Heraldry Vision

The Heraldry Department of The Augustan Society, Inc., would engage in the following activities:

Arms Design Consultation

Consultation on the design (and matriculation) of arms for both members and non-members. Each request for such would be delegated to the Vice-Justiciars whose jurisdiction is most appropriate.

Proposal: The Society should direct the Justiciar General to delegate to the most suitable of the Vice-Justiciars such petitioners as may ask for help in the development and matriculation of arms, whether their intent is ultimately Registration of Arms with the Society or not.

Society Departmental Arms and Logo Design and Registration

The Heraldry Committee would design arms or logos for all Society sub-groups, committees, and offices. There would be no fee involved unless there is an expense for the emblazonment of same.

Proposal: The Society should direct the Heraldry Committee to develop and publish a system of arms and logos for Society sub-groups, indicating which are entitled to full achievements, which shields, and which logos which are not intrinsically heraldic.

That said, the beginnings of such a system already exist in the form of previously assigned or assumed designs. A system based on that presently existing would require a minimum of change, and such a policy would likely be as follows:

Proposal: The Society should consider a policy that senior Sub-Groups are entitled to shield, helmet, mantling, crest and badge; that Lineage Groups are entitled to a shield only; that standing Committees are entitled to a logo upon a circle; and that Study Groups are entitled to a logo upon a square or rectangle.

Reviews of Books and other Publications on Heraldry

Given that The Augustan Omnibus is staffed by editors who may not have a great knowledge of heraldry, and that competent reviewers may not always be available, it could be necessary that they obtain expert reviews of heraldic books and other items.

Proposal: The Society should generate reviews of heraldic books, magazines, websites, and programs in consultation with the Librarian and Omnibus Reviews Editor utilizing Heraldry Department staff.

Library Support

Given that the Library is staffed by librarians who may not have a great knowledge of heraldry, it would often be necessary that they be advised on what books and other items to acquire (and discard).

Proposal: The Society should require the Heraldry Department to advise the Library on the accession, deaccession, and classification of books and other materials related to heraldry.

Online Armorial

Index and Ordinary to Arms Registered or Published by the Society

This index and ordinary will provide two means of access to the blazons and emblazonments.

Index and Ordinary of Arms Registered by Cooperating US Registries

This project, already well begun, is an attempt to create a union catalog of all arms registries in the United States (worthy of recognition).

An early goal would be to identify all such registries, and publish the list.

At present, three agencies are represented in the Index, though the quality of data varies somewhat.

Print publication should be delayed until The Augustan Society Roll of Arms series has caught up with registrations.

Augustan Society Roll of Arms

As one of the six primary activities of the Society, publication of The Augustan Society Roll of Arms should receive high priority.

Proposal: The Society should publish additional volumes of The Augustan Society Roll of Arms in hardcover as registrations (including artwork and English blazons) are available.

The challenge at present is that the Society has no volunteer heraldic artist. This means that the creation of emblazonments will incur significant costs which are not appropriate to burden the Budget with.

Proposal: The Society should price copies of the various Rolls of Arms so as to generate a profit that can be diverted to funding the creation of emblazonments for those registrations which do not have them.

Proposal: The Society should reprint Volumes I through III of The Augustan Society Roll of Arms in color.

This project does not require a heraldic artist (colorizing the old arms does not require great skill), but it does require substantial support in translating blazons into English.

Rose Role of Arms

The Noble Company of the Rose has asked that we publish a Rose Roll of Arms of its current members. This done today will be excellent preparation for the Augustan Society Roll of Arms, and may produce some revenue of its own.

Proposal: The Society should periodically publish a Rose Roll of Arms in softcover both now, and as the Noble Company of the Rose requests.

Little Manual of Heraldry

The Little Manual of Heraldry was published by the Society in 1996, and reprinted in 1973 and 1995. A substantial backstock exists, and is being sold at trivial prices to clear.

As this publication was based on a series of independent articles in various Society publications, it is somewhat disjointed, and has proven insufficiently comprehensive to address some routine questions. Add to this that it was published in black & white and the need for a new and expanded edition seems clear.

Proposal: The Society should publish a new edition of a Manual of Heraldry to address the deficiencies of the current edition.

It may well prove that the optimal way to develop this project is in the form of a highly structured Wiki, which would permit multiple contributors to add and edit material over a substantial period of time. At some point it could be declared "sufficiently complete" and published either as a web site, on paper, or both.

Article Solicitation

The Heraldry Department, either through the main Committee, a sub-committee, or a designated officer, will solicit articles on this subject for The Augustan Omnibus, in cooperation with the Omnibus Editor.

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