ORDINANCES

The ordinances describe the regulations of the guild, its aims and organisation. This version of the ordinances were drafted by Shayne Lynch (January 2019).  Suggested Amendments to the Ordinances are being collected over time.

1.  Aims

  • The aim of the Worshipful Company of WoodWrights is to advance the study and practice of pre-1600AD woodwork in Lochac and throughout the Known World.
  • The secondary aim of the Company is to recreate as closely as possible a medieval or renaissance guild of woodwrights and encourages research and activities towards this end.
  • The tertiary aim of the Company is to hold at least one competition each SCA year in order to publicly promote the practise of woodwork in the Kingdom of Lochac.
  • The Company shall endeavour to encourage all who are interested in woodwork. Membership is voluntary and information shall be freely available regardless of membership.

2.  Categories

  • The aim of the Company is to promote the study and practice of pre-1600AD woodwork in Lochac in a variety of disciplines:
  • Ornamental work
    • General carpentry
    • Joined cabinetry
    • Turned goods
    • Arks and hollowed goods
    • Toys
    • Chests, boxes and cases
  • Great working
    • Ships and boats
    • Houses, barns, fences and other architectural goods
    • Barrels, butts, and other coopered goods
    • Wains
    • Wheels
    • Boards and beams
  • Tools
    • Tools
    • Sawn goods
    • Bench joinery goods
    • Musical instruments
    • Carven bowls, spoons and utensils
  • GreenWork
    • Treen
    • Shakes and riven goods
    • Bodging
    • Basket making
  • Any style of woodwork product can be added to the discipline list in 2.1, if it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the masters of the Company that it was known and practiced before 1600AD. It is the privilege of the masters to assign a style of woodwork to the discipline that they feel appropriate.
  • The Company will also promote the use of wooden products, made with documented medieval and renaissance techniques, throughout the Kingdom.
  • The Company will also promote the research of techniques and designs typically used before 1600AD.

3.  The Structure of the Company

  • The Worshipful Company of WoodWrights of Lochac aims to base its structure and activities on those of the European guilds of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, where this is practical.
  • The Company will have a website, linked to from the Lochac Arts and Sciences website. This website will contain the quarterly reports for the company, a list of the members of the company, and records of the significant activities of the members.
  • The Company will have a discussion forum or mailing list. Activities of the Company will be promulgated there, as well as the website.  Results of examinations will be promulgated there.
  • Anyone may become a member of the Company by joining the discussion forum or mailing list. Such a person is an Initiate of the Mysteries of the Company.
  • Members advance through a discipline via a series of ranks within the company, based on the production of juried works. The ranks are Initiate, Apprentice, Journeyman (or artisan, if preferred), and Master. To avoid confusion with members of the order of the Laurel and their apprentices or journeymen, these terms should only be used along with the descriptive term of the discipline they hold the rank within.

4.  Ranks

  • Initiate:
    • A person of the kingdom may join the Guild, so long as they are a person who is welcome at Lochac Court. That is, they are not subject to any level of banishment.  That person is considered an “Initiate” of the mysteries for until such time as they can produce a work for grading.  The Initiate must submit the work to the relevant Guildmaster, who will ensure the appropriate jurying takes place.
    • An Initiate is not considered a member in good standing.

4.2.              Good Standing

  • The standing of a guild member reflects their activity within the guild. A member in good standing has:
  • Submitted a work in any discipline within the last twenty four months, or
  • Participated in a Jury as a Juror, or
  • Served the Company as Provost Secretary or Champion.

4.3.              Apprentice

  • The lowest rank of achievement in any discipline is apprentice. This person has demonstrated some level of skill in the discipline, but is considered to be still learning the mysteries of the craft.
  • A Guild member is only considered an apprentice for those disciplines that they have submitted work to a jury. A person achieves apprentice rank by submitting one work for a discipline that is graded at apprentice or better.

4.4.              Journeyman (Artisan)

  • A Journeyman has demonstrated skills in the mysteries of a discipline. They have submitted three works for a discipline that have been graded Journeyman or better.

4.5.              Master

  • A Master has demonstrated good skills in the mysteries of a discipline. They have submitted five works for a discipline that have been graded Master. Alternatively, the member has been recognised by the Order of the Laurel for work in a specific discipline.

4.6.              Jurying

  • Works submitted to the Guildmaster of a discipline as part of an advancement, will be judged and scored by a jury. This jury must be organised by the Guildmaster for this purpose.
  • A jury for Apprentice submission must consist of at least one person.
  • A jury for Journeyman submission must consist of at least two people.
  • A jury for GuildMaster submission must consist of at least three people.
  • The Guildmasters will maintain a set of criteria, known as the “Jury Criteria”, and attach it as an appendix to the ordinances.
  • The result of the jury process must be communicated by the Guildmaster to the Provost Secretary. The PS will record the results in the chronicle and pass it to the Provost Chronicler for listing in the Company report webpage. The Guildmaster will further promulgate the result of the Jury to the discussion forum or mailing list.

5.  Discipline submissions

  • There is no timescale for submission – a member might take thirty days or thirty years to submit the requisite number of works for a ranking. A work that was used for ranking at one level may be used for ranking at a different level.  Thus, a person might achieve mastery by submitting only five works – all graded at master level.  The first work would grant apprentice, the third journeyman, and the fifth mastery.
  • Details and pictures of a submission must be posted to the Company website within three months of the judging. Details of the result of a submission must be posted on the Company Discussion list within three months of the decision of the judging.

6.  Company Officials

  • The Company has four offices:
    • Provost Secretary: A guild member in good standing, responsible for coordinating guild activity.  The PS maintains the membership list, organises guildmaster meetings, promulgates changes of ordinances, and notes jury results.
    • Champion: The premier craftsman of the Company, selected by the decision of the Guildmasters, based on the quality of their work during the previous year, especially work submitted as entries in the Company’s competitions.
    • Guildmasters: a group of members in good standing; each of which is the highest ranking member of a specific discipline, as described in the Ordinances. Where a discipline has multiple members at a particular rank, those members will organise themselves to serve as Guildmaster for the discipline on an annual or semi-annual basis.
      • A Guildmaster is responsible within their discipline, for organising a jury to examine work by any guild member in good standing, and to grade the work (unworthy/Apprentice/Journeyman/Master). The result of the jury is to be sent to the Provost Secretary.
    • Provost Chronicler
      • Responsible for the Company website and discussion forum or mailing list..

7.  Company Ordinances

  • Any change in these ordinances may be made by the majority of Guildmasters. Any member of the Company may present evidence for a change to the ordinances.