General Requirements for Forms: The general requirements for Branch submissions are just like any personal heraldic submission. These can be found in the handout entitled "How to Fill Out An Tir Heraldic Submission Forms." However, Branches have extra requirements imposed by Corpora, Laurel Sovereign of Arms, and Kingdom policy.
Registration Limits: By Laurel policy, branches with ruling nobles (Kingdoms, Principalities and Baronies) may register an unlimited number of items. Branches without ruling nobles (Shires, Cantons, Provinces and Crown Principalities) are subject to a limit of four names and four pieces of armory.
Registration Requirements for Official Branch Status: By Corpora, an incipient Barony, Province, Principality or Kingdom must have a registered name and registered Arms before it may become an official branch. Other branches must have a registered name before they may become official, but need not have registered arms before it becomes an official branch.
Signatures: Submissions for a branch with ruling nobles are required by Kingdom custom to have the forms signed by one of the ruling nobles of that branch. Even submissions such as branch Guild names and badges must be signed by the Ruling Noble, not just by the Guild Head.
Branch Names and Arms: Petitions: By Laurel policy, all Branch Names and Arms submissions must be accompanied by a petition of support. Other submissions (badges, household names, etc.) do not require such a petition. Each petition should clearly state its intent. The exact spelling of the branch name should be on the name petition and the submission form, and a picture of the arms as well as the blazon should be on the arms petition. The petitions should indicate the signatories' S.C.A. name, legal name, and any office they hold with the branch. The reason offices are requested is that, by Laurel policy, support may be shown by the signature of the seneschal and either by a majority of the of the active members of the branch, or by at least three-quarters of the other local officers. If the Branch Name or Arms submission is from a branch with Ruling Nobles, the support of all Ruling Nobles of that branch is required.
Principalities and Kingdoms have special requirements for their Branch Name and Arms. They must show support via the results of a poll conducted in the official newsletter and certified by the Branch Seneschal. This requirement applies to the Consort's arms as well as the Sovereign's Arms by a Laurel ruling.
Required Charges: All Branch arms must incorporate one or more Laurel Wreathes as a significant part of the armory by Laurel policy. The Laurel Wreath may only be used on branch Arms, not on badges. Kingdom Arms must include a crown or coronet in the design. Principality Arms may include a crown but are not required to do so.
Orders, Group Names and Badges: By Corpora, Order names may only be registered to Kingdoms, Principalities, Baronies or equivalent branches. Other types of names may be registered by any sort of branch as a household name. Any branch may register badges.
Herald's Titles: By Laurel policy, all Herald's Titles must be registered to the Kingdom in which they are used (except for S.C.A. level Herald's Titles.) Kingdom will register one herald's title per Barony at the Barony's request, as well as extra Herald's Titles for use by Kingdom staff and Principalities. By long-standing custom, branches without ruling nobles may not register Herald's Titles.
If a branch with ruling nobles wishes to have a herald's title, it must submit forms and a submissions fee for that title through the An Tir College. The forms should designate the title as being registered to An Tir, not to the branch itself. The submission form must be signed by Black Lion Principal Herald. Kingdom Custom also allows the submission forms for a Herald's Title to be signed by the Ruling Nobles of the Branch requesting the title rather than requiring the signature of the Crown.
Kingdom custom designates Baronial heraldic officers as Pursuivants and Kingdom Staff and Principality officers as either Pursuivants or Heralds at the discretion of Black Lion.
Regional Heraldic Submissions: A region is an administrative area, with no official identity (by Corpora) other than as part of the Kingdom. As a result, Regional names and armory must be registered to the Kingdom. Regional names may be registered as household names or herald's titles; regional armory may be registered as badges. Should the region later become an incipient branch, any heraldry previously registered for it may be transferred to the branch from the Kingdom.
Regional heraldic submissions must be signed by the Crown. The Crown and Black Lion Herald may require some evidence of regional support of such submissions.
Regional Arms pose a particular problem. If the Region plans to become a Branch some day (such as a Principality or Kingdom) it is necessary for the Regional Arms to incorporate some required charges (see Branch Names and Arms.) However, one of these charges (the Laurel Wreath) may not be registered in a Kingdom badge; it may only be registered in official branch Arms. It is suggested that Regions do not design Arms until they are an incipient branch. This also keeps the branch from finding itself with a design that does not look good with the required laurel wreath(s).
26 August 1998
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