The Scribal Guild is a robust community in Meridies that is a wonderful way to reach out to each other, become engaged and connected to other scribes via this website, the Scribal Guild of Meridies Facebook page, and in-person Scriptoriums at SCA events as well as on-line classes and Zooms. The hope for this website is to provide a resource for scribes to access information for Meridian Scribes all in one place as scribal information can often be hard to find and policies and practices can very from Kingdom to Kingdom. The Scribes in our community have greatly diverse talents and abilities and are willing to share and impart that knowledge to anyone wanting to learn. No one is born an artist and talent only gets you so far on its own thus having such a robust community as ours can be beneficial to all who get involved.
All Meridian Scribes are encouraged to further their scribal education, and to develop their skills in the craft. There is always something more to learn, whether one is a beginner or a seasoned scribe. As a scribe, you provide a great service both to the Kingdom, and to the good gentles that take home the scrolls you have so painstakingly created. Your work is noticed, and is greatly appreciated. So let’s get started!
What is a Scribe?
A Scribe is anyone who completes a scroll for the kingdom either in part or in its entirety. They can trace, draw, line, calligraphy, gild, and/or paint. It is not required to do or know all of these aspects of a scroll to consider yourself a Scribe. As in medieval times, we can work together doing our various parts to create the beautiful works of art the kingdom gives to its populace members to commemorate their award. Completing a scroll by oneself does not make someone more of a scribe than working as a team. And although it is encouraged to know all parts of a scroll eventually, it is not required.
Scribal Roster
Recently, the Scribal Guild started a Scribal Roster of active scribes and their current level of ability and proliferation. If a new skill is learned, it is requested that you let the Guild Leader know the change in your ability. Also an art release consent form will need to be signed if you want your work to be displayed on kingdom publications and on social media platforms for the SCA and other miscellaneous SCA publications.. This protects the artist and the Kingdom/Society.
Scribal Officers
Organizational Structure of the Scribal Community
The officers in the Scribal Collage are as follows:
- Parchment Clerk
- Parchment Deputy
- Scribal Guild Leader
- Scribal Guild Deputy
The Parchment Clerk is a Greater Officer in the Kingdom of Meridies. The main purpose of the Parchment Office is to handle and maintain Kingdom scrolls for the Crowns to use at their discretion and to facilitate communication between the Crown of Meridies and the Scribes of Meridies with the intent of easing the burden of the Crown. To this end, the Principle Parchment Officer may create their own team of volunteers as needed to help streamline this process.
Parchment responsibilities include the following:
- Maintaining the Kingdom Scroll Cases
- Manages each event’s Court Prep and assigns a Court Scribe as needed
- Keeping the Scroll Case Tally up to date
- Managing scroll commissions and backlogs
- Hosting the Coronation Scribal Challenges at the beginning of every reign
- Manage the Parchment Office budget
- Report yearly to the Society A&S Officer
Other duties include working in conjunction with the Scribal Guild to promote the scribal arts, teaching, maintaining consistent scribal practices within the kingdom, determine scribal concerns and needs and bring those to the attention of Principal Parchment and Scribal Guild Leader to discuss and address.
The Scribal Guild Leader is in charge of the Scribal Guild and its guardian. The Guild Leader may create a team to help support the Guild and distribute the following responsibilities as they see fit:
- Moderating the official Scribal Guild of Meridies Facebook page to help promote robust and healthy conversation
- Maintaining the official Guild website or appointing a Scribal Webminister
- Updating the Scribal Handbook of Meridies
- Updating the Scribal Roster
- Organize Scriptoriums and/or Demos at official events in Meridies by reaching out to event staff and helping with said scriptoriums where and if needed
- Maintaining the Scribal Guild Box and make it available to the scriptoriums to help support new and beginning scribes try out different materials and tools, encouraging greater quality in the art and the ability of the scribes and facilitate learning to that end.
- Maintain a budget and hold fundraisers where needed
- Host one Guild meeting per reign whether in-person or online
A Court Scribe can be any volunteer scribe, typically assigned by the Parchment beforehand, to fill in the names and dates of awards going out that day at an event during Court Prep, which usually begins 2 hours prior to Court. The Chancellor from the crown checks the event Troll sheets to determine if the recipients are present at the event and informs the Court Scribe at Court Prep. A Court Scribe knows several different hands and can match the calligraphy hand, or a complementary hand, of the scroll that the name and date are to be added. Two scribes are preferred to help out each event as Court Scribe but will need at least one volunteer.
***Completed scrolls for the Kingdom cases may be turned into any one of the officers mentioned above who will then submit them to the Principal Parchment Officer***