Date: Thu, 9 Jul 1998 18:40:25 -0400 (EDT)
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To: sca-east@indra.com
From: "Richard R. Hershberger" <rrhersh@Op.Net>
Subject: Re: EK: modes of address
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-Poster: "Richard R. Hershberger" <rrhersh@Op.Net>

>  I don't recall the chapter and verse offhand, but yes, white belts are 
>  reserved at the SCA level (making any restriction at the kingdom 
>  levels redundant and unnecessary).  I know I could look it up, if you 
>  wish a citation.
>
>I'd love to see it.
>
>To my knowledge (and this is a case of horsemeat hamburger, if ever there
>was one), an incorrect attempt was made some years ago, by registering it as
>a badge to the SCA. But that attempt doesn't have the desired effect.
>
>White leather belts are certainly so reserved, by custom.  Silverwing's Law
>43 applies... a statute with broader application than SCA law, thank you.
>(:-)
>
>Laurel was empowered to make such rulings some time ago: I don't think she
>has yet.
>
>To recap the old fights: it was the intent to reserve them, the attempt was
>clumsily carried out, and anyone can wear anything in the East.  But if you
>violate social convention, you'll find it's not as much fun to play as you
>would like.
>
>In fact, I think Solveig's description of the situation was dead on right.
>
>	Tibor

History lesson time:  Long, long ago in a kingdom far, far away, the
registration of various items of regalia as "badges" was executed by Wilhelm
von Schlussel then Laurel King of Arms.  This was some fifteen or twenty
years ago.  His intent was to reserve them as regalia, as he wrote in the
cover letter to that month's Laurel letter.  The problem is that "regalia"
is not a category of SCA heraldic registration, so he put them in the
catch-all category of badges.  The practical effect one way or the other was
minimal:  nobody was seriously questioning the white belt et al, so
Schlussel was merely attempting to lock in standard practice.

Jump forward quite a few years, to when yours truly was principal herald of
Caid and the king was some obscure knight named Timothy of Arindel.  The
knighting ceremony in Caid, instituted immediately prior to the invention of
dirt, includes the explanation that the knight's chain symbolizes the
knight's fealty to the crown.  His Majesty, with impeccable logic, reasoned
that if this is the case, then anyone in direct fealty to the crown ought to
be entitled to wear it.  He accordingly issued a proclamation to this
effect.  This was the true cause of the Los Angeles riots.  The Rodney King
trial was merely a media whitewash of the whole affair.  

Laurel King of Arms, at that time Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme, held that
the king lacked the authority to do this, since the chain was preempted by
the old Schlussel registration.  His Majesty's loyal servant, yours truly,
countered that Laurel was the party lacking authority, as regalia is not
placed within Laurel's purview in Corpora.  I have heard the claim that
Laurel had been given this authority back in the elder days before the BoD
had discovered paper, but such nonsense isn't worth the paper it would have
been printed on had they kept minutes.

The upshot is that the question went to the BoD.  They avoided the question
of prior authority by giving Laurel future authority and requesting that the
incoming crown of Caid not renew the proclamation.  In Caid the whole debate
is now but a fading memory, and no Laurel has ever done anything since.  The
subtext is that no Laurel wants to touch the issue because it would
inevitably lead to the question of squires' chains.  If one accepts the
theory that Schlussels actions were sufficient, then squires' chains are
contrary to SCA law.  Hence the issue is merely a quietly ignored footnote.

There will be a quiz on this in the morning, so I hope you took notes...

In terra pax,
Rouland Carre

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