St George’s Day 2024
– 22 April 2024
As your Prior I would like to take this opportunity to salute all the Dames and Chevaliers of the Toronto Priory on Saint George’s Day 2024. I take pride in the fact that our priory is now on the move.
The 45 priory members and guests who attended our Armour Heights Officers Mess social event at the Canadian Forces College on April 13th already know this of course. Personally, I very much enjoyed the evening and the positive feedback received tells me that those who attended had a good time.
Our Grand Prior Charles Hill updated us on the collaborative work being undertaken with the UK and American counterparts of our international order and the very interesting role the UK, US and Canadian Grand Priories are playing together as an official Non-governmental Organization (NGO) at the United Nations in the area of humanitarian relief.
With respect to our Toronto Priory we had the opportunity to update attendees on the planned gala fund raising dinner we will hold this November in support of Homes for Heroes (HFH). We in the Toronto Priory have set a goal of raising a minimum of $100,000 over two years to contribute to HFH in their mission of housing homeless veterans.
To that end we have a commitment from my wonderful sister Kathleen to match donations from Chevaliers and Dames (and anyone else) up to $10K. We grew up on RCAF stations as our dad (a WWII Sgt air gunner and post-war aero-engine tech) was then serving. At the end of the evening a very generous Chevalier of the Priory (who is asking for anonymity) approached me and committed $5K this year and next. I am humbled by such generosity. It certainly validates our mission and commitment to support veterans. We have just begun our campaign and we have already raised $20,000 in pledges and counting … you too can donate by going to this link to the Toronto Priory.
This coming weekend our Deputy Prior, Chevalier Mike Wionzek, and I will be traveling to Halifax for the investiture. Several postulants from our priory will be attending and we look forward to seeing them dubbed, spurred and cloaked by Grand Prior Charles Hill as Dames and Chevaliers of our Order.
We have over a dozen other postulants who are not able to attend in Halifax and so we are doing the preliminary pre-approval work (the Board would have to approve it) to hold an investiture in Toronto next year. Given the growing number of postulants in our priory I think the time has come for us to hold an investiture, as the last one in Toronto was in 2018.
Please keep in mind that we are approaching the 700th anniversary of our Order. We need to celebrate this important (and remarkable) anniversary. Stay tuned on this important matter.
Additionally, we would like to hold another social event this year similar to the one we just held. I believe we need to get to know one another better in order to foster communication, fellowship and deepen our commitment to our mission of supporting veterans, cadets and junior rangers.
I would like to thank Chevalier Mike Wionzek and Kyle Cooper for the work they did in organizing our social event. They deserve much of the credit for the success of the evening.
As members of our illustrious and ancient Order may you raise a glass and have a happy Saint George’s Day.
In the Spirit of Saint George,
Chevalier John Nolan CD KStG
Major (Ret’d)
Toronto Prior
Order of St George
