Registration of Arms
From Augustan Society Staff Wiki
One of the primary activities of The Augustan Society, Inc., is the Registration of Arms. Responsibility for reviewing the petitions submitted has been assigned to the Heraldry Committee, who make recommendations to the Board, which makes final determinations.
Procedure for Registering the Arms of an Individual
- The petition, payment, and any supporting materials are received at Headquarters. Headquarters Staff will confirm receipt of payment and that there are no obvious defects in the petition. [1] They will confirm the recognition of, or refer for confirmation, any claimed titles or postnominals. [2] They will then forward all to the Justiciar General.
- Petions for the arms of an ancestor are generally restricted to one generation farther back than the eldest living ancestor (including cases where that is the petitioner).
- Petitions for the arms of an ancestor more than one generation removed from his eldest living relative may be considered by the Justiciar General on a case-by-case basis, and will require an approved lineage.
- Petitions for the arms of an organization must come from a petitioner authorized by the organization. Headquarters Staff will make a preliminary determination if appropriate authorization is present; appleals may be made to the Justiciar General.
- The Justiciar General will examine the documents for completeness and consistency. He will resolve conflicts between multiple blazons and illustrations, and with the assistance of specific Vice-Justiciars, will obtain any needed translations, and creates a definitive English blazon from which an Heraldic Artist might work. [3] The Justiciar General will forward any amended files to the Arms Chancellor for recording. [4]
- The Justiciar General will assign the English blazon to an Heraldic Artist to emblazon an illustration that is in full compliance with the blazon and with the needs of The Augustan Society Roll of Arms and Online Armorial. [5] The Heraldic Artist will be in possession of the standards and requirements for artwork for the Roll of Arms and will be in direct consultation with the Rolls Editor, or the Production Editor if there is not Rolls Editor.
- The artwork will be returned to the Justiciar General (or Arms Chancellor, if so directed). The Justiciar General will either grant temporary approval, or remand the artwork to the Heraldic Artist for amendment. Upon tentative approval, the Justiciar General will forward (directly or otherwise) the blazon and emblazonment to Headquarters Staff.
- Headquarters Staff will then create a draft certificate and return it to the Justiciar General. [6]
- The Justiciar General may approve the draft certificate, or remand it to Headquarters Staff for amendment. The Justiciar General will then cause the draft certificate to be sent to all members of the Heraldry Committee and the Rolls Editor or Production Editor. [7] The Justiciar General will direct those receiving a copy to review the blazon, translation [if any], and illustration. The Rolls Editor or Production Editor will also participate in this review.
- Any discussion among members of the Committee occurs, and a vote for approval or disapproval is taken. Note that a favorable recommendation requires assent from a majority of the members of the Committee, less any who are obliged to recuse themselves. The number, but not the identity, of those assenting must be submitted to Headquarters. [8]
- Upon Board approval, Headquarters Staff will circulate the final certificate for the reviews and signatures of the Justiciar General and the President. This may be done electronically at the discretion of each officer. That done, they will affix the Seal of the Corporation and send the signed certificate to the petitioner.
Note that the Justiciar General may, at his discretion, waive the fee for registration when the petition is submitted by a Director or a member of the Heraldry Committee. In such cases, no certificate fee will be collected and no certificate issued without separate payment.
Notes:
- One such defect would be if the petitioner resides in a country with a legitimate national heraldic authority, and who has not previously obtained a grant (by whatever name) from said agency.
- If the petition contains chivalric postnominals or titles, or if additaments are requested which are contingent on a noble title, these must first be approved by either the Chivalry Committee or Royalty & Nobility Committee as appropriate before the heraldic matters are considered. Headquarters Staff will generally evaluate requests for academic, learned society, and military postnominals. If the Approval by the Heraldry Committee shall be understood to be an affirmative vote by the majority of members. petition contains a claim for inherited arms, the genealogical evidence for such a right must first be evaluated by the Genealogy Committee. Additional fees may apply to these evaluations. If the petitioner elects not to have such titles, postnominals, or other honors mentioned on his Certificate of Arms Registration, these approvals are not required.
- English-language blazons received from recognized governmental heraldic jurisdictions (England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, etc.) will be given priority in cases of any conflict between various written blazons or between written blazons and submitted illustrations. In other cases of a conflict between blazons or between blazons and submitted illustrations, or as needed, the Justiciar General or one of his Vice-Justiciars will contact the petitioner to resolve such conflicts. This priority treatment does not extend to official or governmental registrations which are not in English because of the issues created by the need for translation.
- The Heraldry Committee as a whole is not informed of or assigned work on the petition until the emblazonment and translation have been obtained.
- The Heraldic Artist should be assigned the English blazon and should not be assigned work until the blazon and translation are complete and approved.
- Minor technical or typographical revisions to the blazon, the illustration, or the certificate may be approved by the Justiciar General alone without formal Committee reconsideration or Board approval.
- Although it need not be done on a routine basis, at any point in the process, the Justiciar General may correspond with the petitioner regarding the blazon or illustration submitted. This is more likely to be required if discrepancies or problem are encountered.
- Heraldic Artists who are volunteers seated on the Heraldry Committee will normally recuse himself from a vote on artwork he has himself created.
