in the last 2½ months (six in all) so well done to those who contributed. It's nice to see that we are working on the backlog of originals as well as pre-printeds.

The recall of assignments over 12 months old has not yet eventuated. This is mainly due to the fact that there really aren't that many of them and work done in the office recently has been of the maintenance variety. I received an updated database from Canon Pursuivant so I've been rather busy trying to reconcile the Herald's information with mine.

I guess this means that those of you who are behind have a chance to catch up and finish that scroll after all.


Crux Australis

I have been informed that most of the scrolls sent to Thomas that I mentioned last time were sealed successfully. They should have been delivered to recipients by now so at last something is progressing according to plan. There were a couple with errors which were not sealed but that's par for the course and these will be corrected if possible when I get them back.

There are still many scrolls that need signing by the Royalty and these will be given priority by me at events I attend at which past royalty are present. On this matter, I have determined that some of the signatures are so unattainable as to warrant the current Prince and Princess to sign and these too will be completed as a matter of urgency.

There is still no luck in obtaining our scrolls back from the West. The previous Chancellor was nothing short of lax in this regard, but hopefully Aldith will do better. I am keeping in touch, but to my knowledge most if not all still over there and just awaiting signatures. I will ask Juana to bring them over when she visits us all as Queen with Jade. I will again endeavour to keep you all posted on this front, but the news is good so far.


Scribes Handbook

Yes that's right, Aldith has completed the latest edition of the West Kingdom College of Scribes' Handbook. I have the document in its native Word Perfect format as well as a converted Word 6.00 document. I have to work out a way to distribute it as yet, and am not certain of the best way to get it to all those who want it.

What I will probably do is compress it and store it on the Scribes WWW site for now for those of you with Internet access. For the others, any suggestions?

The new handbook has quite a lot of great things in it, including all the current wording and achievements for award recipient's scrolls. I will be re-printing part of the handbook in this issue's Feature Article.

As you can see, Mistress Aldith has been busy with other things and so I have been reluctant to pester her with the backlog of scrolls still overseas. I promise to take up the gauntlet once more however and work at her some more.


Congratulations

No-one moved up a rank in the College since last I wrote, although one or two of you are approaching the rank of Scribe as a result of your work on original scrolls (you know who you are). Keep it up folks. We only have around a dozen people at the stage of doing original work and with the rate at which awards are given out they are well and truly over-worked.

Also, if you know of any-one out there who has some ability, tell them to get in touch with me and I'll send them an information package. Alternatively, if, sadly, you no longer want to work for the College let me know so I can take your name off my mailing list. The 45c per issue can be used in more worthy causes. I don't mind sending it to interested parties, but I would rather it didn't get thrown un-opened into the bin.


Workshop

Is any-one interested in a Scribes' Workshop in around 2-3 months? November looks good to me and I'd be more than happy to visit places within a reasonable distance of Rowany.

If anyone has an idea for a get together drop me a note and I'll get in touch.


End of an Era

As I already hinted, my term in the office is almost up. I do not believe in holding on to a position for longer than 3 years. My second year anniversary falls in October of this year, and I am therefore now keen to find a successor. Other things have also prompted the decision to pass the reigns to someone else.

Firstly, my wife is expecting our first child in December. This will undoubtedly place time and financial burdens on the both of us.

Secondly, and probably as much of a demand as the baby will be, Alarice and I are to be the next Baron and Baroness of Rowany. The investiture is to be held on 28th September 1996 (2 months away) and you're all invited.

Thirdly, I am also still in the midst of studying for professional qualifications (as an Actuary) and while this has been manageable until now the other 2 matters listed above make it all that much harder to keep the office.

So, all that aside, I am after a successor. You will have to be agreeable to my Kingdom Superior and the Coronet of Lochac (hopefully this will be a formality but who can say anything for sure these days). Aside from this though, the successful 'candidate' should meet the following criteria.
  1. A willingness to reply to correspondence in a timely manner and to do so diplomatically.
  2. Access to some form of efficient data storage medium (a PC comes to mind). I have tried to keep the database up to date through a great deal of time and effort and would not want to have this fall by the way-side. The current Scribes' database is an Access 2.0 file but this is not essential and I would accept any reasonable suggestions for an alternative.
  3. A good knowledge of the Scribal Arts. You should be an active member of the College and have contributed in some way to its running or output in the past.
  4. A desire to uphold the standards of work and craft for which the Lochac College is renowned.
  5. A conscientious work ethic. Think long and hard on your ability to diligently set aside a few hours a fortnight to answer mail and maintain your records.


If you think this sounds like you, and you are seeking a challenge get in touch by mail or e-mail. A phone call alone will not be acceptable. You should be prepared to put your thoughts down in writing since that's mostly what the job entails. It's called scribing after all not chatting.


Fiscal Matters

Thomas (Crux Australis) is being particularly difficult concerning the financial matters with which I have been keeping you all apprised. The follow-up of this matter will have to be left to my successor. Needless to say I am entirely all too disenchanted with his attitude but I will stop there while I am still reasonably controlled.

I did however manage to get a cheque from him which although now being treated by him as an advance is well and truly in the bank. Hopefully the other matter can be sorted out, but for the moment we have money. One more lot of pre-printed scrolls will be done (around $150) which should set the office up for a couple of years from now.


Mailbox

Mail that is sent to the College of Scribes will be answered either here, or in a personal letter. Generally though, if an issue of Scribe Notes is close to being sent out you will probably find quick replies ending up here. If by some chance you would rather a private reply, just indicate so in your correspondence and the Provost of Scribes will happily oblige.

Frae Fitzalleyne

Frae, I meant to tell you when I saw you at the Ball that I had worked out what happened to the letter you never received. It appears that I printed out an envelope for Cristoval instead of yourself. Being the non-observant thing I can be, I didn't notice and just enclosed your letter.

I only found out when Rhys contacted me around a month ago. So there you go. I really wasn't being slack in writing, just clumsy.

Beatrice Delfini

Thanks for your best wishes recently conveyed through Reynardine. Evelyn's Laurel scroll is currently un-assigned so if you wanted to do it be my guest. She talked to me about this at the Ball d'Argent and seemed over the moon that you had offered.

Let me know when you would like the details and I'll send them along.

Leonie de Grey

Leonie, I was clearing out e-mail from my ozemail address the other day when I came across 2 messages from you. In future, it would be best to e-mail to the DIALix address because I collect and answer this every one or two days.

Anyway in answer to your questions.

I think I'm too late for the Heraldry book you mentioned. Again sorry.

Thanks for the info on Carl's scroll. I will amend my database.

No word on scrolls in the USA yet. I myself have a half dozen or so over there and am therefore keen to get this sorted out. Elspeth and Alfar are going to Pennsic, so I'll see if they can't find out something more.


Feature Article

This issue's Feature Article comes from the new West Kingdom College of Scribes Handbook and is an excerpt from the Heraldry section of the manual. Please note the conventions for use of supporters and crests and the hints on how heraldry should be depicted on scrolls done for the College of Scribes.

Contributors to the Heraldry section in the Handbook were

Good Scribing,

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Written by my hand this Tuesday, July 30 in the year nineteen hundred and ninety-six of the Common Era
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