‘None worthy’ surprise as honours miss island
Wednesday 31st December 2008, 9:11AM GMT.
NO BAILIWICK residents have been recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s honours for the first time in 10 years.
The news triggered initial concerns that it was a UK political move aimed at the Crown Dependencies.
That followed Chancellor Alistair Darling’s hostile announcement of a financial review and some particularly critical comments aimed at the Isle of Man.
It later emerged, however, that the Isle of Man and Jersey both have recipients and it is only Guernsey that does not – despite the Bailiff not yet having received any recognition.
The achievements of 55 islanders have been recorded since the islands last drew a blank, in the 1998 Queen’s Birthday list.
The Lt-Governor’s secretary, Col Richard Graham, said the absence of Bailiwick residents was unusual but not unheard of. ‘But it’s disappointing nonetheless,’ he said.
Bailiff Geoffrey Rowland (pictured) has been kept waiting longer for a knighthood than his recent predecessors and was considered to be in line for one this time, while former chief minister Mike Torode was also being mooted for recognition.
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Nice though it is to be publically honoured, I doubt those islanders truly deserving of recognition (of which I’m sure there are many) will be bothered in the slightest.
Many acts of selflessness go unnoticed by the general public. The people they serve however will undoubtedly notice their efforts and in my view that recognition has far greater value than a medal from the Queen.
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Who cares hasnt it be proven that you can get them whilst being a cad – Archer etc
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There are worse things than being ostracized by the UK….good God we could have Princess Anne sliding her periwinkle down Smith Street again and threatening the Baliff with ex-communication if he dared to lend a helping hand.
Why do folk put so much importance on crap!
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Because they’re very sad people who think that recognition from an unelected old woman is some sort of privilege.
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There has been a massive shift recently in who gets recognition from the Queen. It used to be like a club whereby the Royals dished it out to what were considered as their elite.
However it tends to go to charitable people that have actually earn’t it rather than just thought that they deserve it.
The Bailiffs roles are being called into question so it would not have been very clever for the Queen to dish out recognition to a person in a position that is deemed questionable.
The Royal family as a whole are receiving less from the taxpayers each year. They must remain prudent if this money continues.
If I had my way they would get nothing at all. I think it is an absolute disgrace for the taxpayers to pay for the upkeep of all the Royal properties and then be charged a large fee just so that they can have a look at how their unelected live in such lavish style!
It is similar to Sarks way of thinking.
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Vic – perhaps you’ve hit the nail on the head why the Bailiff hasn’t been honoured?!
After all, he did commit that heinous of all crimes….trying to help a lady in distress, something most reasonable people consider quite honourable.
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With regard to the New Year Honours list I dont know a great deal about politics but I do think our Bailiff Geoffrey Rowland is well deserving of a knighthood and I think perhaps trying to help Princess Anne on her visit to Guernsey has had something to do with him not receiving this.
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Phil, if you actually did anything worthy of note, would you honestly (hand on heart) turn down an honour? I doubt it. It’s easy to be reluctant to refuse an honour when you haven’t been offered one. Of course – you could be one of the few – who knows!
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Is it not rather arrogant of the island establishment to EXPECT an honour for the Bailiff just because Mr Rowland’s predecessors received one?
The Bailiff does a job for which he is paid, as do millions of others who do not get any official recognition.
A knighthood should be earned – not dished out routinely as a perk to a particular job.
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I would have no problem in turning an honour down should the opportunity arise (which is unlikely I admit!)
I turned down the offer to join the Freemasons very easily, which is kind of similar in a way (a “club” that lots of people aspire to join for no apparent good reason, other than the fact it makes them feel important).
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Phil
Can you qualify your statement in which you claim to have turned down the offer to join the Freemasons!
To do so you would have first had to nominate yourself and received backing from others. I feel you are just out to impress?
Also that the offer itself was as unlikely as a Queens honours recognition is!
Please enlighten me with pure hard facts then?
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Frank, I completely agree with you that honours should be earned however these days this criteria is very loosely applied.
Take Lewis Hamilton, he too was just doing his job yet he gets honoured. I don’t have a problem with sports personalities getting honoured per se however it should be for lifetime achievement, not his first world championship.
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Paul
One of my godfathers is a high ranking mason and it was from him that I received the “invite”. I am not au fait with the exact way in which these matters work or the process for becoming a member, but I can assure you that the way that he spoke indicated that becoming a member would have been virtually guaranteed.
As I have no interest whatsoever in becoming part of such an organisation I don’t know whether the correct procedures were followed, and quite frankly I couldn’t care less whether they were or they weren’t. As for trying to impress, you must be kidding! Anyone who is impressed by all that mumbo jumbo needs their head examining in my view.
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Phil
You nominate yourself first and it costs money to embark on the journey. No freemason that is saine would simply invite because this would show favouritism and chery picking which is not what the organisation is about.
You nominate yourself. If you have something to contribute and of merit you pay an annual fee and start off at the bottom.
Freemasonary is not a boys club.
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I’m afraid I can’t agree with some of what you’re saying. Why are there so many masons from certain areas (lawyers, policemen, customs officers etc) if there isn’t an element of it being a “boys’ club”? It certainly couldn’t be argued that there’s a proportionate cross-section of society on the membership list.
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Surely when one sees the recent contemptible action of 2 Knights of the Realm, namely the Barclay brothers whom are supposed to be respected members of society, you have to wonder how they choose the candidates.
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Whilst locally it could be said that what the Islnd considers its elite this is not the same the world over.
It takes a certain kind of mindset to want to partake in the things that they get up to. I would describe some of their rituals as almost kinky and most definately strange to say the least.
However I will maintain my stance that you don’t just receive an invitation over a few pints and a packet of dry roasted peanuts and it is as simple as giving a yes or no answer.
I would suggest to you that this is fancifull on your part. Maybe your Godfather was wanting to give you the impression tht he is well connected?
Google freemasonary and you will get a much better understanding of the weird and what only the masons would describe it themselves as wonderful world of their partakings.
If you are a Harry Potter freak then you may be able to make some sense of the whole affair.
Even spend some quality time with your godfather but be prepared to have your ear chewed off to the point whereby you will be enchanted or simply fall asleep.
Ask him which lodge he is from and you will be able to establish if he is a mason or just wanting to appear interesting and entertaining?
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Has it occurred to anyone that the process has determined that none are worthy? Why an automatic assumption it is a snub?
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“Mike Torode was also being mooted for recognition”
Ok, now you are just being silly.
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I would like to reiterate the offering from vic gamgle “why do folk put so much importance on crap”
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Paul
I can assure you that it is not “fanciful” thinking on my part. My godfather is a member of a lodge in London (where I used to live) and my grandfather used to be head honcho (whatever the title is) of a lodge over here. Both are/were high ranking police officers also. Thankfully I chose a different path and didn’t get embroiled in all that rubbish, as I’ve said previously I have no interest in it whatsoever.
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Phil
You are labouring on this topic and at the same time making yourself come across extremely foolish with each posting.
To become a mason is not as simple as joining a British Legion so that one can enjoy a cheap lager and packet of crisps on a sunday.
Please Google Masonic Lodges and read very carefully over the induction process. It takes a lot more than an influential Godfather wih an invite to get you into the organisation.
It is a journey just like the education system is to children and then adults. People can go to school and choose to learn absolutely nothing at all. However these people don’t tend to bother with GCSE’s, A level’s and don’t go on to university to study for a degree and so on.
If your Godfather is of Mafia material then I might believe what you are trying to have me believe. It would then probably be a case of rolling up your trousers and prancing around the lodge for ten minutes and hey presto your a freemason. Because the guns and violence dealt out by said Mafioso Godfather would not be worth the trouble resisting.
You don’t stand in front of the Bar Council and get invited to become a Lawyer because a family member happens to be Perry Mason. You don’t get enrolled as a Doctor at a General Medical Council meeting just because your uncle is the top world renowned brain surgeon.
This is very silly now and once you have done even a limited amount of research I am sure you will agree.
You have to meet and satisfy very selective criteria before any consideration is given. A person only does this once they have gained considerably knowledge and nominated themselves when they feel they are worthy and have something to contribute to the organisation.
Invitations are most definately not deal out like they are when one is hosting a party.
If you wish to further argue the point then feel free but also name your Godfather and the lodges he has attended in both Guernsey and which ever Borough of London and I will happily run he checks for you.
If he is a head honcho, Grand Master, as you put it then he will stick out like a sore thumb and I will quickly confirm or deny his status within the masononic lodge(s)?
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Paul, I am afraid it is you who is appearing foolish. I took your advice and Googled “Masonic Lodges” then entered the first site listed, http://www.ugle.org.uk where there is some interesting information. Having used the drop down bar for “How to become a Mason” here are a couple of quotes from the first couple of sections; “People might think that to become a Freemason is quite difficult. It’s actually straightforward” and “Talk to a family member, friend or colleague whom you already know to be a member. They will be able to explain to you what they can about the fraternity and help you find a suitable lodge”. That kind of contradicts what you’ve been saying about how hard it is to join and that connections wouldn’t help etc, doesn’t it?
As for your comments about doctors, lawyers etc, you’re just being ridiculous (which is strange considering you accuse me of being silly). Having done my “limited amount of research” it is my viewpoint that is backed-up, not yours. The qualifications for being a Freemason are very simple according to the website that I found through your recommendation. Perhaps you ought to have a read yourself before spouting any more nonsense?
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Phil
Read on some more and you will realise that you are very foolish indeed to be simply offered an invitation without having anything to contribute or even a simple understanding of what they are about.
Again I will repeat that you nominate yourself and then be carefully selected by a panel of masons looking for what qualities and merits you could offer their particular Lodge in question.
So yes read your posts from start to finish and see how simple and foolhardy they really are.
Keep up with your trawl through the induction processes and it may make you think twice before boasting and spouting out about things that you clearly have absolutely no understanding whatsoever!
For the record who is you Godfather exactly?
Let me guess you will need to do lots more research before you will be in a position to furnish me with a credible name?
You have been caught out. Accept it rather than fight a battle that you lost from the outset. Try standing for election cos you would fit in well with some of our elected.
Name the Godfather then?
Today would be good!
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Paul, your posts are starting to smack of desperation. Why on earth should I name my godfather, his only connection to this is that it was he who asked me to join, or start the joining process, whichever you’d prefer? He’s entitled to some privacy isn’t he? As for boasting, that’s something that I haven’t done at all in my posts, I was simply drawing a comparison.
You, on the other hand, have had your posts rubbished by the very website that you recommended I look at, and the resulting embarrassment is now causing you to lose your rag by the look of it.
Chill out man, it’s not that important (as I have already mentioned several times).
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Phil
I’m most definately not losing my rag. I will happily argue with those that have delusions of grandeur all day long.
I don’t enter into an arguement without knowing what I am talking about. Do more research.
You have pointed accusations and tried to correct me on a number of posts and I will plainly put it to you that you are a liar.
I am as cool as a cucumber for the record. Freemasons don’t hide behind any cloaks of secrecy. The majority are proud to advertise the fact that they are a member of whatever lodge in question.
Roll over Philip cos you have had your belly tickled.
Still interested in the Godfathers identity but like I knew from the outset he is a figment of your imagination.
Let this be a lesson to you. Don’t make statements that don’t have any value and you can’t substantiate!
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Phil
Log onto the webpage below and you will see just what rubbish you have written.
only correct me in future when you know you are right cos I do take offence at being told by people that havent got much of a clue. Other that not wanting to lose an arguement that they know only too well they lost from the outset.
http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/freemasons_become.html
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