Greetings unto the Heralds (and non-Heralds) of Northshield!
This month I will be writing about Heralds in Charge.
You may recall from my last missive that there are many heraldic opportunities involved in the Kingdom. At an event level, one of those opportunities is that of Herald in Charge. This title has been used for different purposes through the history of the Principality and the Kingdom, but currently it refers to the person responsible for the heraldic activities over the course of an event.
The Herald in Charge of an event functions basically the same as a Marshal in Charge. Say I’m the Marshal in Charge of an event where there could be several tournaments at that event. I don’t have to personally marshal every bout of every tournament, but I do have to make sure there are marshals for every tournament. I am also responsible for completing and submitting the required paperwork after the event. A Herald in Charge is much the same - they don’t have to personally herald every court at an event, shout every announcement, and be available for consultation about names and arms over the course of the day. They do have to make sure there are heralds ready to serve wherever they may be required, and they are responsible for completing and submitting the required paperwork after the event. It’s also worth noting that being Herald in Charge does not necessarily mean that you are going to be the herald for Court - Their Majesties may invite specific heralds to represent Them for specific Courts or court functions, and will have final say over which heralds act as Their Voice – but it may.
For a smaller event, the Herald in Charge might run all the heraldic activity themselves. A small site and a light schedule may mean little need for announcements. Perhaps only a few people at the event need help with their names or devices. There might be no tournaments scheduled, but a brief Court. Those sorts of events are usually easily handled by one herald.
For a larger event (like WW, for example), the Herald in Charge would probably be a staff position. They would work with the Event Stewards to figure out when, where, and how heralds can help the event. They would assist with organizing the necessary heralds so all the various heraldic jobs can get done. How many people are needed for announcements? How many to work the consulting table? How many for the tournament lists? How many for Court? Then they would be responsible for ensuring the required paperwork is completed and submitted after the event. The Herald in Charge job can be broken up if it makes it easier for all involved. Some of this coordination can be done in advance of the event by a staff herald (the organization and herald-wrangling), and for each day of the event, you might have a Day Herald in Charge actually at the event, to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Being a Herald in Charge can be a lot of work, but also very rewarding. We all love it when a plan comes together, and it provides a certain sense of satisfaction to send that final report.
You can see which upcoming events still need Heralds in Charge and sign up (either as a Herald or as a Herald in Charge) on the Northshield Herald Event Roster on the Northshield website. Go to Northshield, Polaris Herald page, and look under Resource links. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Everyone (with a current warrant) is invited to sign up for these positions, and I hope that this encourages both less- and more-experienced heralds to work together.
I look forward to hearing you!
Ysolt