The responsibility for considering recognition (or delisting) is delegated to the [[Chivalry Committee]], who submit their recommendation to the [[Board]] for final adoption.
Petitions for Recognition of an Order will be accepted, and consideration may also be granted by the Committee in ''motu propicioproprio''. Consideration of delistings are normally done in ''motu propicioproprio'', but one supposes that a paid petition to delist consider delisting would also be accepted.
The Procedure is this:
# The Chivalry Chairman distributes the material to all members of his Committee.
# Committee members who feel obliged to recuse themselves from the discussion may do so, provided the majority of the Committee members remain.
# If recognition (or delisting) hinges on the ''fons honorum'' of the Order, the Chivalry Chairman or the Chivalry Committee may refer that question to the [[Royalty & Nobility Committee]] for a determination. If based on a Petition (rather than a ''motu propicioproprio'' action), the petitioner will be required to submit the associated fee. HQ staff will so annotate the original petition, and may create a Petition for Recognition of Fons Honorum if needed. Discussion may be suspended pending a recommendation from the Royalty & Nobility Committee
# After what the Chivalry Chairman feels is sufficient discussion, he puts the question to a vote.
# The Chivalry Chairman conveys the vote of the majority of the Committee membership, recommending recognition (or delisting) to the [[Assistant Secretary]]. He must also convey the identity of the ''fons honorum'' behind the Order.
# The Chivalry Chairman will identify all postnominals reasonably appropriate to the Order, and convey them to the [[Webmaster]].
# The Assistant Secretary places the recommendation on the next available Board [[Agenda]]. Normally, it is placed in the [[Consent Calendar]], but if either the Chivalry Chairman or Assistant Secretary believe the matter will be subject to debate, it is placed under New Business instead. (It may also be pulled from the Consent Calendar by any [[Directors|Director]] present at the meeting.)
# If the proceedings include recognition of a new ''fons honorum'', the recommendation from the Royalty & Nobility Committee will also be placed on the Agenda. If the ''fons'' recommendation is not placed in the Consent Calendar, neither shall the Order recommendation be.
# Upon distribution of the [[Minutes]] of the meeting, the Assistant Secretary will so inform the [[Assistant Webmaster for ENS]] (if one has been named, otherwise the [[Webmaster]] will be informed).
Notes:
* The Chivalry Committee shall inform HQ staff when they take up consideration in ''motu propicioproprio'' so that petitions for such Orders are not accepted.
* At this time, there is no list of recognized ''fontes honorum'', and the Royalty & Nobility Committee has declined to create one. Thus all recommendations to recognize Orders must include recognition of the ''fons''. The exception is for Orders that share a ''fons'' with another Order already recognized, but identification of that ''fons'' and the Orders dependent from it must be provided.
* At some future date, it is expected that the list of recognized ''fontes'' will be placed on the main website and made public.