Heralds' Handbook


 
Table of Contents 
I. Introduction, general information
A. Equipment 
B. Resource people within the College of Heralds
C. Reporting 
D. Record keeping 
E. Event Support 
F. Education of the populace 
G. Getting warranted 
H. Some basic heraldry books to have 
I. Sources for UEMA Heraldic Items 

II. Submission heraldry (names and devices)
A. Name and Device Consultation 
B. Outline of the submissions process in the UEMA 
C. Submissions forms 
D. Rights of appeal through you, as local herald
E. Protocol for the local submissions herald 
F. Money handling for local heralds 
G. Commenting 
H. Running a comment meeting 

III. The heraldry of court and ceremonies 
A. Court administration and theory 
B. Philosophy of Court Heraldry 
C. Award Reports 

IV. Rules of precedence and UEMA awards 
A. Heraldic ranks and insignia 
B. Awards and honors 
C. Kingdom arms, badges, flags, ensigns 
D. Heraldry of the UEMA 

V. Field heraldry
A. Basic List Heralding 
B. Advanced List Heralding 
C. Working with the Minister of the Lists 
D. Announcements 
E. Wearing the heraldic colors: what and when 
F. Equipment needed to field herald 
G. Being the Field Herald in charge 
H. Hints on teaching field heralds 

I. Introduction, general information 
This section primarily contains advice for new local heralds. If you are a first-time officeholder, you should read the following section carefully. If you are familiar with the running of an office, the better. 

If there is any good advice for new heralds, it is not to panic. Our policies and rules can be bewildering at times. If you don’t know an answer, that’s perfectly fine. Just remember: be diplomatic. If in doubt, ask your superiors. 

The above advice is given with the knowledge that you have a difficult job. Heralds in the UEMA are frequently seen as practitioners of an arcane art. The rules we quote sometimes seem obscure and arbitrary. Because of this, we heralds are sometimes accused of being obstructionists - telling people what they cannot do, not what they can do. To counter this, you must be diplomatic. You must do your best to put a sympathetic face on what you do. Heraldry can be quite enjoyable for all its participants, including the submitter. Don’t let it be seen as just rulemaking for its own sake. Explain the reasoning behind the rules as best you can, and if you don’t know, say so. 

On the other side, you must always be aware that part of the job of an UEMA herald is to be ceremonial. People join the UEMA to get a sense of tradition and history - real and created. We aid that ambiance, and sometimes that involves following and repeating set litanies (doing something one way because that is “how it has always been done”). A little of this is a good thing - to be encouraged. However, don’t simply quote formulae or hide behind set rules. Especially at a local level, your job is to keep your clients happy by serving their needs. 

Above all, have fun at your job. Heraldry is part of what gives the UEMA its unique color. You can play an important part in putting on “the UEMA show” for others - whether it be by helping to herald on the field or by helping to register arms. 

A. Equipment 
To run the office, you will need some basic supplies. The function of most of these will become apparent as you read on. If you are a herald at-large, you will not possess the local group’s files, but will probably want the rest of these items. 

This handbook- a good start, we hope.
 File storage boxes - hopefully at least one of these is the portable variety, for taking to events.
File folders - plenty of them.
Green wear - Some form of baldric/tabard/cloak, which you will use when heralding. See section IV for details on what is proper for your heraldic rank.
UEMA Law - These are always good to have read.
File Cards - the 3x5 variety work best. These are good to have at tourneys and at court for notes of various kinds.
Clipboard - good for holding notes and file cards.
Scroll case - a portfolio to hold the scrolls, which may come into your care. This is most important if you are a baronial herald and thus often herald courts.
An up-to-date Armorial/Ordinary of the UEMA - This lists by name and by charge all items registered within the UEMA. 

Some basic heraldry books.
Copies of the Who’s Who in the UEMA, Book of Lists, Order of Precedence, Order of the March, etc. 
The group’s heraldic files - These are the channels through which kingdom heralds communicate important information to the locals. You should look back at old herald’s letters to see what has gone on in the past. Likewise, you should keep all the letters, which come into your hands. 

Of course, these are but the basics. A reliable typewriter or word processor is usually helpful. You will need the usual office supplies. Also, there will be other supplies, which may prove useful. 

B. Resource people within the College of Heralds 
The heralds mentioned below are the “resource” people for their particular areas in the UEMA College of Heralds. If you have questions about their area, direct your clients to consult them first. If they cannot assist you, contact Societies Realm Herald, with your questions. 

To send submissions, get information on the status of current submissions, and acquire submission forms: *******.
To get copies of the kingdom Order of Precedence or Order of the March: ******

Send award reports to: ******.
For information on Ceremonies: ******.
For information on and approval of scrolls and scroll texts, and for a copy of the UEMA Scribe’s Handbook: Kingdom Scribe.
For information regarding this Herald’s Handbook, the Heraldic Submissions Handbook and other publications and forms: ******
Assistance for new heralds: ***** 

If any of these positions are vacant, you may contact Societies Realm Herald directly for these resources. 

C. Reporting 
One of your first duties as herald is to file regular reports. Forms can be obtained from the Societies Realm Herald. Email is normally a sufficient medium for reports as well. 

The monthly report is the backbone of the College of Heralds. These reports allow Societies Realm Herald to better judge how the College is doing and what your needs are as a local herald. If you are a herald at-large, you should report at least quarterly to Societies Realm Herald. Reports are due on the 10th day of the month following the month or quarter covered by the report. 

The monthly report should contain all of the following, which apply: 

Official information: your names, mundane and UEMA; your return address (especially if it has changed); the group you serve; the month/quarter covered by the report; and the date the report was written. These pieces of information help Societies Realm Herald filing. 

A list of all submissions sent to the Kingdom Herald during the month, including the name of the submitter and the type of submission (name, device, badge). This helps us to keep track of submissions as they move through the system. 

An accounting of the money, which your office handled. This includes money sent with submissions to kingdom, or any other money, which your office received (reimbursements for books, purchased, cash donations which you made for stamps to your office). For more details, see section II of this handbook. 

The last known status of all submissions, which are “in process,” especially dates when they reached certain milestones. This information helps Societies Realm Herald. Also, it can be digested for a regular “From the Herald” article in your local newsletter, a practice highly encouraged. 

A list of all awards received by your citizens during the month. This list is in addition to any Award Reports (see section III of this handbook, on the heraldry of court and ceremonies), which you submit during the month for courts for which you were herald in charge. 

Any other duties, which you or which heralds in your area may have performed. These may include courts at which you or your staff assisted, lists or demos at which you or your staff heralded, and any newsletter articles written or classes which were held in your area. 

That’s it for the fixed portions of the report. Remember, however, that the report is also a forum for you to ask questions, request information and otherwise communicate with Societies Realm Herald. Use it. These questions may not get answered in individual letters (there simply isn’t time to write all of them), but they will get answered in the Societies Realm Herald Administrative Report. 

Please remember that if nothing happened, you should report and say, “Nothing happened.” At least if you report, you are staying in contact. Also, even if nothing else happened, when your group changes heralds, be especially careful to send a last letter which introduces your successor and gives their name and address, otherwise Societies Realm Herald may lose contact with your group for months while the transition happens. 

D. Record keeping 
The local herald has a duty (as does any local officer) to maintain records for his successor. Some easy advice is to keep copies for the local files of all the correspondence, which you send out. Also, keep the letters which come in from outside. They will be a good reference later. The files always help the next person in office see what you have done and get acquainted with the office. If you don’t keep things for yourself, keep files for them. 

You should keep a filing system, which you find easy to use and which allows you easy reference. You will want to keep files for: 

Reports to Kingdom.
Letters from Kingdom (Letters of Presentation and reports).
Submissions being worked upon but not yet submitted.
Submissions in process somewhere but not yet passed.
Submissions already registered. It is best on all submission forms to note in the dates field when the device achieved the various milestones (passed kingdom, passed Laurel, etc.). This can help in tracking down the status of a submission when it disappears (as some unfortunately do).
Forms.


Orders of precedence and other educational materials. 

Some sources suggest keeping a separate file for each submitter. Others suggest keeping all correspondence to/from Kingdom in the same file, but keeping the Letters of Presentation separate. You will have to find the system; which suits you. Above all, try to be organized and keep track of every piece of paper that comes your way as best you can. 

E. Event Support 
As a local herald, you are herald in charge of most events given by your group. What this means to you is chiefly that if you are not available to herald the event, you need to find others to do so. Ultimately, you are responsible for finding those heralds to meet your group’s needs. Typically, a small tourney needs 2-4 field heralds. Also, if you are a barony, you need to find one or two heralds to herald court (the second is to assist at court). Often, there are people at the event willing to herald. Put out a call at the start of an event. If you are a herald at-large, please volunteer for these duties. 

Although the details are covered elsewhere, here are some basic tips for voice heraldry. First, watch what usually goes on (either on the field or in court) and take notes. For field heraldry, there is a standard litany which one always goes through for announcing fighters. Write this on a note card, if you have to. Read everything; which you have to announce ahead of time. If there are names; which you can’t pronounce, ask the person how (politely). 

Events are also a good time to make your-self available for device consultation and to give out device forms. Take forms with you to events, just in case someone asks for them. By doing this, you are helping keep people interested in heraldry. Don’t simply put them off and tell them that you will give them forms later, as it usually gets forgotten. 

Additionally, for events where awards are given, remember to fill out and send a report to the Kingdom Herald. 

F. Education of the populace 
The topics listed above are simply the minimum; which you should be doing as a local herald (or herald at-large). There are many other things; which you can do to increase the study of heraldry in your area. Some suggestions are: 

Write articles for your local newsletter. These can be on just about any subject. At least, you should have a regular article to communicate when awards are given to group members, or to tell the group of results of their device submissions. This can also include instructional articles on rank, orders, protocol, armory, etc. 

Write new ceremonies for your local group (if you are a barony). Please forward these to the local Herald as well. 

Assist in construction of armorial regalia, such as flags and banners. Contact your arts officer for help in this. 

Construct a “roll of arms” for your group, containing pictures of the arms registered by people in your area. This is a good workout for your local heraldic artists, as well. The Wimble Herald can assist you with data for this project; please also forward a copy to that office. 

Hold symposia or training classes for new heralds. For voice heraldry, you can usually do an informal training session at fighter practice. You can practice the “litany” between bouts, without too much pain. Also, this helps to build up a pool of experienced field heralds (which one always needs). 

Set up a device consultation table at your next event. Usually, consultation is done informally, but if you wish, set up a location with artists and books at hand. You will usually get a flood of interested people. This is a good place to teach, as well. 

G. Getting warranted 
The UEMA College of Heralds uses the Roster system of warrants. That is, you will not receive an individual warrant form. Instead, your name is added to a roster of heralds, which the Crown will sign to approve your appointment. This list is usually presented to the Crown two or three times per reign. Societies Realm Herald publishes a list of rostered heralds, describing their position and term of office (this list is currently published at http://www.unm.edu/~kballar/UEMA.html). To be a warranted member of the College of Heralds, you must fulfill several requirements: 

1. Need to be a member
You must be a paid member of the UEMA to be warranted (rostered). This membership must be maintained throughout your service as a rostered herald. 

2. Need to report
You will not be rostered as a member of the College of Heralds until you have shown yourself able to consistently make regular reports. This is to insure that you will continue to be a functioning member of the College. In addition, should you miss reports three months in a row, you will be considered for removal from the active roster of the College. 

3. Need to set a good example
Although not a requirement, it is strongly suggested that you set a good example for your people by submitting your name and device as soon as possible. 

H. Some basic heraldry books to have 
Although one could (and some have) collect entire libraries of books on heraldry and naming practices, there are certain books; which form a good basic set. The bibliography of Standard References, courtesy of the Kingdom Herald Herald, is listed below. 

Name References
Bulfinch, Thomas. Bulfinch’s Mythology.
Chamber’s Biographical Dictionary.
Daiches, David et al. Penguin Companion to Literature.
Dictionary of National Biography.
Encyclopedia Britannica.
Harvey, Paul ed. Oxford Companion to English Literature.
McLysaght. [Various works on Irish Family names.]
Moore, W.G. Penguin Encyclopedia of Places.
New Century Cyclopedia of Names.
Oxford Classical Dictionary.
Webster’s Biographical Dictionary.
Webster’s Geographical Dictionary.
Wedeck, H.E. Concise Dictionary of Medieval History.
Withycombe. The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names. 

Armory References
Alfgar the Sententious. Fabulous Heraldry.
Balfour-Paul, James. Ordinary of Arms in Scotland [Lyon I].
Boutell, C. Boutell’s Heraldry.
Brault, Gerald J. Early Blazon.
Brooke-Little, J.P. An Heraldic Alphabet.
Chesshyre and Woodcock, The Dictionary of British Arms, Volume I [The “new 
Papworth”].
D’Ormonde, Herveus, Combined Ordinary of various small ordinaries.
Foster, Joseph. The Dictionary of Heraldry: Feudal Coats of Arms and Pedigrees.
Fox-Davies, A.C. The Art of Heraldry.
Fox-Davies, A.C. The Complete Guide to Heraldry.
Fox-Davies, A.C. Heraldic Badges.
Franklyn, Julian. Shield and Crest.
Friar, Stephen. A New Dictionary of Heraldry.
Gayre, Robert. Heraldic Cadency.
Gough, Henry, and James Parker. A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry.
Hawley, W.M., and Kei Mon Chappelear. The Japanese Family Crest.
Innes of Learney, Thomas. Scots Heraldry.
Louda, Jiri, and Michael Maclagan. Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe.
MacDermot, Alison. Public Heraldry: An Ordinary of the Civic and Corporate Heraldry of England.
Moncreiffe, Ian, and Don Pottinger. Simple Heraldry.
Neubecker, Ottfried. Heraldry: Sources, Symbols and Meaning.
Papworth, John W. Papworth’s Ordinary of British Armorials.
Reed of Robertland, David. An Ordinary of Arms, Volume II, 1902-1973 [Lyon II].
Rietstap, J.B., Armorial G,n,ral.
Rothery, Guy Cadogan. Concise Encyclopedia of Heraldry.
Scott-Giles, C.W. The Romance of Heraldry.
Smith, Whitney. Flags: Through the Ages and Across the World.
Vuong Manh. A Military Ordinary.
Von Volborth, Carl-Alexander. Heraldry: Customers, Rules and Styles.
Woodwad, John, and George Burnett. Woodward’s Treatise on Heraldry British and Foreign.

Sources for UEMA Heraldic Items
Prince James von Baden; Kingdom of Wolf Haven
II. Submission heraldry (names and devices)
One of your functions as local herald is the processing of device submissions. Especially if you are new to heraldry, keep in mind that you are not expected to know everything about heraldry to process submissions. There is a natural tendency to hold on to submissions until you are “sure” that they will pass. Try to resist that urge. If you need to direct the submitter to another herald (perhaps one of the kingdom-level deputies, or to a pursuivant at large) for some consulting help, do so. Of course, if the submitter is from your area, he should eventually send the device through you. This is good protocol and helps to keep the bookkeeping straight. If there is a submissions commentary meeting in your area, this is also a good place to get “committee” advice on device design. Take the submissions (or the submitter, or both) on which you are working with you to such meetings - they usually can give helpful advice. 

If all else fails, rather than holding on to a submission, send a letter to the kingdom submissions herald, asking for advice on the submission. He can give his informal opinion, or direct you to some other herald, or to the research material which you need. 

In general, you should submit names and devices as soon as you can. If you need to wait for the next populace meeting to get payment, that is acceptable. If you are holding submissions until you have a group of them to submit, or until you send out your monthly report, this is acceptable, but you should not hold them longer than one reporting period. 

A. Name and Device Consultation
If you decide to help submitters yourself, there are several steps which will make your life easier, and which will help the process along. 

When someone comes to you asking about a device, the first thing to do is to give them a set of forms, and any instructions which you have. Don’t put them off. Have your submissions forms at events, in case someone wants them. Instruct the client on the fees which they must pay. Especially, get them started on documenting their name. This is frequently a sticking point for a submission (especially if the name is difficult to document). If you can, try to get the person to sit down right there to sketch some basic device ideas. 

As you discuss the submission, try to find out which parts (colors, charges) are essential and which can be changed. Often, this paves the way for making changes in case of conflict. Give the client some basic rules of heraldry such as no color on color. If the submission appears too complex, try to suggest ways to simplify it. An unheraldic device usually has some sort of persona story or symbolism behind it. Try to instruct the client that being hereditary, most arms did not particularly represent the person who bore them; this will help to get rid of “resume heraldry.” 

Above all, give the submitter a good reason for your opinions. The essence of what makes a device “heraldry” are simplicity and good contrast. This is easily justified. Heraldry in the Middle Ages served a purpose on the battlefield. If it couldn’t be identified easily, a device served no purpose. 

If you have the books with you, do a preliminary conflict check to try to determine whether the submission is likely to conflict. Note any potential conflicts which you find, so you don’t have to repeat your research later. 

B. Outline of the submissions process in the UEMA
Once the forms are filled out, what happens? The forms are sent to the Kingdom Herald (in January, for example). The Kingdom Herald summarizes to the local heralds all the submissions received within the last submission period in his Letter of Presentation (February). 

Once comments are given on that letter (by the end of March), all those items which are passed at kingdom are sent in the Letter of Intent to the College of Arms (April). Those items which are returned at kingdom are so noted in the Letter of Response from Kingdom Herald (April). The local herald should read this letter carefully to determine whether a submission has been returned, in order to notify your clients. 

The UEMA College of Arms, which includes heralds from all over the known world, is allowed four months to make commentary and rebuttals on the submissions contained in the Letter of Intent. Once the College of Arms has commented, Laurel compiles these responses and uses them to make decisions on the submission contained on the Letter of Intent (August Laurel meeting). Once he has ruled, Laurel notifies the College of Arms (which includes Societies Realm Herald and Kingdom Herald) of his decisions in a Letter of Acceptance and Return. The Kingdom Herald then sends letters to each client and their local heralds regarding the outcome of their submissions. These submission status letters are usually sent by the middle of the following month (September, in this example). 

The Societies Realm Herald publishes the names and devices that were registered in an official report in the Outlandish Herald. 

C. Submission forms
You can register your name alone before registering a device. If you are registering a name only, then only send in the name form. When your client has settled on a device, then send in the device registration form only. This should cut your paperwork down and your copy fees. Note that you cannot submit a device or badge unless you either have already registered an UEMA name, or are concurrently sending in a name submission. New name, device and badge submission forms were created and released by Laurel.Contact Societies Realm Herald, Kingdom Herald for copies of these forms. 

For a name submission, four complete copies of the Name Registration Form and documentation should be made. The submitter keeps one of these, one remains with the local herald, and two are sent to Kingdom Herald. 

For a device/badge submission, three copies of a line drawing and five color copies should be made. When coloring, please do not use metallic paint to indicate argent and Or. The white of the paper will serve for argent, and a brilliant golden yellow should be used for Or. Please also do not use colored pencils. A good set of standard Crayola™ markers is ideal for coloring in submission forms. Laurel has returned submissions in the past for being the wrong shade of their intended tincture. 

A line drawing does not strictly mean black and white; “Even if a field or charge on the armory is tinctured sable (black), that part should not be colored-in in black on the line drawing.” One copy of the line drawing and one color copy should be kept by the submitter; one of each remains with the local herald; and the remaining one line drawing and three color copies of the armory form are sent to Kingdom Herald. 

Any submission (name, device, badge) costs the submitter $3.00, of which the local herald keeps $1.00 for costs, and sends $2.00 to the Kingdom Herald Herald. Make checks to: UEMA- UEMA College of Heralds. The best course of action is to collect fees from your submitters, turn them over to the local reeve, and have one large check made out to the College of Heralds by the reeve. 

D. Rights of appeal through you, as local herald
Don’t sit on submissions. Remember that, regardless of your opinions on a particular item, the client always has the right to appeal your decision to a higher level (all the way through Kingdom and Laurel to the Board of Directors if necessary). If you have let your client know that the item is unlikely to pass, you have done your job. If they still insist on submitting, your job is then to stand behind that submission and to defend it as best you can. Let your clients know that they have this right. The more you are helpful to them, the happier you both will be, and it will take some heat off of you in the long run. 

E. Protocol for the local submissions herald
You should always encourage submitters to submit through the herald of their own local group if convenient. This helps to keep the communication lines straight, since the kingdom herald can then be sure that the herald from group X knows something about the submissions from that group. As stated above, if someone else helps to prepare the submission, that is acceptable, but be careful: feelings can easily be hurt if a group’s herald feels that he is being bypassed. 

F. Money handling for local heralds
The Kingdom of the UEMA has certain financial policies which it obeys to avoid trouble with the mundane authorities. The College of Heralds is covered in these policies: 

“Device submission fees are handled by the College of Heralds. 

Fees which are collected by the local herald and are subsequently passed on to the Kingdom College of Heralds office must be reported to the local treasurer as local income. That portion of the moneys which are passed on to the Societies Realm Herald are recorded as funds transferred to another UEMA group within the Kingdom. Local heralds must report the amount of their share of the device submission fees that they spend as expenses. If any of the local herald’s share remains unspent on legitimate expenses, it must be reported as cash on hand. The local heralds do not need to report funds which they donate to purchase supplies, or postage, for the purpose of supporting their office. They do, however, need to report funds which they use to purchase these items and for which they expect the local group to reimburse them. 

Complete records, receipts, etc., need to be maintained of all financial transactions and copies need to be forwarded to either the local Reeve (from the local herald) or to the Chancellor of the Exchequer from the Societies Realm Herald. 

No UEMA moneys, including the submission fees for the College of Heralds, may ever go through any personal bank account. The IRS calls this “laundering” and considers it to be fraud. The local herald has three choices to accomplish the transfer of funds to Societies Realm Herald: 1. If it is possible, the cash may be hand-carried and given to Societies Realm Herald. Cash must not be sent through the postal system unless registered mail is used; 2. The funds may be deposited with the local Reeve who then makes a check, in the appropriate amount, payable to UEMA – UEMA College of Heralds; or 3. The funds may be converted into a money order. In all cases, that portion of the moneys which are passed on to the Societies Realm Herald are recorded (by the local treasurer) as funds transferred to another UEMA group within the Kingdom. [Note that in all three cases, the local Reeve extracts the local herald’s share of the moneys and places it in a group checking account.] 

The Kingdom Treasurer will correlate the reports of the local Reeves against the report from the Societies Realm Herald, at regular intervals. Discrepancies will be reported to the Societies Realm Herald, to the Kingdom Seneschal, and the Seneschal(2) of the discrepant group(s).” 

Kingdom of the UEMA – Financial Policy (rev. June 1988) 

What this policy means to the local heralds is that: 

1) Submission money, which is received in cash, must be turned over to the Reeve without passing through your personal checking account. Better still, you can have the submitter pay the local Reeve directly, so the money never touches your hands. 

2) The local herald must keep a record, which goes into your monthly report, of all income (submissions fees given to your Reeve) and expenses (postage, copying costs, books, submission fees sent from your Reeve to Societies Realm Herald). 

3) When you spend money on the office for which you expect to be reimbursed by the group, you must record this money in your ledgers (and keep receipts of your expenses so that you may be reimbursed). If you do not expect to be reimbursed, the money you spend is not recorded. 

G. Commenting
The Kingdom Herald sends out a Letter of Presentation summarizing all of the submissions which have been received by his office in that presentation period. For further details, please see The Kingdom of the UEMA Heraldic Submissions Handbook, available from the Pursuivant. Part of the submissions process is for the Kingdom Herald to solicit comments from the local heralds on submissions sent to kingdom. This section covers why you should send such a letter and what should be in one. 

It is strongly encouraged that you form a group in your area, which will regularly research, and comment on the Letter of Presentation. The research, which you do, is used by Kingdom Herald to decide whether a device is passed or returned. Commentary on devices is one of the best ways to educate yourself and others on how “book” heraldry works in the UEMA. 

The first question, which you will ask yourself, is why you should comment at all. After all, you might say, what do I know which the kingdom herald doesn’t? Well, the answers are several. First, the kingdom heralds can’t be everywhere at once. There will be blazon changes or conflict calls which only one-person spots. Second, you may have access to research materials; which the kingdom herald doesn't have. Finding new research materials is a great help to the College of Heralds at large. Third, you may have special knowledge (of a foreign language, perhaps); which the kingdom herald needs. Last, the comment process is a good vehicle for teaching other heralds (both in your group and elsewhere). In short, your comments are valuable, and you are strongly encouraged to give them. 

The commenting period is started when the Letter of Presentation is sent to the local herald. The local herald is then expected to respond (usually within a month) with a comment letter. 

When the Letter of Presentation comes, what should you do? First, don’t throw it away. Read it over. Make sure that all the submissions, which you sent to kingdom, are there. The letter will state by what date comments are due. Try to schedule your comments or your comment meeting accordingly. 

H. Running a comment meeting
The comment meeting is usually a regularly scheduled event (once per month). If possible, it should take place at the local library (so you are close to your reference materials) or at someone’s home (yours if convenient). Rarely do you need a large meeting hall. You will need to provide drawing materials (often you need to draw an emblazon to check for visual conflicts). It is a nice touch to provide eat and drink for your heralds (heralding is hungry work). Of course, you should bring any reference books which you own, especially the UEMA Ordinary and Armorial. 

The meeting usually proceeds by having the group check the listed submissions one by one. If you are pressed for time, you can skip the submissions; which seem uncontroversial. The group should evaluate the following: 

Conflicts: You should check whether the name conflicts with famous figures of history or fiction or conflicts with the name of another person in the UEMA. The device, likewise, should be checked for conflict against both UEMA arms and mundane arms. What constitutes a conflict is described in the UEMA Rules for Submissions, but the interpretation of those rules is not always clear-cut (that’s what the commentors are for). Please refer to The Kingdom of the UEMA Heraldic Submissions Handbook for more details on conflict research. 

Name (and device) documentation: Is the source of the name clear? You should cite any sources; which you have which document whether the name/device elements were used in period (pre-1600), and whether the grammar of the name is properly formed. Again, rules for name formation are described in the UEMA Rules for Submissions. 

Stylistic problems with the device: Is the device properly formed (e.g. does it violate basic rules like color on color)? Is the device simple in style (this is always a judgment calls) and easy to distinguish across the tourney field? A good way to see if the form is simple is to hold up the emblazon (the drawing): can you identify the parts from across the room? Does the device contain out- of-period objects (no automobiles allowed) or styles? 

Matters of Taste: These are covered in the UEMA Rules for Conflict under Offensive Armory. If flagrant, offensiveness is a valid reason for rejecting a device. This can be overused, however; be conservative in calling a device offensive. For one thing, the name/device must be offensive to the general populace, not just to heralds. For another, your tastes may not be the same as others’. Strive to reject only things which all could agree would provoke genuine hostility or revulsion. This as opposed to those things which are merely in poor taste, or make the bearer alone look stupid. The College of Arms has an informal rule for the latter called the Law of Toyota: “You asked for it, you got it.” If the submitter really wants to be stuck carrying a shield with something tasteless on it, that’s his choice. 

Once your meeting has been held, you need to write a comment letter containing the “minutes” of the meeting. This should summarize concisely and in an easy to read format the research which your group did. Also, try to exercise a bit of editorial control over the group. Not all comments made during a comment meeting are suitable for publication. 

The format of the letter should be as follows: 

State (at the top of the comment letter) who you are and on what LoP you are commenting. This helps to avoid confusion. Also, you should give a list of who attended the meeting. 

Take each item on the LoP in order, and state for each either your comments or “no comment” so it is clear you haven’t forgotten about any item. 

For the items on which you have comments, try to be exact. Don’t simply say, “I don’t like it.” Explain your reasoning and any books you used to derive your conclusions. If the comment involves a citation, especially of a relatively unknown book, please give the bibliographic information - author, title, publisher, publication date – so others can benefit from your work. 

III. The heraldry of court and ceremonies
Calling court for the resident or visiting nobility is one of the most trying and exciting duties of a herald. He or she must organize the events of the court, and be the primary means of communication between the nobles and the members of the populace doing business in Their court, as well as make court announcements with proper ceremony and dramatic flair. 

A. Court administration and theory 
The most important part of heralding any court, kingdom or baronial, is proper planning. You need to know what is going to go on at court, and in what order, so that the court proceedings will flow smoothly, with a minimum of effort for all concerned. 

This is a checklist of steps that you as the court herald can take to help insure that court will run smoothly. While there is no “one true way” to herald a court, this should serve as a basic guideline for the things that you need to think about and plan for in preparing for court. 

Before the event:
If you are fortunate enough to know in advance that you will be heralding a court at an event (especially if it is a large event), you may want to get in touch with the Crown/Coronet ahead of time and find out what Their plans are. If They already know what Their court business is going to be, then you can offer to make a list of it and work up a preliminary order in advance of the event, which can save both you and Them time on the day of the event. If the Crown of the UEMA is in attendance and is being aided by a Royal Herald, check with that to see if he/she is handling the business of the court before asking the Crown. 

If you will be heralding a court, or think you might be heralding a court at an event you will be going to, make sure that you take a notebook or covered clipboard, something to write with, your herald’s tabard, and appropriate clothing (see below). 

The day of the event:
Check in with the Crown/Coronet early in the day. Even if They already know that you are going to be Their court herald, it lets Them know that you are on site and at Their disposal. Tell Them where you can be found during the day (where your encampment, table setting, etc. is), and see if They know yet what the schedule for court is, and when They want to get together with you to set up court. If They don’t yet know what the schedule is going to be, don’t worry about it, but check back with Them occasionally so that when They do decide to start working on court They will know where to find you. Again, work with the Royal Herald if applicable. 

When you know that the time to start preparing for court is near, make whatever clothing changes you might be planning to make before you start any of the preparations; you won’t have time later. Most important is to wear comfortable shoes! 

1 ½ hours before court: 
Get together with the Crown/Coronet and get the list of Their business for court (if you had not previously done so). This includes all awards, proclamations, etc. You need to make sure to cover the following details: 

For any awards being given out, are the scrolls (promissories), tokens, etc. taken care of? Have the scrolls all been signed? By both of the Monarchs? You should also check the wording of the scrolls that you will be reading to make sure that the texts are correct. The scribes should have taken care of this, but you should double check. Also, make sure that you can read the writing on the scroll. 

For any proclamations, etc., find out if They will be making the proclamation themselves or whether they want you to do it. You should always offer, perhaps even suggest (if you know that your voice is more up to the task than Theirs), but never insist. 

For anybody whose name is being read for any reason, make sure that you know how to pronounce it correctly. If neither you nor the Crown is sure of how to pronounce it, get somebody to find out (surreptitiously, of course). Remember that nothing takes away from the special moment of getting an award like having your name mangled! 

Find out if there will be anyone else holding court. If this is a baronial court and the King and/or Queen are there, do they wish to hold court? If this is a kingdom court, will the local baron and/or baroness be holding court within the royal court? If so, you will need to contact Them and see if arrangements for Their court need to be made. The Crown may choose to sit court (but not hold a Royal court) at a baronial court, or Coronets may do likewise within a Royal court. These details will need to be acquired ahead of time. 

Make sure that both Nobles have been consulted about business for court. If only One sits down with you to make the list of Their business, you may want to check with the Other to make sure that They don’t have some other business that didn’t make it onto the list. The royalty should be in communication with each other so that this wouldn’t be necessary, but this isn’t always the case. 

Ask if They will have any opening words to say at the beginning of court (words of welcome, etc.) You don’t need to know what they will be; this is just so you will remember to leave a spot on the agenda for them to do it. 

When you have the Crown’s business, thank Them and tell Them that you will get back together with Them when you have collected business from the populace. Now review the Court’s business to get an estimate of how long you think it will take in relation to how long you have for court. If you are short on time, you may need to ask that less pressing business from the populace be handled at another time. 

Make an announcement (or have one made) that you are taking business for court from the populace. Make sure the announcement is made to all parts of the site; people in the kitchen are just as likely to have business for court, but much less likely to hear an announcement. Choose a location where people can come to you that is conspicuous (so that people can find you easily), but not where you, or the line of people waiting to talk to you, will be in the way. If you have not already done so, put on your herald’s tabard so that you can be easily recognized. 

When taking items of business from the populace, keep the following things in mind: 

Find out exactly what each item of business is: if it is a presentation, find out what is being presented; if it is an announcement, find out what is being announced; etc. You are not being nosy: it is your job. If people are reluctant to give you a full explanation, politely but firmly tell them that you must know the exact nature of the business in order to put it on the court agenda. Explain that this is to save the Crown, the populace, and/or the presenter from the embarrassment of an inappropriate presentation in court, as has occasionally happened in the past. If you are unsure about whether something is appropriate or not, check with a more experienced herald, or have the presenter discuss it directly with the royalty before adding it to the court agenda. 

An exception to the above rule is made in the case of such people as kingdom officers or the autocrat. If they tell you that they, in their official capacity, have business before the crown, that is sufficient. 

If a presentation is being made, make sure that the people making the presentation understand that anything given to the crown in court is considered to be regalia (and thus belonging to the kingdom), whereas personal gifts should be given at some other time, such as when the royalty are sitting in state. This is the general rule for kingdom courts, although exceptions have been known to be made. Customs may vary in individual baronies. 

If there is anything that sounds like it will take a long time, you may want to suggest that it should be shortened or done at another time entirely, depending on how tight your schedule is. Anything that is a performance of any kind (i.e. a song, poem, skit, etc.) should be cleared directly with the Crown before putting it on the court agenda, since these things can take a lot of time and are almost always better done outside of court. 

Make sure you know exactly who is to be called up, and how they wish to be announced. For example, if the Kingdom Seneschal wishes to make an announcement, does he wish to be called up as “The Kingdom Seneschal” or by his name and title? Also, make sure that you know the correct pronunciation of all names. Write them down phonetically so that you will be able to pronounce them later: how they are really spelled doesn’t matter. 

If an announcement is being made, ask if the person wants to come up and make the announcement themselves or to have you make it for them. If the person wants to make the announcement themselves, remind them of the necessity to make themselves heard to the entire hall. If they don’t have a strong voice, you may wish to encourage them to let you make the announcement. 

Five minutes before you are through collecting court business from the populace, make another announcement that is a “last call” for business. 

When you have collected all of the populace’s court business, go back and find the royalty and ask to sit down with them and order the business for court. Some royalty will want to be very involved with this process, and others will ask you to do it yourself and then present it to them for their approval. In either case, these are some general guidelines for setting up the order of court: 

If the royalty wishes to address the populace, this should always be the first item of business, unless They have specified otherwise. 

After the “words of the Crown” (if any), the next item(s) should always be any envoys or ambassadors who have requested an audience. 

Once these two requirements have been met, in general court should build from lesser matters at the beginning to greater matters toward the end. Thus, you should try to schedule lesser awards and simpler presentations toward the beginning of court, and greater awards and more elaborate presentations toward the end (and any peerages should always come last, unless the Crown specifically directs you otherwise). 

Court should have an interesting mixture of activities in order to keep people’s interest. Don’t put all the awards in one place, and all the presentations in another – mix them in together. Not only does this make the court more interesting, but it also makes the flow of people in and out of court easier. 

If there is more than one of an award being given out, find out if there is a particular order or grouping that the royalty wishes to use. While it is generally desirable to call only one person at a time up to receive an award, there are times when two or more people will be called up at once to receive the same award (such as a lord and lady who are a couple). 

The royalty will probably want to know something about what the items of business from the populace are. If a presentation is to be a surprise, you can describe it in general terms, such as: “The Barony of XYZ has a presentation.” If They want to know more, you can say something like: “They wish it to be a surprise for Your Majesties, but I have checked it out and it is an appropriate presentation for court.” (You did remember to do that, didn’t you?) If They still insist on knowing what the presentation is, you must tell them, even if the surprise will be spoiled. Remember that these are guidelines only, and that ultimately the royalty has the final say. Here, again, you can suggest, you can remind, but only They can insist! 

Take care of any other last minute details with the royalty, which might include such things as: Find out if They will be processing in, or will being court seated. Also, find out if They will be recessing out at the end of court. If there are any “scripted” parts to court (e.g. an award ceremony), in which the royalty has a part, make sure that They know what their parts are and that They have a chance to review them. If you are at all unsure of any name pronunciations, especially those of the monarchs themselves, or anything else about the monarchs’ wishes for court, now is the time to ask. Find out how long you have until court (important!). 

If you did not do so while arranging court with the royalty, write up the final agenda that you will use to conduct court. This may consist of rewriting the entire agenda, or merely writing numbers by the items in the order that they will be used. What method you use will depend on your personal preference and the size of the court. However, it is important that someone else be able to read and understand your agenda, in case they should have to assist you. 

By now, someone will probably have come running up to you with some piece of business that they just have to get into the court agenda, and they didn’t hear the announcement, and, and… 

Evaluate the business that they have just like the ones you had before. If it really is something that needs to be done in spite of its late arrival (and how much it needs to be done may depend on how full your agenda already is), then adjust the agenda in an appropriate place, making sure to tell the royalty about it before court. If there are any questions, have that person talk directly to the royalty. 

15 minutes before court:
If there is going to be another person helping you with court, such as a scribe or another herald to keep track of the scrolls and hand them to you at the proper time, make sure that you get together with them and that they understand the agenda. Make sure that any award scrolls are in the order that they will be given out so that you can get to them easily when they are called for during court. Once again, make sure that you (and your assistant) can pronounce all of the names. Make sure you have a cup of something (non- alcoholic) to drink situated behind the thrones where you will be able to get to it during court. 

Go back to the royalty and let Them know that you are ready for court to begin. If They did not arrange the order of court with you, have Them look over the order that you have come up with and approve it. Make sure that if you have been given any new items of business since you showed Them the agenda, that you inform the Monarchs of them now. 

Ask if They want an announcement made to assemble the populace for court, or how long it will be until court. 

When court is ready to begin:
Have a copy of the Book of Ceremonies on hand if it is needed—and know ahead of time! If the royalty are processing in, wait until they signal that they are ready. As you lead the royalty down the aisle, announce Them to the populace. If there are others who are processing (other dignitaries, not the royalty’s attendants), wait until the royalty have arrived at the thrones and are standing facing the populace, and then announce the next dignitaries. Repeat until all who are processing have been announced and come into court. Be careful not to announce the next processor(s) if the monarchs are still greeting the last ones. When all who are processing have done so, the royalty will take their seats. 

Or: 

If the monarchs are beginning court already seated: 

Open court with an announcement such as: “Now pay heed to this, the court of _____ and _____, King/Queen, Prince/Princess, Etc. of the (the name of their Reign)” or “Here begins the court of _____ and _____, Baron and Baroness of _____,” or something similar.
If they have not given their permission before now, ask (quietly) if the populace has the monarchs’ leave to be seated. When They give permission, announce it to the populace. 

Court:
Conduct the court according to the agenda that you have prepared. Remember though that if the royalty decides to include some new item, or delete an item, or reorder things entirely, they have the right to do so, and it is up to you to cope with it the best you can. This is why having a well-organized agenda is essential in order to adapt to such changes. 

Announce each person (or group) that is being called into court loudly and clearly. Be looking up at the populace, nod down at your notes when you do so. Not only does this help you to project better, but it keeps you from yelling into the monarchs’ ears. As you UEMA the populace, if you do not see any activity that would indicate that the person was on their way, announce the name again. If there is still no response, and the person is being called up for an award, ask the monarchs if they wish a representative called forward; if so, ask for a representative; if not, go on to the next item. If the called person shows up later, let the royalty know, and then call them forward at the next available opportunity. 

For presentations: After the presentation has been made, announce to the populace what has been presented (however, be careful not to step on the conversation between the royalty and the presenter(s)). You may wish to use a little poetic license in your description of the presentation, for example: “A gift of fruit of the vine” sounds better than “They gave them a bottle of wine.” (Just don’t get carried away and get “cutesy”). 

For awards: No matter how many awards are being given, each one is very important to the person who is receiving it: treat each one accordingly. Read an Award of Arms scroll with the same reverence that you would read a peerage scroll. Remember that for many people, an Award of Arms is the only award that they will ever receive, so you should never spoil their moment by treating it as “just another Award of Arms.” Award Scrolls: As each award is approaching on the agenda, let the person who is handling the scrolls know whose scroll you are about to need, so that they will have it ready (or if you are handling them yourself, get it ready). There will usually be an opportunity to do this sometime during the preceding item of business. 

Cheers: For each person who receives an award, you lead the populace in cheers. Remember not to do this until the award has actually been conferred, and until the monarchs are through speaking. For things other than awards, you may need to check with the royalty to see if they want cheers done; especially for presentations – some monarchs want cheers for every presentation, some only for certain ones, and some not at all. If you are not sure, ask. 

When each item of business has been completed, and the person(s) involved are withdrawing, you should go ahead and announce the next item. This helps keep court from dragging on unnecessarily. Make sure that you do not make an announcement that no one will be able to hear because the hall is still buzzing loudly from the last thing that happened. Wait until you will be able to be heard, then go on with court. 

Pay attention to the royalty. Especially, watch and listen for Them to say something to you; They may not turn Their heads toward you before They do. Most often this will be to ask you what is coming up next, or how much of court is left. 

When you are through with court business:
When all of the items of business on the agenda are complete, inform the royalty, and ask Them if They have any further business, even if They had told you previously that They would have none. This gives Them the chance to say any last minute things to the populace that They may have thought of. It also saves you from the potential embarrassment of announcing that there is no further business, only to have the royalty interrupt you to say that there is. 

When the monarchs are finished, announce that there is no further business before the court. If the royalty is processing out, wait while they do so. Finally, announce to the populace that they “have Their Majesties’/Excellencies’ leave to depart and go about their business,” or something similar. 

Later:
Check back with the royalty to make sure that there were no problems with the way that you handled court, so that you will know better next time (don’t be upset by any criticism – learn from it!). This is especially true if it is the first time you have heralded for these monarchs. 

Make sure that someone has kept track of the awards that were given, so that a list can be sent to the Wimble Herald. Sometimes the royalty Themselves will do this, sometimes They will have someone else doing it. If not, it becomes your job! 

As was said before, these are merely guidelines for what you need to do and think about in heralding a court – there is no one true way to do it. Each court, and each set of royalty will have different requirements, but this checklist should give you a good idea of what the basic elements and procedures are for heralding court at either the kingdom or baronial level. 

B. Philosophy of Court Heraldry
Have you ever sat in court and thought to yourself: “What’s the big deal about being a court herald? It looks easy enough – I’ll bet I could do it; in fact, I’ll bet almost anybody could walk up there and do it!” Well, you’re right: almost anybody can walk in and be a court herald . . . about 90% of the time! Being able to handle what happens that other 10% of the time is what really makes a good court herald, and why it is the experienced heralds are chosen to do court at major events. 

This article will discuss some of the things that you should understand about the way that court works in the UEMA, and the role of the herald in court, so that you will be better prepared to handle both the 90% and the 10%. Even if you have already done so, you should re-read the Court Heraldry Checklist article after you have read this one, and try to look at some of the things that are said there, and understand why they were said, in light of what you read in this article. 

What is court? Court is the ceremonial part of what we do in the UEMA. On a practical level, it is a time to conduct ceremonial business, to confer awards and titles upon people, and to allow people to make formal presentations and petitions to the royalty. However, court is much more than this. Court is the most splendor-filled thing that we do in the UEMA. Like nothing else, it brings us closer to the feeling of pageantry that most of us associate with the times we are attempting to emulate. Court is (or at least can be) one of the ultimate “suspensions of reality” that this recreation of ours offers us. It is important that those involved in court, and especially the herald, understand this idea, for without it court merely becomes the long, boring “necessary evil” that so many people dread having to sit through. 

Let us look at the role of the herald in court, and at what you as the herald can do to make court better for both the royalty and the populace, and perhaps even make it easier for yourself at the same time! The court herald serves two principal roles: 

The Voice of the Crown: Depending on the royalty, the herald may be called upon to make pronouncements, read greetings, etc. for Them if They lack the voice (or the inclination) to do it Themselves. 

Master of Ceremonies (MC): The court herald collects and screens the business for court, and conducts the court itself, moving from each item to the next to keep the court flowing. It is this aspect of the court herald’s job that we will concentrate on. 

Court is theater, and the role of the court herald as MC is to direct that theater.* Most of the production is planned, though little of it is scripted, and parts are occasionally very impromptu. The way in which the herald conducts the court often does more to define the mood of the court than even the royalty (however, it is important to remember that it is the royalty who are the stars of the show, not the herald, or anyone else!). The pace, the tone of voice, and even the attitude that the herald has will affect the way in which the populace views court. People are very quick to notice if the herald is not interested in what is happening at court, and this will cause them to lose interest as well. 

At the same time, the herald must be sensitive to the mood of the royalty, and reflect that mood. This is especially true if the herald is making a pronouncement on Their behalf. The herald must be able to be the proud voice of congratulations, the urgent voice of motivation, and the stern voice of anger. Even when not speaking, the herald must make sure that his or her actions do not disrupt whatever else is happening in court at the time. Remember that you are very visible, and that any movement away from the center of attention (i.e. the royalty) will catch people’s eye, especially in a bright green herald’s tabard. This does not mean that you cannot turn to take a drink from your tankard, but pick a time when it will not be a distraction. 

One of the hardest things to learn in becoming a court herald is where the fuzzy line is between pageantry and stuffiness. While we are trying to create an atmosphere of ceremony, there are people who are very put off by (what they see as) pretentiousness. You must learn to impart a certain amount of grandeur and importance to your words, without making them sound overblown. There is no set rule for how to do this, it is something that you must learn through observing other courts, and finding out what people do and do not like about them. 

One thing that you can do that will help is to learn about how to deliver lines. This doesn’t mean you have to go out and take acting lessons, but learn by observation. Look at movies, especially period costume dramas, or better yet go to see live theater. Watch how the actors deliver their lines to give the audience not only the meaning of the words themselves, but the feelings behind the words that they want to convey. 

Another part of your delivery which is important is projection. Above all else, the court herald must be able to be heard in as much of the hall as possible. Work on your projection. Talk to other heralds who have good voices, or to someone who has studied acting. Different halls require different amounts of projection. A good trick is to pick someone at the back of the hall and speak as if you were making the announcements to them. If you see that they and the people around them are straining to hear, or are losing interest (because they cannot hear), then you need to increase your volume and projection. 

Also important is the wording that you use. Part of the job of the court herald (or any herald doing voice work, for that matter) is to phrase the announcements that they are making to add to the ambiance of the occasion, without becoming too flowery. Here again, the best way to learn about doing this is to watch other court heralds at work, especially those whose style you admire. Listen for how things are phrased, rather than specific words or terms. For example, which sounds better: “Their Majesties give you leave to be seated,” or “You can sit down now” ? 

Humorous side comments by the herald can occasionally be appropriate, but should be used sparingly, and with great restraint. Nowhere in the job description of the court herald does it say anything about being a stand-up comedian or a court jester! However, a wisely placed humorous remark once in a while can make the court more enjoyable for the popu8lace, and help to keep their interest, without detracting from the atmosphere of the court. Presentations and announcements are potentially good times for such things – award ceremonies are not! You should be familiar with the royalty involved and very sure that the remark will play well, or you shouldn’t make it. Remember, most of the populace, and all of the royalty had better think that it’s both funny and appropriate, or you could be in trouble! 

One of the most important rules for being a court herald is: Never surprise the royalty! This does not mean that things like the contents of a presentation cannot be a surprise, but you had better be sure that it is appropriate and that They will like whatever it is (see the Court Heraldry Checklist article for more details on this). This rule particularly applies to items of business on the court agenda. Every item of business should have been gone over with Them before court, but if for some reason this was impossible (such as an important item being brought to you at the last minute, or even from the wings during court itself), find a convenient moment and lean over and quietly explain it to the monarchs to make sure that they understand what it is, and that They want to do it in court. By the way, it isn’t a bad idea from time to time during court to lean over and let the royalty know what is coming up, and what their part is in it. This is especially true of new royalty who may be nervous and/or unfamiliar with court procedures. 

On the other hand, it is to be hoped that the royalty will not do anything to surprise you; however, this is not always the case. Remember that no matter how carefully you have worked out the court agenda before hand, the royalty has the right to do whatever They want, including completely reordering court in the middle, and deleting or adding new items of business. All you can do if this happens is to try and adjust as best you can. Note the changes on the court agenda so that you will remember them. If an award Is added, you may be called upon to read a “scroll” for it which does not exist! For this reason, you should become familiar with the various types of award scroll texts, so that you will be able to create one “on the fly,” should you be called upon to do so. The Book of Ceremonies has sample generic scroll text available if a scroll is not available to be given with the award. 

Finally, the best way to learn, of course, is to practice; but the second best way is to observe. Study what other court heralds do, and try to find out why they do things the way that they do. If you want to learn more, ask a herald who you have seen do court to help you. 

These are some collected thoughts on court in the UEMA, and the herald’s part in it. Along with the accompanying Court Heraldry Checklist article, they should provide you with a good background for learning to be a court herald, whether for your local baron and baroness, or for the king and queen. 

C. Award Reports
If you act as herald-in-charge of a court, you must send an Awards Report for that court within ten (10) days of the court to the local Herald. The herald-in-charge of an event is usually the herald of the group in which the event is held. If a Crown court is held at a local event, even if he did not herald the court, the local herald should still send an Awards Report for the court which took place. Redundant awards reports can’t hurt. It only insures that nothing is forgotten. 

There is an Awards Report form, available from the Societies Realm Herald or the local Herald. Make sure that the form is signed by the nobility whose court it was (Baron/Baroness/King/Queen) and by the herald who conducted court. Be certain that the event and dates are printed correctly on the form. Acquire mundane (legal) names of award recipients, make sure UEMA names are correctly spelled as registered with the College of Heralds. Award reports via email are generally acceptable as well. 

IV. Rules of precedence and UEMA awards
As a herald of the UEMA, you will want to be familiar with the following information. 

A. Heraldic ranks and insignia
The College of Heralds has a system of “ranks” which distinguish the level of achievement of its members. These are: 

Cornet: This term indicates a newcomer to heraldry who has shown an interest in the art. 

Pursuivant Extraordinary (Titled or Untitled): This is a lower warranted rank in the College of Heralds. It is given after several months of reporting and service and implies a basic knowledge of the arts of heraldry. 

Pursuivant (Titled or Untitled): This is a rank which is attained after having served the College of several years. It implies a thorough knowledge of the workings of heraldry. The herald of a barony usually rises to the rank of Pursuivant. A Pursuivant may wear a sleeved tabard or a cloak. If the Pursuivant is titled (see below), the tabard or cloak may display the arms of the noble being served. 

Titled versus Untitled: A herald may be titled or untitled. The officers which directly serve a noble (the herald of a Barony, Principality/Dukedom or Kingdom) are titled offices (e.g. Penguin Pursuivant or Sandstorm Herald). The office title usually (but not always) alludes to some feature of the arms of the group. 

Herald: This is a rank usually reserved for kingdom-level heralds or above. It is always titled, and either serves the kingdom or Laurel level. 

Herald Extraordinary: This rank is usually reserved for those heralds who have given to the kingdom through many years of service. 

Sovereign of Arms: This is a Society-wide title. There may be one or two sovereigns (King or Queen) of Arms. 

The badge of the College of Heralds is: Vert, two straight trumpets crossed in saltire, bells in chief, Or. This emblem should not be worn unless the wearer is “on duty,” in which case it must be worn. It is important that regalia be worn when appearing in any official capacity as a herald. The regalia serve to identify you as the “voice of the Crown” with all the duties and rights which accompany that state. 

The following herald’s titles are in use in the UEMA: 

Kingdom level: 
  
 
Societies Realm Herald  
 Chief herald of the UEMA 
 
Palmer Herald 
 Societies Realm Herald’s primary and emergency replacement deputy 
 
Trefoil Herald 
 College of Arms commenting herald 
 
Fretted Herald 
 College of Arms commenting herald 
 
Gimlet Herald 
 Ceremonies herald 
 
Wimble Herald 
 Order of Precedence herald 
 
Plover Herald 
 Field herald 
 
Kingdom Herald 
 Submissions herald 
 
Kingdom Scribe 
 Minister of scrolls and scroll texts 
 
Royal Herald 
 King/Queen, Prince/Princess personal herald 
 
**** Pursuivant 
 Handbook and publications deputy 
 
**** Pursuivant 
 Fundraising deputy 
 
Baronial level: 
  
 
Aspen Pursuivant 
  
 
Barbican Pursuivant 
  
 
Scorpion Pursuivant 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 

B. Awards and honors
Awards of the Kingdom of the UEMA
The following awards are currently in-use in the UEMA. 

1. Precedence begins with the King, Queen, Crown Prince, Crown Princess, Dukes/Duchesses, Counts/Countesses, Viscount/Viscountesses, Territorial Barons/Baronesses, and Peers (Chivalry, Laurel and *****). 

2. Awards carrying a Grant of Arms, precedence is above a simple Grant of Arms: 
Sharparrow (AIR) [“Archer of the Iron Rain”]
Flower (OFO)
Iron Hart (TIH)
Defender of the 
Stag of the UEMA (OSO)

3. Non-Armigerous Baronial Awards
Desert Fawn 
Guardians of Golden Flame (GGF) 

4. Non-Armigerous Kingdom Awards
Cordon Royale (BCR)
Queen’s Cypher (BQC)
Promise of the UEMA (CPO)
Queen’s Grace (CQG)
Walker of the Way (CWW)
Venerable Guard (CVG)
Legion of Gallantry (CLG)

 The above may change with each Kingdom, but may be enacted in a Realm level.  They are listed as examples.

C. Kingdom arms, badges, flags, ensigns
King and Kingdom: Vert, a stag argent, attired and unguled, salient from between the boughs of a laurel wreath, in chief a Saxon crown, all within a bordure embattled Or. 

Queen: Vert, a hind salient, unguled, and in chief a Saxon crown, all within a wreath of roses lying as on a bordure Or. 

Crown Prince: Vert, a stag salient argent, attired and unguled, gorged with a Saxon crown, all within a bordure embattled Or, overall a label argent. 

Crown Princess: Vert, a hind salient argent, unguled and gorged with a Saxon crown Or, between three doves rising, wings elevated and addorsed argent, beaked and membered and all within an orle embattled Or. 

Ensign: Vert, a stag salient argent, attired and unguled and within a bordure embattled Or. 

War Ensign: Pily bendy vert and Or, a stag’s attire bend sinister-wise gules. 

Again the above are only examples

D. Heraldry of the UEMA
Arms of the UEMA: 

The Great Offices:
Council of the Seneschals badge: Gules, a key fesswise Or.
College of Arms badge: Vert, two straight trumpets in saltire, bells in chief, Or.
Earl Marshall badge: Sable, two swords in saltire Or.
Chancellor of the Exchequer badge: Azure, a pale checky gules and argent between six bezants in pale three and three.
Chronicler badge: Per pale sable and argent, two quills conjoined in pile counterchanged, a chief gules.
Chirurgeon’s Guild badge: Gules, on a goutte argent, a fleam gules.
Ministry of Arts badge: Purpure, an Irish harp Or.
Ministry of Arts and Sciences badge: Azure, a candle enflamed within an arch stooped argent.
Ministry of Sciences badge: Per pale Or and argent, a pair of calipers sable. 

The Peerage Orders:
Order of the Laurel: Or, a laurel wreath vert. 

The Officers Badges should remain as above due to the potential recruitment from another Society that uses the same.

V. Field Heraldry
How should a Field Herald Behave?
The field herald is the voice of the crown. As the herald is a representative of the crown, the herald is considered inviolate while wearing the green and gold colors. That is, she cannot be persecuted or challenged for anything which she might say, as these are the words of the Crown. The converse of this, of course, is that if you have anything to say which you feel the Crown would not wish you to say in Its stead, say it with your tabard off. Whatever personal opinions the herald has as an individual, most especially negative ones, must not be expressed in an official capacity. In practical terms, you have an obligation that the herald’s office is respected and (most especially) listened to, otherwise, we are useless as an organ for conveying information. 

The field herald is diplomatic and impartial. The crown sometimes makes announcements which are not considered popular at all. If you make a special effort to phrase these as diplomatically as possible and if you have done a good job of being impartial the rest of the time, it will be clear that the voice being heard is that of the crown. This is the right use of heraldic inviolability. Otherwise, the temptation is always to shoot the messenger: that’s us. 

The field herald should be discreet. Frequently, in the process of interaction with the court, the herald may become privy to information which it would be unwise to repeat. The field herald must have selective hearing, otherwise confidences will never come your way again. If some choice tidbit comes along, keep it to yourself. This will keep you out of a lot of trouble. 

Finally, the herald should be colorful and well-spoken. This would seem to be in conflict with the above, but remember: speak as the crown would wish you to speak. Surely, the Crown wishes for Its tournaments and courts to be entertaining and engaging, and for Its voice to urbane and witty. The herald must be discreet but he must be part of the show. 

How do I get started Field Heralding?
Often, the herald’s first exposure to heralding is to herald during a list. If you are interested in getting started field heralding, approach the field herald in charge when heralds are called for (usually this happens at opening court or soon after). Make sure you have 3x5 cards at the ready to write down any litany you might not remember. This is a necessary teaching device. Do not be embarrassed to use it. Pick out a herald to act as a “mentor” or “teacher.” The person you pick will stand close by on the edge of the field and point out what you can improve. Get in the early rounds of a tournament or get in a small tourney; that way, there’s less pressure and learning can be some fun. 

The Wearin’ o’ the Green - Heralding on the Field
On the fighting field, the herald’s basic purposes are to help keep the lists running smoothly by announcing the fighting order for each round before the round begins, to help the ceremony of the lists by orchestrating the salutes to opponents, ladies and the Crown, and to keep onlookers informed of the goings-on of the field. These functions will be explained in detail in the following sections. 

A. Basic List Heralding 
What follows here are the basics. Read them carefully, and don’t be afraid to have written notes with you the first time you do this on a field. 

Opening the Tourney
At the start of the tourney, announce something like, “My lords and ladies, good gentles all, here begins the Baron’s Champion Tourney.” Be certain to address the royalty or ruling nobility first. 

Announcing the Order of combat
First, at the start of each round, the herald announces the order of combat. Each fight is announced, for example: “In this first round of the Crown List, the order of combat is as follows. First fight, Sir Snugglebunny the Pink and Lord Oxbreath Ladykiller. Second fight, Duke Axehead Axelsson and Sir Lagbolt Tightscrew,” etc. until the entire round has been read. Avoid using double titles such as, “Duke Sir Methuselah the Old”; instead use, “His Grace, Sir Methuselah the Old” or simply, “Sir Methuselah.” The MoL will usually have listed one preferred title on the list card(s). 

Calling fighters to the field
After the order of combat has been announced (and the fighters have suitably prepared), the first pair of fighters are called to the field: 

“To the field please, Sir Snugglebunny the Pink and Lord Oxbreath Ladykiller.” 

The next two pairs are warned to get ready, so that they will be armored up and so not be surprised when they are called to the field: 

“Would Duke Axehead Axelsson and Sir Lagbolt Tightscrew arm yourselves, and would Master Godzilla the Destructive and Frothhead the Wino make ready.” 

Performing the Salutes
When the fighters have come to the field and have taken their positions on opposite sides of the field, the herald announces the combatants to the crowd: 

“My lords and ladies, in the first fight of the first round, Sir Snugglebunny the Pink combats Lord Oxbreath Ladykiller.” 

The herald gestures toward each fighter as their names are announced. 

“Good gentles, salute the crown.” 

The herald salutes as well as a matter of courtesy. 

“Salute the gentle for whom you do combat.”
“Salute your most worthy opponent.”
“Upon your honor and at the marshal’s command, begin.” 

Announcing the victor
At the end of the announcement, the herald hastens off the field to let the fight begin. The herald should always be close to the edge of the field, waiting for the end of the fight. 

When the marshals signal that there is a victor (let us assume that in a stunning upset, Lord Oxbreath has one-shotted his knightly opponent) the herald announces: 

“Victory to Lord Oxbreath Ladykiller.” 

The herald then calls the next three fights: 

“To the field, Duke Axehead Axelsson and Sir Lagbolt Tightscrew…” and so on. 

This procedure continues until the end of the round, at which time, the herald may announce: 

“This ends the first round of combat.” 

A helpful warning for beginners
Also, you will always be tempted to “ham it up.” After all, aren’t all heralds thought to be jokesters who are quick with a quip? Well, only do this with caution, around people you know, and only once you know the basics. There is a fine line between kidding someone you know and insulting someone you don’t. As a beginner, you probably will have enough to think about just following the litany. 

B. Advanced list heralding
Essentially, the above is the litany. All the rest of the things the tourney herald does are refinements of this basic formula, as described in the following sections. 

Who are those guys, anyway?
Frequently (especially if you herald outside your local area or if you are a new herald) you will encounter pairs of fighters whom you have never seen. Who is whom is something to be aware of before you start to announce the fight (although you’d be surprised how easy it is to forget to find out). By the end of the fight, when the victor is to be announced, you should know which fighter is which so that you can announce the correct one in a timely manner. 

The first trick to help this problem is simply to be observant. If one fighter is wearing a white belt and gold chain and the other is not and one fighter is titled “Sir,” your problem of deduction is solved. Likewise, if a fighter’s arms are displayed on her shield and the arms cant (allude to) that fighter’s name, your problem is likewise solved. 

If the above does not help, ask someone. The marshals may be aware of which fighter is which, and can tell you. There is no shame in asking the fighters themselves which one is which. Pick the friendlier looking of them, of course. It is necessary to ask only one fighter; one can deduce the other. Most fighters don’t mind being asked who they are if you are unfamiliar with them. They do mind if you get it wrong later, so ask and then try to commit it to memory. 

The name game
A related problem to telling who’s who is knowing how to pronounce the name of a combatant. Many names are not necessarily pronounced as they are written. If you feel a name may be a problem (if it looks obnoxiously hard when you read it), ask the fighter in question. Again, it is not offensive to ask; in fact, it shows that you are concerned. It does hurt to get it wrong. 

If you do mangle some fighter’s name and there is a groan from the crowd, take it in good humor. You have plenty of company; every herald has been in the same situation. All you need do is take the fighter aside later and tell him how sorry you are that you mispronounced his name, and try to correct your mistake next time. Why not a public apology, you ask? Well, to my mind, a herald stopping an announcement to publicly (and usually obsequiously) beat his breast and to cry “Mea Culpa” is more distracting and more embarrassing to everyone concerned (especially to the injured party) than is simply allowing the matter to drop until you can address it in private. Use your judgment. 

Lady Fighters
Note above that the litany said: “Salute the Gentle for whom you do combat.” This is probably the form which will get you into the least trouble if one or both of the fighters are Ladies. This discriminates against none and therefore will get you in less trouble. If you are in the habit of saying “salute the Lady whose favor you bear,” use “Salute the Gentle,” instead. That way, no one will be offended. Likewise, if you have Gentleman-itis elsewhere in your litany, strike it or be fairly warned. 

Ranks and Titles
At this point, a slight digression about titles is in order. On the field, fighters may be announced by certain titles (called “fighting titles” because of their use on the field). These are (ranked high to low): 

Duke (called your/his Grace)
Count (called your/his Excellency)
Viscount (called your/his Excellency)
Baron (called your/his Excellency)
Sir/Master (at arms)/Mistress (at arms)
The Honorable Lord / The Honorable Lady
Lord/Lady
Gentles not holding arms 

In deference to their ranks and stations, it is considered polite to announce the combatants in order with the highest ranked fighter first. Thus, one would announce, “Duke Axehead combats Lord John,” rather than the other way around. The fighter’s titles may be listed on their cards or not. The names may be in order or not. If not, see your Minister of Lists. 

Getting fighters attention
Frequently, it is much more difficult for the fighters to hear you than it is for the populace to hear. A fighter in a tourney may be distracted. She may already be armored up and have a helm on (which makes hearing difficult). You need to address calls to the field and the reading of the order of combat to the fighters in particular. Thus, one might start reading the order of combat by saying: 

”My Lords and Ladies, FIGHTERS PRAY ATTEND. The order of combat for round one is as follows:” 

When reading the order of combat (or any times a list of names is read for that matter), to avoid confusion it pays to make sure that the pairs are delineated properly. Thus one should say: 

“FIFTH FIGHT, Count Ulric the Unwashed VERSUS Sir Snugglebunny the Pink. (pause) “SIXTH FIGHT, Master Godzilla the Destructive VERSUS Lord Dudley Wright.” 

Note the emphasis on the FIGHT/VERSUS formula. This helps to make the pairings clearest. In this way, you won’t have Sir Snugglebunny coming up to ask you when it is that he fights Master Godzilla. 

Second calls to the field
When a fighter does not answer a call to the field, a second call is usually in order. Make sure to ask the marshals or even the List Mistress before giving a second call to the field. There may be rules in place for that tourney regarding how many calls to the field will be given before a contestant is disqualified. As well, it is good politics to make sure that you are not overstepping your bounds. 

Keeping things running quickly
one of the functions that a herald can perform is to help keep the lists running quickly. To save time, the litany of salutes are sometimes shortened or dropped entirely after the first round of combat. Note that the ruling noble should be consulted before doing this. When short on time, the herald should always be conscious of how long he is out on the field. You should be watching the field so that you get out onto the field to call the next fight as soon as the marshals indicate a victor in a match. Also, when you are finishing the introduction of the fighters, you can be backing off the field, so that when the litany “At the marshal’s command you may begin” is finished, you are off the field and the fighting may truly proceed without any further delay. You’d be surprised how much time can be saved by such simple dodges. Of course, don’t rush through the announcements that you do make: that might make them sound offensively hasty. Simply attend to time management. 

Keeping the crowd’s interest
There is frequently something which the fighters should know about the format of the lists such as whether byes are to be fought or unfought (and if fought, by whom)., whether in a double elimination tournament the final round is to be fought round robin, retained or unretained deaths, etc. These things are of keen interest to the spectators as well, so you should make a double effort to announce them as the opportunity arises during a round. You could say, for example, when announcing the order of combat for the round, “A combats B, C combats D, E has drawn the bye which will be fought by F.” 

A nice touch is to announce the end of the round, “This ends the X round” so the crowd and fighters know there’s a break. 

As you get to the end of the tourney, the crowd tends to sit up and pay attention. This is natural; after all, doesn’t the best usually come last? As the tension builds (especially in an important tourney), now your instincts as a showman must start to come alive. In the final round, you might emphasize: 

“In this final round of this eighteenth tournament for the Crown of the UEMA, X combats Y,” or “In this final round, X combats Y for the Queen’s championship.” 

Of course, as the crowd starts to pay attention, they are expecting more of the herald, too. Especially at the end, use your best dramatic voice. If you sound bored, the crowd will be bored. If you have tension in your voice, the crowd will feel the drama of the situation. 

Blazoning arms has at times been done in the first round of Crown Tournaments (it also is sometimes done in final rounds). This takes some preparation on the part of the herald in charge, but adds much to the ceremony of the event. If you blazon arms (if you have time) you could say (for example, when the fighters are introduced): 

“In this combat, Sir Cock Robin, bearing the device Or, a rooster rowing sable, does combat with Lord Al Mighty bearing the device Azure, emerging from two cloud parted fesswise argent a hand proper discharging a lightning bolt argent.” 

Some points of diplomacy on the fighting field
Announcing Acts of Chivalry.
It was once the tradition for a herald to announce when a fighter committed what was termed an act of chivalry, such as giving up the use of a shield when the opponent has lost one arm, and so on. There arose many arguments and controversies about whether an “act of chivalry” should be noted publicly at all. It is a sufficiently touchy subject that you will probably never want to announce when a fighter has given up the use of a weapon in response to his opponent, except if the ruling noble asks that it be announced (and then, of course, do it). If the crowd applauds such an act then let them. Again, such announcements are almost never made in the UEMA. 

Announce the victor of a fight (not the loser).
The usual litany says: victory to X. If you ever change your litany for announcing combats, be sure you use such a form. It is better form to accentuate the positive. The last thing that the herald needs is a defeated fighter feeling that the heralds publicly shamed her further by announcing the loss. 

Further, the herald must in all ways be quite careful when announcing fights and fighters to avoid favoritism. Under no circumstances should the herald be seen as applauding a victory on the field unless he does so for all fighters. Never, ever announce such a sentiment out loud such as: “victory, and a good thing too.” The herald is in a public position. Play favorites, and you will build resentment. True, most heralds are tactful and diplomatic and would never purposefully say something hurtful, but even if it was only meant in jest, be careful: tempers run hot on the fighting field. 

A point of mechanics: announce the winner only when a marshal indicates who it is (prompt a marshal from off-field if necessary). The marshals should indicate the victor of a fight by pointing their staves at the victor, but if they don’t and there is any doubt in your mind, ask the marshals: “M’lord Marshal, is there a victor?” and get them to indicate one before coming out onto the field. Fighters sometimes take a very long time to die. Fighters may double kill each other with one dying in a second and another ten seconds later. Fighters may take a blow, fall down, consult, think about it and get back up again. If you have watched fighting as a spectator, you know that strange things can happen. For some reason, it always is particularly ironic and embarrassing for the herald to announce victory of the wrong person (and people are always trying to catch the herald in a mistake), so always be sure of who has won before announcing. 

Safety on the fighting field
On the field, first and foremost, the herald’s concern should be for safety - yours and others. Watch out for the following: 

While the fight is in progress, make sure you are outside the list field. Let the marshals guard the field (with the rare exception that during melees, you may be asked to be a “side marshal” outside the field). 

Never turn your back on the fighting; charges and overruns happen (especially during “team” fighting or melees). You never know what sort of armored battlewagon could be bearing down on you. If you have a herald’s staff (it is heartily recommend that you have one) be prepared to use it to protect your body while getting out of the way. 

Remember, the field marshals have primary control over the fighting field. For this reason, the herald should almost never call “Hold” or otherwise instruct the fighters on the field. It is for this reason that the herald should never say “Lay on,” as this phrase is reserved to the marshals to tell the fighters to begin fighting. If a herald calls a “Hold,” it is always for the purpose of preventing impending disaster. If that armored knight is about to squish the one-year-old who just crawled onto the field or if that knight’s faceplate just flew open while a sword shot is flying toward her, yell “Hold” with your best herald’s voice. In all other cases, such as observing a broken piece of armor on a fighter, the best policy is to call the attention of the marshals and allow them to deal with the fighters. The herald should never call “Hold” for any other fighting actions on the field such as a fighter dropping a weapon or a fighter on his knees falling to the ground. In truth, most heralds would not be tempted to call a “Hold” at all except for those heralds who are also fighters and so know of the conventions on the field. 

Also, at times the marshal or fighter will call a hold to “calibrate” blows or to ask each other where a shot was seen to land. Even though the herald may be a keen spectator, he should not offer an opinion during such discussions (if he is on the field at all, which he probably shouldn’t be) unless asked directly by the fighters. 

In conclusion, leave controlling the fighters on the field to the marshals unless you have a very good reason: it makes for good safety and good politics. 

C. Working with the Minister of the Lists
In field heralding, the herald works closely with the Minister of the Lists. The following are things which will make your MOL love you rather than hate you when you volunteer to herald the list. 

General MOL stuff
When you get the round cards from the MOL, make sure that you can read the handwriting on the cards. Check for whether titles are listed on the cards. Make sure the cards are in order. Make sure that the names can be pronounced. If not, now’s the time to note a phonetic spelling on the card. 

It is necessary to get the already completed cards back to the MOL as quickly as possible so that the results can be recorded and the next round drawn. Usually the next herald up (or a trainee) is used to “run cards” to the MOL. If no such person is assigned, make sure that the job is being done : either draft someone or be conscious of delivering them yourself between fights. 

What kind of list is it?
Single elimination: This is the simplest form of list. In this style, the fighters are paired off in twos, the victor from each pairing gong on to the next round, fighting the other winners (the losers are eliminated), and so on until finally only one remains. 

Double elimination: Similar to the above, except that the loser of each pairing is given a second chance. When a fighter has lost in two pairings, that fighter is eliminated from the tournament. 

Round Robin: In this style, each fighter is paired once against every other fighter in the list once. 

Two out of Three: This can be a modification of any of the above styles of list (one can have single elimination-two out of three, double elimination - two out of three, or God forbid, round robin - two out of three). Instead of the winner of each competition being determined by winning once, the fighters instead fight the best two of three. Note that this is different from double-elimination in that, in double elim, a fighter is eliminated by losing in two different pairings in two different rounds; in two of three, the winner of a pairing is determined by more than one “fall.” 

Byes fought or unfought, destructive or non-destructive: If there are an odd numbers of fighters in a round, a randomly chosen fighter remains unpaired. That fighter is said to have drawn a “Bye.” In some styles of list, the Bye fighter (one can have fun with that term) goes unmolested into the next round. Because this allows one fighter to be at an advantage, that fighter is sometimes made to fight against a champion who is not in the tournament. If the fought Bye is non-destructive, this is simply to tire the fighter out. If the Bye is destructive, then if the fighter loses, it is the same as if the loss was to a participant in the tourney. 

Retained deaths in the final rounds: In a tourney where deaths have accumulated (Double elimination and Round Robin), some fighters may enter the final round with more deaths than others. Because this places one fighter at a disadvantage, sometimes all deaths are declared to be set to zero and the final round is fought on an even footing. Round Robin finish: Since in a single or double elimination tourney an odd number of fighters may enter the final 2 rounds, it is sometimes decided to end these with a round robin finish. Rather than drawing a bye for the final round, the remaining fighters will fight round robin until one remains. This may also involve retaining deaths (if this was double elimination). 

Working with the card system
Before the round begins, the MOL will hand you a stack of cards on which are written the fights for that round. There are primarily two card system of which you should be aware. 

Card system one:
In the first card system, each card contains one fight (the names and titles of both fighters plus a fight number) as shown below: 

1) Duke Dennis Moore of the Lupins
Count Ulric the Unwashed 

2) Lord Dudley Wright
Frothead the Wino 

3) Sir Lagbolt Tightscrew
Lord John Yaya 

When a winner is determined, the herald circles the winner’s name on the card (you should always have a pen ready for this purpose) and the card is returned to the MOL table. In this way, the MOL is informed of the eventual victor of the fight (if he is unable to hear the announcement). 

Card system two:
A second system is now most popularly in use in the UEMA. It is easier and faster to use for the MOLs, but is slightly harder on the heralds. This system bears some explanation. In this card system, each name is listed only once on one card. Each fight is indicated with the identifying letter of the fighter’s opponent for a given round. For instance: 

Fighter A
1. B Won
2. D
 Fighter B
1. A Lost
 Fighter C
1. D Lost
 Fighter D
1. C Won
2. A
 

When using this system, make especially sure that the cards are in order with the two combatants of a particular match consecutive. Cards are traditionally returned to the MOL with the victor’s card atop the loser’s. 

D. Announcements
As a field herald you will be asked to make announcements of various kinds. Typically, these are requested by the Crown, the autocrat, or various officers present. Clearly, some announcements must be made right away without question. If someone’s infant has run off, you should drop what you are doing and announce it. If the Crown requests you to announce something, you do it. Sometimes, however, the judgment is not so clear. You must always take into consideration the content of the announcement, and who is asking for the announcement. You are being put on the spot. It is quite understandable if you feel so. Therefore, it is quite appropriate to use the mechanisms available to people on the spot: mumbling and passing the buck. Of course, the desire of these maneuvers is to avoid offending the person you are addressing. If you think that it is stupid to announce the bubble-blowing tourney sponsored by House Bubblesbane, perhaps you can politely suggest that it would be better if this were business done at evening court. That way, you have some time to ask your higher-ups what to say, and how. If Frothhead the Wino wants to present the Crown with his latest corrosive brew, perhaps the requester should be directed to ask the Crown when they wish to receive gifts. It comes better from people in authority to refuse or delay an announcement. Only as a last resort (and under extreme circumstances) should you refuse to make an announcement. The occasion should be rare. Remember, you are a public servant. You should serve. Failing to do so causes hard feelings. 

Now, once you have decided to make an announcement, what should you do? First, get the attention of the crowd. This is the most overlooked part of effective speaking. The usual litany is, “My Lords and Ladies, good Gentles all,” or some variant thereof. If you have a staff, you can tap your staff to call for quiet. Make sure that the crowd is quiet before you start your announcement. This usually takes an uncouth amount of time. Make sure to repeat your attention phrase clearly and insistently until you have the crowd’s attention. If you rush into the body, frequently you will get drowned out by people either mumbling to their neighbor what you just said, or screaming helpfully (?), “Attend the herald!” Either way, the message gets missed. 

If you can phrase the body of your announcement “forsoothly,” make every effort to do so. Again, be cautious. If you aren’t familiar with the conjugation of Middle English verbs, don’t try; use straightforward Modern English. If you want to try using Middle English, there have been many good articles and books about how. 

You may be asked explicitly to note business to be done at the next court. You should have 3x5 cards and pen at the ready to do this at any time. Make sure that you get these sorts of notes to the herald who is in charge of court as soon as possible (if it isn’t you, of course). 

E. Wearing the heraldic colors: what and when
The arms of the College of Heralds are: Vert, two straight trumpets crossed in saltire Or. While on the field, a herald must wear some form of “greenwear” bearing the heraldic emblem. This is an easy habit to fall out of, but it is quite necessary. If you get called to the field to take over as herald, make a point of getting a baldric or tabard on. 

The purpose of this is threefold: First, it helps the ceremony to have the herald in a recognizable, distinct costume. The green and gold colors are known UEMA-wide, and are traditional. There is something satisfying in seeing heralds “in uniform,” both for the heralds and for the crowd. 

Second, the herald is recognized instantly by the colors. Crowds are trained, Pavlov-style, to quiet down when a herald speaks (although, they don’t all do it, obviously). If they don’t know you’re the herald, they might not pay any attention when you call for silence, making an already hard job harder. 

Third, and most important, the heraldic inviolability is identified with wearing the heraldic colors. If you say something as the voice of the crown, you must say it under the mantle of the crown. If you say something as a private person, say it with your colors off. This makes it clear to the world when they can slay the loud-mouthed herald for stepping on his tongue and when they must lay aside their arms until another day - out of respect for the crown, of course. Be conscientious about wearing the colors if for no other reason than this one. 

Baronial Pursuivants are allowed to wear the arms of the Barony as they Herald. Societies Realm Herald has the right to bear the arms of the King, while Blue Iris may bear the arms of the Queen. 

F. Equipment needed to field herald
Green wear (either a cloak, tabard or baldric) – green with gold crossed trumpets. 

Something to drink – not alcohol. Alcohol does all the wrong things to a thirsty body on a hot day. Have water, and plenty of it. 

Hat, sunscreen. These things will help keep you from suffering in the sun. 

A stool or chair. May be useful. 

A Herald’s staff (nice to have – fun to play with). This should be green with gold bands (or green/gold ribbons) if possible. 

Pen or pencil for marking cards. More than one is preferred. 

Cards – The MOL probably has some, but you need them for noting announcements, etc. It never hurts to have too many. 

Order of Precedence – helpful for announcing fighters in precedential order (if possible). 

A clipboard or something else to keep cards on. 

G. Being the Field Herald in charge
When you are the Herald in charge of the field, you are not only responsible for yourself, you are also responsible for coordinating the other heralds. Even if you are a fine individual herald, you now also have additional managerial duties to consider. 

Before the list, check with the MOL. Make sure he knows who you are. Find out the format of the lists (both for your information and that of the other heralds). 

At the first opportunity, make the call for heralds to sign up to play. At this point, you should be making a roster of candidates. Arrange the schedule to keep fresh heralds on the field. Eight fights give or take is a good number to plan to give each herald. 

Keep in mind for scheduling:
Who has a strong voice (ask them)? How long will they last?
How much experience do they have? You want the most experienced last (by tradition, the highest ranking herald present does finals of Crown lists).
Arrange for runners for cards – usually the next herald up.
Arrange for novices to have teachers close by. 

Once you have made the schedule, stick to it. Make sure that the heralds known approximately when in the tourney they are needed and who they follow. Once the list has started, tend to heralds on the field—keep water around. If they sound tired, pull them. 

H. Hints on teaching field heralds
This could be a lengthy topic, but here are the basics of how to teach. The essential advice is to be patient with the trainee. Remember back when you were a new herald. The first thing you did was to get a card with some basic instructions written on it. You probably clutched it as tightly as possible, for that card was your lifeline. As a teacher, you are probably dealing with someone who has a loud voice, some vocal talent and perhaps no other acting or speaking experience. Your first job is to give the trainee confidence in public speaking. 

The first skill which a new herald needs to learn is his lines – the litany. Even though they have that card, you should probably accompany them out onto the field and stand behind as a prompter just in case the person freezes up. Don’t be too critical of vocal quality or mispronounced names. In fact, be as positive as possible – get them to carry on regardless of the flubs. They will, hopefully, get fewer as time goes on. Only after the trainee seems to have the litany down cold should you start giving other suggestions. 

 Again the above Titles and Ranking orders and forms of address are examples and may or will be different in each Kingdom.