The Summer in Review

As Summer comes to a close, the SBC reflects on some of the notable events that have transpired in the Dominion and our fellow associates in the Commonwealth of Sayvillian Regions these past few months. Explained below are some of the noteworthy events that occurred in June through early September.

New CSR Flags and Coats of Arms

Starting in late Spring and early Summer, CSR regions began redesigning their flags to incorporate symbolism more representative of their communities. Central among these was a modified version of the traditional purple-white-gold Pan-Sayvillian tricolor, which served as a basis for the flags of the Kingdom of Sayville, Kingdom of West Sayville, and even the Commonwealth's flag. These designs were released to the general public on June 13, 2020, with the Empire of Sayville releasing their own redesigns a few days prior on June 6. The Dominion of Sayville opted against redesigning their Red Ensign (the Dominion's "officially unofficial" flag). The redesigned flags and coats of arms can be viewed here.

CSR Heraldic Authorities

Late July and early to mid-August saw the creation of heraldic authorities in the CSR, with the "Imperial College of Arms" in the Empire of Sayville being the first. The Dominion of Sayville subsequently established the "Sayvillian Heraldic Authority," and the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sayville created the "Ministry of Heraldic Affairs." This came in the wake of regional symbol redesigns as mentioned in the previous section, and a growing desire among some CSR governments to create institutions that could readily fashion flags, coats of arms, seals, and emblems for official use.

The Commonwealth's Anthem

In an effort to promote a sense of camaraderie among Sayvillian officials in CSR regions, CSR officials adopted a Pan-Sayvillian anthem after consulting the general public. The anthem is set to the tune of Dvorak's 4th Symphony, with lyrics written by The Hon. Aidan McCullough OS PC MEC, Deputy Prime Minister of the Dominion of Sayville. The Deputy Prime Minister of the KOS plans on creating a video for the new anthem that will be released at a later date. The anthem's lyrics can be viewed here.

Regional Happenings

In addition to the Commonwealth-wide events mentioned above, CSR regions have pursued their own agendas. In the Empire of Sayville, HIM The Emperor of the Sayvillians appointed HIH The Prince Pegleg as heir presumptive to the Empire's throne. The Emperor also promulgated a constitution for the EOS and proclaimed August 16 as "Reformation Day" to commemorate the constitution's adoption. Going forward, the Lord President of the EOS (Carson) hopes to accomplish the following:

- 25 nations in the EOS region

- 5 WA nations in the EOS region

- Atleast 15 of those nations into the CSR Discord 

- Filling the rest of the imperial council roles/seats

- Continuing outreach diplomacy with other micronations

In the Kingdom of West Sayville, Prime Minister Sertor Valentinus had this to say about his government's progress and plans for the near future:

Recently, the King of the West Sayvillians has appointed Crown Prince Scansinia as regent, due to health complications.

In the future, I would like to see West Sayville be a member of the Cupertino Alliance, and at the very least be an observer state of the Grand Unified Micronational.

The KWS also planned on establishing ties with the Ausverian Volks Republic but rescinded their offer over concerns for Ausveria's far-right tendencies. On September 11, their government signed a treaty of mutual recognition with the Commonwealth of Naveria, which was applauded by officials in both governments.

In the Kingdom of Sayville, HRH The Duke of Gillette released his work on a fantasy role-play scenario in late August, described in his own words below:

So my plan is...the different major kingdoms being members of the CSR where people will play as lords or smaller serfdoms within the kingdom they decided to join set up in. The different lords and everything can fight for control of small territories and resources however every so often I'm planning on the major kingdoms to go to war or other events happening where it'll be up to the lords in the regions to come together and help out with the events or get left out when the treaties and what not come out or when what ever happens at the end happens. It'll have a flowing more alive RP then what is standard with custom lore and an ever changing setting.

The Duke published a more in-depth overview of his plans on the CSR's Discord server, which can be viewed here.

Regarding more local news in the DOS, His Excellency The Rt. Hon. Governor-General gave Royal Assent to the Sayvillian Broadcasting Act on June 29, which established the Sayvillian Broadcasting Corporation. On the advice of the Prime Minister, the Governor-General also established the Order of Sayville as the DOS's highest (and only) honor for merit on July 31. The most notable story this summer was the Sovereign's abdication, which occurred on August 10. That day, Prince Brady abdicated the throne, with Thomas of Hrafnarfjall succeeding him as Sovereign of Powhatan in Right of the Dominion of Sayville. This event united the Kingdom of Powhatan with the Kingdom of Hrafnarfjall in personal union, marking the dawn of a new era for Powhatans and DOS residents.