[Artemisia] Heraldic Suicide (was: For Dicussion - College of Heraldry return in 2000)

[Jacquie Ziegler]

Dr. C. M. Helm-Clark Ph.D. wrote:

<snip>
> Opinion: the heraldic submission workers of the SCA are invested in a 
> self-perpetuating skewed viewpoint on conflict that is somewhat removed from
> street-level common sense and is incapable of being fixed because the experts
> with the knowledge to fix it are source of the skewed viewpoint to begin with.
> (physician heal thyself?)  And the system will continue to pass things that
> should bounce and bounce things that should pass because no panel of self-
> appointed amateur experts that volunteer to vet conflicts with a growing 
> number of subsmissions and a falling number of volunteers will ever be able
> to tackle the problem successfully - as I predicted in 1987 in the proceedings
> of the Known World Heraldic Symposium back when we could have actually done
> something to fix the system and now have lost the opportunity, maybe forever...
> but that's a whole different post for some other evening of ranting, again
> with the feeling that it's just hot air because the CoA (and the whole SCA) 
> will likely fall apart and fail as an organization because the flaws are 
> inherent in the founding vision of the group back in 1966-1968 and there's no 
> one at the top with the perspective, vision and ability to make the needed 
> changes...geez, how's that for an optimistic outlook???
>
> just my opinion, folks - and as I am fond of pointing out, opinions are
> like sphincters...everyone has one or more...
>
> I have my asbestos garb on for any new or used heralds who wish to disagree...
> otherwise, I'll just crawl back into my hole now...
> ;-)
>
> ttfn
> Therasia
> (please note new preferred email address...)
>
>   
Well, I actually agree with you more than you might think. The system IS 
flawed - no doubt about it - but unfortunately the herald's office is 
NOT an entity unto itself but must work within the whole. I wanted to 
make changes, oh, yes, I wanted to make BIG changes. I started to make 
little noises and little waves (I thought they were little) and was 
summarily taken out of the position at the top. I was not confirmed at 
the six month mark as Laurel Sovereign - but I was also not enjoined 
from trying again later on. We'll see.

Some of the changes I wanted to make have been or are being done - but 
others are not and I am not sure if or when they might take place.

However, in the instant case of Palm versus Pomme, I would initiate an 
appeal directly to the current Pelican - she can rule on this since she 
was not the ruling person at the time of the initial decision - through 
the channels. If any help is needed in writing up said appeal, I can 
think of a couple of good French linguists in-Kingdom who would be of 
great help (I may not know it all, but I do know who to contact on lots 
of things).

Baroness Shauna