Castlemere Chancery Charter

The Castlemere Chancery

In order to meet all of the needs for award writs and tournament/prize scrolls of the Barony of Castlemere, all scribes living within its borders - calligraphers, illuminators, and limners as well as  painters and bookmakers - are encouraged to join the official scribal guild of the Barony. This scribal guild shall be referred to as the “Castlemere Chancery.” Its activities and responsibilities are facilitated by the “Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal” - the equivalent to the Kingdom Chart Signet. The concept and terms used are inspired by the clerical system of 14th century England.

Requirements and responsibilities of the “Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal”

1. The Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal shall promote the arts of calligraphy and illumination in the Barony of Castlemere and its cantons by organizing and/or hosting regular scriptoria.
2. The Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal shall receive all requests for Baronial award award writs from the Baron and Baroness of the Barony of Castlemere and shall communicate directly with Them regarding the status of those award writ assignments. All requests are confidential.
3. The Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal shall handle all award scroll requests and assignments discreetly and in a timely manner for the court for which the Baron and/or Baroness requested said awards.
4. The Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal shall maintain a list of scribes who are willing to produce award writs for the Barony of Castlemere and the Kingdom of Trimaris.
5. The Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal shall safely store award writ blanks for the use of the Barony of Castlemere and its cantons.
6. The Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal shall bring to the attention of the Crown candidates who deserve recognition for their work in the scribal arts, including: Those who produce award writs for the Barony and/or Kingdom, those gentles in the Barony of Castlemere and its cantons who teach the Scribal Arts; and all others who support the scribal community through their activities.
7. The Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal shall be a position limited to two (2) years. Six (6) months before expiration of the term of office, the members of the Chancery shall vote among their numbers for a successor. The successor shall be approved by the Baron and Baroness of Castlemere. At the discretion of the Baron and/or Baroness, a Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal  may serve one (1) additional year as Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal for a total of three (3) consecutive years. An individual may not serve more than three (3) years at a time but may apply for the office again in the future.
8. The Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal shall be a deputy office of the baronial Herald.
9. ‘Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal’ is a job description and not a title. It does not carry precedence and does not convey any rank.

Budget

1. The Castlemere Chancery shall receive an annual budget of $100.- for the purchase of paper, paints, and ink to be used for the creation of baronial award writs and baronial tournament/prize scrolls.
2. The Castlemere Chancery shall be encouraged to host fundraisers to add additional funds to their coffers.

Award Writ Requests and Assignments

1. The Baron and/or Baroness shall request award award writs no later than two (2) weeks prior to any event they wish to hold court.
2. All award writs for Castlemere awards shall be assigned through the Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal office.
3. Tournament/Prize scrolls shall be part of the responsibility of the Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal's office. All requests for prize scrolls shall be made through the autocrat of the event.  A minimum of a two (2) month lead on any Tournament or Prize award writs is required.
4. If a scribe can not complete an assignment or deliver an award writ on time, the Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal should be notified prior to the event, in order to have the award writ re-assigned or to choose an appropriate blank from the stock.
5. Scribes may request the responsibility to prepare certain award writs for friends, significant others, etc. They shall be discreet if the assignment has been confirmed and make no mention of the award in any way prior to the court during which the award is bestowed. failure to do so shall remove the privilege for special assignments.

Becoming a Baronial Scribe

1. Contact the Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal to express interest in creating award writs for the Barony.
2. Attend scribal workshops of the Barony of Castlemere and its cantons.
3. Submit award writs for the use of the Barony of Castlemere, its cantons, and the Kingdom of Trimaris.

AWARD WRIT STANDARDS

Acceptable Baronial award writs meet these guidelines:

1. They include the necessary information (type of award, recipient, and date award was given) and spaces for appropriate signatures.
2. They are made of suitable materials. See the Kingdom Handbook for specifics or refer to the Lord/Lady of the Privy Seal for exemptions.
3. Proper credit is given for all work. Please sign your work on the back, noting all scribes involved. You are welcome to include information like source, etc.
4. They appear medieval.
5. They represent your best effort.