Postulant Petition for Membership
Dear Postulant,
Thank you for considering our invitation to join The Order of St. George. Before proceeding to the online Application and Petition, please take a moment to read the following information.
HISTORY
The Grand Priory of Canada and the Americas of The Order of St. George was first established in 2003 in Niagara Falls, Ontario and continues a tradition that dates back to the 14th century. King Károly Róbert of Hungary (1288-1342), also known as Charles Robert, Duke of Anjou, founded the Fraternal Society of Knighthood of St George as the first monarchical, chivalric and secular order of its kind. While the exact date is lost to history, there is evidence that the Society was in existence in 1326 on St. George’s Day, now celebrated annually on April 23rd. Indeed, the story of Saint George as a legend of Christian martyrdom informs the chivalric ideals that underpin our Order. Today our Members are drawn from all walks of life and reflect the great diversity of our society. What joins us is our common cause of helping people in need.
PURPOSE OF THE ORDER AND ITS FOUNDATION
The Order of St. George is a Chivalric Order which seeks to better the health and well-being of members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Veterans and their families; and supports the Cadet and Junior Ranger Programs.
The Order of St. George Foundation, Registered Charity No. 83351 2049 RR0001, is the charitable arm of The Order and exists for the same purpose.
CHIVALRY
In a modern context, Chivalry is expressed in the deliberate pursuit of a positive and proactive lifestyle of integrity, honour, courage, loyalty, compassion, self-discipline, courtesy and service. The ideals of Chivalry are represented in the symbols and pageantry of The Order, and in The Vows of Knighthood reaffirmed at each Investiture.
LEADERSHIP
While the Corporations of The Order of St. George and of The Order of St. George Foundation are each managed by a Board of Directors, The Order is led by our Grand Prior and the Priors of the regionally-based Priories.
Additionally, The Order enjoys the invaluable support of our Patron and our Dean, who historically have been appointed from the Canadian Armed Forces community.
MEMBERSHIP IN THE ORDER
Membership is by invitation only. An invitation is extended in recognition of an individual’s contributions to society, and as such, Dames and Knights of The Order of St. George are distinguished by their commitment to Service.
Cost for membership includes a one-time $750 Fee of Passage, which covers the cost of the Investiture Ceremony as well as the new member’s personal regalia, scroll and vestments (and is inclusive of HST). Annual membership dues are levied on January 30th and cover both the administrative costs of The Order as well as our Non-Charitable “good works”. Currently, The Order provides the Cadet and Junior Ranger Programmes with The Order of St. George cadet medal which is awarded to deserving cadets attending a Cadet Summer Training Course.
WHAT IS EXPECTED OF MEMBERS?
In addition to paying annual dues, members are encouraged to support The Order’s charitable campaigns, either financially or through volunteer efforts. These campaigns are primarily initiated at the Priory level, are fully in keeping with our Statement of Purpose, and are administered through our Foundation. Donations made to these campaigns are eligible for a charitable tax receipt. All members are encouraged whenever possible to attend future Investiture Ceremonies to honour the accomplishments of our new Postulants.
INVESTITURE
Men and women whose Postulant Petitions have been approved by the Grand Prior are formally welcomed as Knights (KStG) and Dames (DStG) respectively during the elaborate and meaningful Investiture Ceremony, usually held annually in one of the Priory locations. While public, the ceremony is conducted with significant pageantry in a consecrated place and follows the ancient tradition of being CLOAKED with the Knight’s Fighting Habit, DUBBED on the shoulders with the Sword of Justice, SPURRED with the Spur of Faith and presented with the Consecrated Insignia of The Order of St. George.
THE VOW OF KNIGHTHOOD
To solemnly and sincerely swear by Almighty God, or affirm by my word, and by our Patron St. George, that I will loyally and conscientiously serve The Order of St. George to the best of my abilities and that I will demonstrate the Chivalric Virtues of Faith, Service and Honour in all that I undertake to do.
INSIGNIA OF THE ORDER
The Order’s investiture of Knighthood is recognized by its distinctive Insignia of a cross fleury bearing an oval panel depicting Saint George slaying a dragon, the whole suspended from a crown adorned with the Grant of Arms of The Order. In formal attire, it is worn around the neck on a blood red ribbon. Dames may choose to wear the Insignia attached to the blood red ribbon fashioned into a bow and worn on the left shoulder.
APPLICATION AND PETITION PROCESS:
1. You will need to upload a professional-looking head and shoulders digital photo of yourself as part of the online Application (Step 1). Please click here to see an example.
2. Prepare a short written biography that outlines your professional and personal achievements, including community and volunteer service. This biography will be published in the Investiture Order of Service. You will need to have the text ready to copy and paste into the online Petition (Step 2). The biography must not be more than 200 words (as measured by a word processing software such as Pages or Word) in length.
3. Click on the link below and complete the online Application (Step 1) and Petition (Step 2). You will need your Sponsor’s name and email address as well as your prepared biography and digital photo. You must complete the Application and Petition in one session as there is no way to save it partway through. Once complete, please note that the review and approval process may take several weeks.
4. Successful Postulants will be notified personally by letter from the Grand Prior. At this point, the one-time $750 Fee of Passage becomes payable. You will be emailed an invoice which you may settle in one of three ways: online by credit card; by etransfer; or by cheque. Annual dues of $150 become payable commencing the year after you have been Invested. Please be aware that neither the Fee of Passage nor the Annual Dues are eligible for a charitable tax receipt.
Once you are ready to proceed, please click the button below
