Imperial Sovereign of Arms Report

November 2000

Unto Their Imperial Majesties, Elisabeth and Erik, Empress and Emperor of Adria, and unto the Lords and Ladies of the Imperial Estates General does Their servant, Sir Nigel the Byzantine, Fleur-de-Lis King of Arms, send Greetings!

Your Majesties, My Lords and Ladies:

Herewith is my report on the status of my Office:

Website

The College of Arms Website (address: http://www.geocities.com/nigelbyz/) is now in version 2.0, complete with frames and improved navigation. Response has been very positive to the Website, which makes it very easy for any member of the Empire to find information on the heraldic practices of the Empire. With the release of the new version, the Website has reached the point where I will need to spend less time maintaining it and more time on the other duties of my position.

Budget

Since I publish everything on the Website, my Office has no postage costs. However, I will soon be in need of a file cabinet and a few other items such as office supplies and manila folders, as I cannot continue purchasing them out of my own pocket. Since I have been operating at a steady level for more than a few months now, I have been able to make an accurate assessment of the actual costs of running my office. This means that I am finally able to create a realistic budget, which I am preparing as a proposal for the July 2001 Meeting of the Imperial Estates.

Agenda

With regard to the Agenda Items remanded to my Office with regard to titles:

The Agenda Items I was presented with entailed the following changes:

1. Create the non-Estate-holding rank of Duke to be be bestowed on Kings and Queens who have reigned for two or more successful terms. (NB 5)
2. Change the spelling of "Bannerette" to "Banneret", in all Bylaw and Writ references to Knights Combattant Second Level. (NB 41)
3. Change the rank of Baronet to Baron. (NB 42a)
4. Change the rank of Sire to Lord. (NB 42b)

Item 2 has been deemed by the Imperial Chancellor to be a mere spelling change within the purview of the Chancery, not the College of Arms.

There has been heated debate on the remaining issues, such that time has been insufficient for me to complete the task at hand with any degree of compromise. I would ask all those Estates Members and members of the Populace at large with opinions on this subject to please contact me at nigelbyz@yahoo.com or at my other contact information (easily obtainable in any issue of the Adrian Herald).

My research has shown that merely making these piecemeal changes is insufficient, that the cumulative effect of these changes so weakens the existing structure so badly that it needs to be completely re-vamped. What I have been able to come up with so far can be found at the College of Arms website at http://www.geocities.com/nigelbyz/Articles/proposal.html. I would invite commentary on this.

I should note that obtaining commentary on my ideas has proven futile because of the apparent apathy of the Estate Holders and the Populace. I cannot work in a vacuum. These proposals will affect the people of the Empire, so I must hear the opinions and thoughts of the people before I can create something that will be amenable to them. Please, I implore you, send me your thoughts on thse proposals. Good or bad, I need to see them all.

I look forward to hearing your comments.

In service to the Crown and People of Adria,

Sir Nigel the Byzantine,
Fleur-de-Lis King of Arms