The Order of the Lux Australis
(Badge image created by Lord Kieran Blake)
Second Constitution for the Order of the Lux Australis:
I. There shall exist in the Barony of the Citadel of the Southern Pass an award, known as the Order of the Lux Australis, which may be given by the Coronet, subject to the pleasure of the Crown, to those persons who have demonstrated their chivalry, excellence in the arts or service to the Barony.
II. The holder of the Order shall be no more than sixteen (16) years of age.
III. The holders of this award shall be styled as Companions of the Lux Australis and shall be entitled to place the initials C.L.A.C. after their names.
IV. The insignia of the order shall consist of a medallion bearing the registered badge of the Order: Azure, a torch enflamed argent between two piles inverted Or.
V. Arms and Precedence: This Order carries neither arms nor precedence.
VI. Amendments to this constitution shall be made by the Coronet after due consultation with the Crown.
VII. The companionship of all previous recipients of the Order is hereby confirmed.
(First Constitution:
By our hands this 11th day of February, A.S. XXVII, being 1993 in the Common Era.
Gareth, Baron Signy, Baroness
Olaf II, King Jeanne, Queen
Louis-Philippe, White Stag Principal Herald)
By our hands this 24th day of May, A.S. XXXIII, being 1998 in the Common Era
Berold, Baron Eirianedd, Baroness
Hrothgar II, King Madigan, Queen
Pendar the Bard, White Stag Principal Herald
History of the Order:
When the Order was originally confirmed, the Barony was nine years and eight months old. The original constitution has in its’ wording the insignia of the Order being ‘subject to the approval of the SCA College of Arms’. The badge for the Order was approved on 30 November 1993 during the reign of Ian & Charitee, nine and a half months after the original constitution was signed.
The first constitution specified that recipients would receive neither arms nor precedence because of the fact that all recipients were to be no older than fifteen years of age. Although there had been precedent set that those younger than sixteen could receive arms, this was only done at the time at the Kingdom level. This was the only Order created during the reign of Gareth and Signy.
The second constitution written for the Order was done during the Baronial Reign of Berold and Eirianedd (she whom we all know now as Bahiyyah). During this time this constitution was re-written to bring it up to date as far as the Orders heraldry.
The second constitution includes the approved badge of the Order and raises the age of the recipient from fifteen (15) to sixteen (16) since by the time of the second constitutions writing, the average age of many of the younger individuals being considered was between 15 and 16.
The last change in the second constitution is the one omitting the original statement saying that the Order may be conveyed only once to a specific individual. Since the Order covers all areas that the Astrum, Flos and Thermopylae cover, Berold and Bahiyyah felt that children should be entitled to an individual Order for each of those fields if they so applied themselves.
The Lux Australis is the Latin translation for “Light of the South”. The main charge of the badge is the enflamed or lit torch. This signifies the light used to tread the path to further endeavor during the rest of the recipients Society career.
The Lux Australis is the second smallest Baronial Order with regards to membership. This is because of two factors. These being the number of children who have been in the Barony in the past and the fact that the Order has only been active for 11 years, just half the lifetime of the Barony.
The Premier of the Order was Branwyn the Fair, Baron Rutor and Baroness Morgana’s daughter, and her induction took place on April 24th, 1993. Her induction happened seven months before the badge of the Order was passed. The next two inductees were Megan Balldrichsdottir and Angelica, again before the badge was passed. The first member of the Order to receive admittance after the badge was passed was Leif, Lord James Eldon and Lady Johanna’s son, on the 18th of January 1997, four years and two months after the badge was passed.
[Link] to the most current listing of the members of the order.