Grandfather clause heraldry
In SCA heraldry, the Grandfather Clause allows items already registered in the SCA to be registered again to the owner, even in the case that the item might be currently against the rules. Registered items include both names and armory.
This is to accommodate those players who played in the early days of the Society, particularly in the 1970s when the rules of the College of Heralds had not yet been fully established. In practice, however, comparatively little of the heraldry of those days is still in general use in the Society.
Grandfather Clause Text
(from the Administrative Handbook of the College of Arms [1] section III.C.)
1. Registered Items Remain Registered - Once registered, an item shall be protected until written notice of release is received by the Laurel Office from the owner. In the case of defunct Society branches, release may be granted by joint consent of the Crown and Kingdom Seneschal after appropriate notice in the newsletter of the kingdom in which the branch was located. Protection shall continue to apply even if the item in question could not be registered under the Rules for Submission currently in effect (Grandfather Clause).
