The Mace-Bearer Magazine - Guild of Mace-Bearers

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THE EXETER EXPERIENCE 2012 A full program had been organised covering various aspects of macebearing. Members were given plenty of opportunities to ask questions and join in discussions. After a buffet lunch, Ernie had arranged for one of the City Red Coat Guides to give a tour of Exeter including an illuminating tour of the Cathedral. A big thank you to Ernie for organising the event and may I take this opportunity to wish him well now he has moved from Exeter back to his Yorkshire roots. Perhaps some of the other regions could hold similar events for their members. ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT 30 On a bright November day Exeter welcomed a number of mace-bearers from the South West region to a meeting at the historic Guildhall. Ernie Davies, the South West Region Representative at the time had organised the day following requests from members who were unable to travel to the annual Guild of Mace-Bearers AGM but still wished to get together with like-minded people. Alan Spencer, Editor In the previous magazine we included the article ‘The Office of Town Crier – Royal Wootton Bassett’ written by the guild of Mace-Bearers bursar Owen Collier. Since that article was submitted, Her Majesty the Queen conferred the title ‘Royal’ on the town as ‘an enduring symbol of the nations’ admiration and gratitude following Wootton Bassett’s part in the repatriation of service personnel. On Sunday 16 October 2011, Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal presented the Letters Patent on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen, the first time a town had been granted the ‘Royal’ title since 1909. Alan Spencer, Editor Picture Supplied by Owen Collier, Bursar
THE CEREMONY OF THE WHITE GLOVES On the last day of term before Christmas the Mayor of Hertford and Town Councillors attend Richard Hale School’s prize-giving, for a ceremony that has been enacted annually for more than 350 years. This unique ceremony began in 1657, initiated by the will of Ralph Minors (c1600-57), one of many Headteachers to have guided the fortunes of Richard Hale’s School in Hertford. In his will, Ralph Minors left to “the parish of All Saints Hertford ten pounds.to the Mayor, Justice and Minister…they to secure the stock and disperse the income in White Gloves for themselves if they three trustees be present at the scholars’ breaking-up in December.” In his 30 years as Master, Minors had made Richard Hale’s one of the foremost Grammar Schools in the country. He held it together during the Civil War, educating the sons of eminent Royalists and Parliamentarians alike, but he feared for the School’s future and determined to secure that future as best he could. Minors foresaw that the interest in the welfare of the School by members of the Hale family who, by foundation deed and governance were its hereditary patrons, must inevitably decline. He reasoned that the hitherto passive interest taken in the School by its ten Patron-appointed Governors, most if not all of whom were eminent Hertford townsmen, must be activated. What better way than by inviting their two senior members and the Vicar of the School’s Church to formally visit and join the School’s celebrations at the end of Christmas term, the scholars’ feast, speeches, songs, orations and, “if they be present”, give them each a pair of White Gloves? A MAYOR’S BEST FRIEND An excellent public relations exercise, the tactic went a long way to ensure the Borough’s involvement in the school. Today things are a little different; it is only the Mayor who receives a pair of White Gloves and the Senior Scholar’s Latin oration recounts murky doings in the years between. (Put succinctly, the original, sizeable capital investment of £10, from the interest on which the White Gloves ought to be purchased, went missing from - or into - the Borough accounts and has not been seen since!) Thus it is that nowadays, whilst the Justice and the Minister no longer attend, when the Mayor of Hertford visits at the end of Christmas term, he or she is reminded by the senior scholar that: “in his Will proved in 1657 Ralph Minors, the third Headmaster of this School, left the Chief Burgesses of the town of Hertford a sum of money, out of the interest of which they were to buy a pair of White Gloves for the Mayor whenever he visited us before the Christmas holidays, and he further directed that if any interest was left over, it was to be given to the well-deserving scholars. However, in the reign of George 11 the money disappeared. Nevertheless, we offer you, most worthy Mayor (dignissime Maior), this sign of our goodwill and good behaviour, and we have no doubt that you will see to it that the money is found and the interest paid to us”. To which matter the Mayor annually promises, in Latin and later in English, to give full attention. In the meantime the School pays for the new White Gloves! Frank Ferguson, Hertford (With acknowledged thanks to the staff of Richard Hale School, Hertford.) A mayor struck by lightning while on his way to feed his animals has hailed his pet dog after it led him back to his house to raise the alarm and get medical treatment. Ian Thomas, Mayor of Redruth in Cornwall, was struck by lightning while holding a metal bowl, throwing him into the air and leaving him stunned and dazed on the floor. He grabbed hold of his eight-stone black schnauzer, Monty, who led him back to his house where Mr Thomas alerted his wife, Sharen. Southern Daily Echo, October 2011 31
Page 1: The Mace-Bearer [Type text] 1 www.c
Page 4 and 5: THE OBJECTS, IDEAL & MOTTO OF THE G
Page 6 and 7: FROM THE EDITOR Dear All, I am plea
Page 8 and 9: SCOTLAND I am 54 years old, married
Page 10 and 11: FROM THE TRAINING OFFICER 10 In Feb
Page 12 and 13: ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2012 On Thursday
Page 14 and 15: MACE-BEARERS OF THE CITY AND THE WA
Page 16 and 17: SOCIAL SCENE 16 Prime Warden Joe Ca
Page 19 and 20: AROUND THE SOUTH EAST REGION Chris
Page 21 and 22: THE COMMONWEALTH MACE If you were w
Page 23 and 24: the citizens first chose their own
Page 25 and 26: THE ART OF THE CHAUFFEUR In the cur
Page 27 and 28: A VISIT TO BUCKINGHAM PALACE Firstl
Page 29: THE CITY OF RIPON BELLMAN To those
Page 33 and 34: There was some reluctance on the pa
Page 35 and 36: The appointment received a small am
Page 37 and 38: Since 2002 there have only been 3 h
Page 39 and 40: AN OLYMPIC YEAR 2012, as well as be
Page 41 and 42: Further Information about Key Event
Page 43 and 44: CONFERENCE 2013 For members who are
Page 45 and 46: RECIPE CORNER As well as the ceremo
Page 47 and 48: PUZZLE PAGE 2 Find all the words li
Page 49 and 50: The Guild of Mace-Bearers Member’
Page 51 and 52: PATRONS AND PAST PRIME WARDENS JOIN

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