(The Holy Order of St. John the Evangelist and of the Noble & Invincible Order of the Holy Sepulchre)
On Monday 11th September the Division was back on duty to undertake the Appendant Orders for 5 new knights who had recently joined the Order. The meeting was held under the auspices of Sacer Comitatus Conclave no 501, to which only members of a Divisional Sepulchre Guard are eligible to join at Tovil Masonic Centre in Maidstone. This was a big night for the Intendent-General and Divisional Marshal as it was their first time in charge of installing Knights of the Red Cross into the Holy Order of St. John the Evangelist and of the Noble & Invincible Order of the Holy Sepulchre and overseeing the ceremony which lasts for almost 2 hours and requires a considerable team of knights from the Division, including members of the Divisional Sepulchre Guard to ensure that it is properly carried out, and to add to the intricacies of the evening, it was the first time that this location had been used. Despite a few “Opening Night” nerves, the ceremony went wonderfully well and everyone who played a part carried out their duties impeccably, before the Intendant-General, R. ill. Kt. David Green undertook the accolade for the 5 new knights. Each of them will have their own memories of the evening, but each has vowed to come along to the next Appendant Orders so that they can sit back and just watch the incredible experience they had just enjoyed – who knows in a few years’ time, some of them may be undertaking roles on the evening themselves. The meeting was followed by a most enjoyable Festive Board, which concluded, after all the normal toasts, with a toast by the acting Most Puissant Sovereign to the new knights who encouraged them to get fully involved in the Order and the Division, and then asked all the assembled knights to rise and give them a very warm welcome into the Orders of St. John the Evangelist and of the Noble and Invincible Order of the Holy Sepulchre, which was done with much enthusiasm and gusto.
