Recognition of Membership & Rank in Orders of Chivalry
The Augustan Society, Inc., will, upon petition, recognize membership and rank in Recognized Orders of Chivalry, and it is thus necessary that there be a procedure for such recognition.
The responsibility for considering recognition is delegated to the Chivalry Committee, who submit their recommendation to the Board for final adoption.
Petitions for Recognition of Membership in an Order are accepted from the individual in question. These must list the name of the Order in recognizable form, the rank held, the date of award, any related postnominals, and data to confirm this status. Given the wide range of ways in which Orders publish such recognition, a wide range of data sources might be acceptable
The Procedure is this:
- The Petition and Payment are received at Headquarters.
- HQ staff confirm that the petition appears to include all relevant particulars, including sources for confirmation.
- HQ staff confirm that the Order is on the List of Recognized Orders (of Chivalry and Organizations of a Chivalric Nature).
- HQ staff forward the petition and such related data as they may see fit to the Chivalry Chairman.
- 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 hinges on the royal or noble status of the individual, the Chivalry Chairman or the Chivalry Committee may refer that question to the Royalty & Nobility Committee for a determination. The petitioner may be required to submit the associated fee. HQ staff will so annotate the original petition, and may create a Petition for Recognition of Noblility 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 to the Assistant Secretary. He must also confirm the rank and postnominals appropriate.
- The Assistant Secretary will check the postnominals against the List of Postnominals, and if new, so inform the Webmaster that he may add them to the list.
- 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 Director present at the meeting.)
- If the proceedings include recognition of a title of nobility, the recommendation from the Royalty & Nobility Committee will also be placed on the Agenda. If the nobility recommendation is not placed in the Consent Calendar, neither shall the Order recommendation be.
- The Assistant Secretary will send a letter of notification to the petitioner.
- HQ staff will amend the Roster to use such postnominals as may be appropriate.
Notes:
- Recommendations may be recalled by the Chivalry Chairman (or Chivalry Vice-Chairman, if the Chairman is unavailable or unresponsive) if they are received by the Assistant Secretary before the start of the Board meeting. Such recalls should only be made when new information has been uncovered that might cause the recommendation to be reversed.
- Recommendations from the Royalty & Nobility Committee may be recalled in the same way, and if received the Chivalric recognition recommendation will also be recalled.
- If the Board declines to recognize a required title of nobility, recognition of membership and rank will automatically be withdrawn.
The above is a first draft of the Procedure and Notes, and may well need adjustment or additions.
