Farewell Missive from Brigantia Herald
One last time the people will hear from me.
I will stand for the last time as Brigantia at BBM/Bergental Yule. At that time Master Malcolm Bowman will be invested as the 18th Brigantia Principal Herald of the Kingdom of the East. I wish him as interesting of a term as the four years in which I have served.
The job of Brigantia is one where you cannot talk less, but it is one for which I can’t imagine to have smiled more. And it isn’t one which is done alone. There are armies of people who have worked with me, supported me, and gotten the work done. I cannot possibly thank you all as I would need a special edition of the Pikestaff just to thank everyone individually.
That being said I have to give special thanks to Treannah and Alys for being my Right Hand Ladies for the first three years and to Malcolm for being my Right Hand Man this past year. Knowing I had you all to fall back on gave me confidence that I would be able to handle the challenges of this office. You helped me rise up to the occasion of my station.
I must give special thanks to Yehuda for first revolutionizing the Heraldic Education Office and then taking up the mantle of Submission Herald. Neither of those positions are easy and you have handled both with aplomb and skill. Your education videos are viewed as THE definitive primer for SCA heraldry across the known world. The results of your work continually blow us all away.
In the last four years of my administration every single facet of the award structures of the East has been revolutionized. From the renaming of several awards in order to register them with the SCA College of arms in my first and second years, through the elevation of the Orders of High Merit and establishment of the AoA Orders, every award has changed. I could not have handled these changes without Her Majesty Anna and Master Rowen as my Precedence Clerks. Thank you both for your friendship, patience, support, and non-stop work. I could not have done this job without you both.
Thanks too to everyone in the Submissions Herald’s department. Every month the East submits and processes more names and armory than any other Kingdom and the entire department, from consultations all the way through Notifications, makes it look easy. Nobody can know just how much work you put in unless they’re in the room where it happens but it is all appreciated.
To the Regional Heralds and Local Heralds, your reports are due December 1st… I’m not going to remind you again about these. Seriously, thank you all for your support on every level.
Thanks must go to Alys, Treannah, Rowen, Malcolm, Ernst and Maria, and Donovan. Thank you all for leading your reigns’ courts and freeing me to handle the non-court workload without driving myself crazy. If I had to handle every court over the last 4 years, on top of what seems like Non Stop writing I would have burnt out long, long ago.
To Edward and Thyra for selecting me for this job: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve this Kingdom as Brigantia. I hope I have lived up to your confidence. To Gregor and Kiena, Kenric and Avelina, Brennan and Caoilfhionn, Omega and Etheldreda, and Brion and Anna, thank you for allowing me to be on your Heraldic Staffs and putting up with my stubbornness and, sometimes hair brained, initiatives. It’s always been nice to have you all on my side.
As I say goodbye I look forward to moments alone in the shade, at home in this Kingdom we have made. And as I cannot say this any better than by paraphrasing the original source:
Though, in reviewing the incidents of my administration, I am unconscious of intentional error. I am nevertheless too sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors. I shall also carry with me the hope that my Kingdom will view them with indulgence; and that after four years of my life dedicated to its service with an upright zeal the faults of incompetent abilities will be consigned to oblivion. – G. Washington (Oh COME ON, like you didn’t notice all the Hamilton References in this letter. It’s a good line though, right?)
In all seriousness, these last four years have opened my eyes to the Society as a whole and have deepened my love and pride in my kingdom and its inhabitants. The East leads the Known World for a reason. That reason is its people. It is a humbling experience to have been responsible for a Kingdom’s ceremony and legacy. It has been a privilege being its ambassador to the Known World. I will carry the pride in this Kingdom for the rest of my days. Thank you all.
To the East and the Society I remain their obedient servant,
Master Ryan Mac Whyte,
17th Brigantia Emeritus of the Kingdom of the East