Fellow members;
You are hereby notified of the Society code phrases for 1897. Please be diligent, but circumspect, in their use.
The challenge phrase is to ask for directions, adding that you are interested in finding a bakery or baked goods. Depending upon what month it is, you will state that you would really like to find a good <insert baked good>. For January or February, the item is an Apple Pie; for March or April, it is Cherry Pie; for May or June, it is Lemon Meringue Pie; for July or August, it is Chocolate Cake; for September or October, it is Pound Cake; and for November or December, it is Fruit Cake. For example: in June, in Denver, you might ask "Pardon me, but would you tell me how to find a nearby but good bakery, one that makes a good Lemon Meringue Pie?"
The response may give directions (or say he does not know) but add that his/her Aunt <insert name> used to make a really good <repeat the baked good item>, but she died <insert number> months ago where the first letter of the "Aunt's name" is a C (for Cake) or a P (for Pie), and the number is number in the alphabet of the first letter of the city, state, country or ocean. In the example, the response might be "There is a nice bakery named Frank's bakery four blocks east of here you might try. My Aunt Pauline used to make a really good Lemon Meringue Pie, but she died four months ago." You can add other sentences or phrasing, but the response should be within three sentences. Whether accurate directions or a real bakery is mentioned is unimportant. Contacts awaiting the arrival of Travelers may start a conversation by inquiring if they might be of service, perhaps provide directions, thereby giving the arriving Traveler a natural opportunity to give the Challenge.
For use in less dangerous circumstances, you may use the symbol of a silver lightning bolt. Some messages will include code phrases that will be used for that assignment only for verification and recognition. Please burn this letter after memorizing the new code phrases.
Sincerely,
The Council of the Society of the White Rose
So what does all this mean? The White Rose uses security procedures to protect its field agents. Low level events use a silver lightning bolt as its sole means of recognition of fellow members. Heroes in mid and high level events as well as any level events will see the use of various codes. Some will be code phrases buried in messages. Their contact(s) will expect the heroes to use the code phrase during the initial meeting to verify who the heroes are. Instructions may also be given for the heroes to carry a specific item as a means of identification for the contact to recognize the hero (or vice versa).
In other events, sign and countersigns may be used. The sign (or Challenge) will consist of a sentence with a unique code phrase, The 1897 challenge is to ask for directions, adding that you are interested in finding a bakery or baked goods. Depending upon what month it is, you state that you would really like to find a good <insert baked good>. For January or February, the item is an Apple Pie; for March or April, it is Cherry Pie; for May or June, it is Lemon Meringue Pie; for July or August, it is Chocolate Cake; for September or October, it is Pound Cake; and for November or December, it is Fruit Cake. (The randomly chosen names of the baked goods are more secure than a formula although harder to remember.)
The person responding may give directions (that part does not really matter) but must add that his/her Aunt <insert name> used to make a really good <repeat the baked good item>, but she died <insert number> months ago where the first letter of the "Aunt's name" is a C (for Cake) or a P (for Pie), and the number is number in the alphabet of the first letter of the name (in English) of the city, state, country or ocean where the meeting is taking place. Thus the number will vary between 1 and 26. They may add other sentences or phrasing, but the response should be within three sentences.
The sign and countersign will change annually, but this is the correct sign-countersign for game year 1897 (real player year 2004).
A handout like this will accompany any tournament that uses the sign & countersign. It will include the current sign and countersign being used. In low-only events, the silver lightning bolt is perfectly acceptable as a sign.
A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4, E-5, F-6, G-7, H-8, I-9, J-10, K-11, L-12, M-13, N-14, O-15, P-16, Q-17, R-18, S-19, T-20, U-21, V-22, W-23, X-24, Y-25, Z-26