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 favorable recommendations to the Board for 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.
- Headquarters Staff confirm that the petition appears to include all relevant particulars, including sources for confirmation.
- Headquarters Staff confirm that the Order is on the list of Recognized Orders of Chivalry (and Organizations of a Chivalric Nature).
- Headquarters Staff forward the petition and related data to the Chivalry Committee Chairman.
- The Chivalry Committee Chairman distributes the material to all members of his Committee.
- Committee members who feel obliged to recuse themselves from the discussion may do so, but should announce such immediately.
- If recognition hinges on the royal or noble status of the individual, the Chivalry Committee 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. Headquarters Staff will so annotate the original petition, and may create a Petition for Recognition of Nobility if needed. Discussion may be suspended pending a recommendation from the Royalty & Nobility Committee.
- After what the Chivalry Committee Chairman feels is sufficient discussion, he puts the question to a vote.
- Should the majority of the Committee vote to recommend recognition, the Chivalry Chairman conveys such to the Board via 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 Assistant Webmaster for ENS 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 Committee 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. If recognition of a title of nobility is denied, recognition of membership will not be granted.
- The Assistant Secretary will send a certificate of recognition and a letter of notification to the petitioner, with a copy to the Augustæum Editor.
- The Augustæum Editor will publish a notice of the recognition.
- Headquarters Staff will amend the Roster to use such postnominals as may be appropriate.
Notes:
- Recommendations may be recalled by the Chivalry Committee Chairman (or Chivalry Committee 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. They are not appropriate if a change in the vote results from changes in Committee membership.
- 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 declined.
The above is a first draft of the Procedure and Notes, and may well need adjustment or additions once the Chivalry Committee has commented upon it.
