Jewels and Honorifics

HONORIFICS

The Qualifying Donation for brethren who wish to become Stewards of the Festival is £75, and £25 for a Lady or a Lewis. Stewards of the Festival are entitled to purchase and wear a Festival Jewel or, in the case of the ladies, a brooch. The cost of a Festival Jewel or brooch is £20.

Brethren who have qualified as a Steward (by making the donation and purchasing a jewel) are entitled to apply for a ticket to the Festival Banquet in 2015 (on payment of the Dining Fee). The qualification for dining at the Festival Banquet is the same for a lady except the purchase of a brooch is optional.

Levels for Honorifics are as follows:

Festival Jewel £20 once one has qualified as a Steward	Ladies Brooch   £20 made from Silver and about the size of a 20p piece. Available to all ladies These are available to any lady who wants one - there is no need to qualify as a Steward.

It is hoped that each will wear their jewels with pride. There are no other jewels / bars etc if one progresses anywhere beyond that figure required to become a Steward. We do hope that both Individuals and Lodges / Chapters aim high and achieve further honorific status.

The Festival jewel has been the subject of controversy in previous Festivals - let that not be the case in this Festival. The small amount of profit generated from the sale of jewels and merchandise pays for running of the Festival - stationary, postage, computers and software etc. No charitable money is or can be used for these purposes. At the end of the Festival any surplus funds will be donated to the Festival. All those involved in managing and running the Festival give their time for free (they even pay for their coffee at meetings themselves).

The jewels are splendid. Please endeavour to give enough to purchase one as soon as possible and have pride in wearing it; and pride that you are part of an organisation that genuinely cares for the needy it is charged with looking after.