Order Of St. John and Priory Awards

Honours and awards provide St. John with the best means of recognizing you ^__ people who work for and with us. It is also a way to recognize persons who have undertaken meritorious acts and achievements.

As a result of their service in the Brigade or for any other meritorious service performed in support of the Order of St. John, Brigade members, may be recommended for:

Order of St. John Awards:

Membership in the Order in any of the Grades (this includes admission to, attachment to or promotion within)

Admission or promotion in the Order of St. John is a means of recognizing an individual s service and achievement outside their usual profession or area of service. It is an outstanding honour bestowed by the Queen.

Life Saving Medal or the Order

This award is bestowed on those who, in a conspicuous act of gallantry, have endangered their own lives in saving or attempting to save a life.

Priory Awards:

Meritorious Certificate (Risk and Non-risk)

Awarded to a person who, with or without personal risk respectively, saves or attempts to save a life.

Priory Vote of Thanks

Awarded to those who are considered to have earned special recognition for services to St. John. Normally, a PVOT is awarded to an individual prior to consideration of recommendation for admittance to the Order.

Priory Superior Performance Certificate

Priory Awards, in the form of an illuminated certificate, may be awarded annually to the outstanding Divisions of each province. Awards are made in the categories of: Adult Divisions and Cadet Divisions.

Awards are made on a provincial basis. Provincial Commissioners establish provincial standards and criteria for the judging of winners in each category. Awards are issued by Priory to the Provincial Commissioner for presentation on an appropriate occasion.

The Alice Alberta Ritchie Award

This award is available to Divisions or for combined effort by a group of Divisions, Corps, Areas or the Province for exceptional service, possibly in the event of a major disaster or emergency, epidemic or for some particularly enterprising and successful form of public service.

The Cyrille and Elaine Laurin Training Suggestion Award

This award fosters innovation in promotional effectiveness in training and marketing of training courses, and is open to all members of St. John.

The St. John Ambulance Bursary Award Program (Margaret McLaren Memorial Fund)

This award program allocates bursary awards to selected students who are entering or furthering their nursing studies in Canada. Applicants must have some St. John Ambulance affiliation.

Instructions governing submissions for Order and Priory Awards are issued annually by Priory through Provincial Councils. For further information refer to Section OP 0402 of the Ontario Council Branch & Brigade Operations Manual, and Chapter 7 of Brigade General Regulations, or consult your Member Services Coordinator.

Brigade Service (Efficiency) Awards

Efficiency - General

The effectiveness of a Brigade Unit depends upon the level of competence and attention to duty of the individual member in the following areas:

Technical Competence: members must demonstrate technical competence in patient care to the standard required by the duties they may be expected to perform.

Active Participation: members must be actively participating in the training, public service, ceremonial activities of the Unit to which they belong while maintaining their uniform and equipment in good condition.

The specific requirements related to member efficiency are outlined in Chapter 7 of Brigade General Regulations, and are available from your Member Services Co-ordinator.

Awards for Efficient Service

Service Award

A Service Award will be awarded to Adult and Crusader members for each completed three years efficient service up to and including nine years. The award is; one bar for three years, two bars for six years and three bars for nine years.

Service Medal of the Order

Brigade members who have completed twelve years efficient service will be awarded the Service Medal of the Order.

Bar to the Service Medal

Silver and gilt bars to the Service Medal may be awarded for each successive five years efficient service. The Service Medal, bars, medal riband and crosses are worn as follows for years of efficient service:

Service Stripes/Stars - Crusaders/Cadets

The following may be awarded by Provincial Commissioners to Crusaders and Cadets for each year of efficient service:

Service Award - Cadet Service

A Cadet will be granted qualifying service for the Service Medal of the Order for each year of efficient Cadet service. A Crusader may continue to wear the Cadet Service Stripes and Stars up to the time he/she receives the one bar Adult Service Award when the Cadet awards will be removed.

Brigade Public Service Awards

Public Service Certificates - Adults/Crusaders

Public Service Certificates have been introduced to recognize the accumulation of specific periods

Special Service Shield - Cadets

• The Special Service Shield is awarded by the Provincial Commissioner to Cadets who have completed a minimum of 200 voluntary (unpaid) hours of service to the community as a cadet. The badge is red, printed with the number 200.
• On completion of each additional 200 hours of voluntary service, an appropriate service shield badge will be awarded as follows:

• The Special Service Shield will not be awarded to Crusaders to recognize service performed subsequent to their 16th birthday.
• St. John Juniors are not eligible for the award of the Special Service Shield.
• Crusaders are entitled to receive credit for Public Service Certificates (500, 2000 or 5000 or more hours).
• The Special Service Shield award may not be worn by members of Adult Divisions, or by Cadet Officers, but may be worn by a Crusader until their 19th birthday.

Cadet/Crusader Proficiency Awards

Cadet Proficiency Programme

As a way to motivate Cadets and Crusaders in the Brigade and as a vehicle for developing a broad range of skills the Grand Prior has authorized a programme to encourage Cadets to achieve proficiency in a number of subjects. The programme is designed to occupy the interest of Cadets over a number of years and as a principal element is designed to develop individual competence and confidence.

Proficiency Certificates

• Cadets (and Crusaders up to their 21st birthday) may obtain Proficiency Certificates by qualifying in any of the subjects listed in the Proficiency Subject manual or Administrative Instructions.
• Not more than four Proficiency Certificates may be awarded in any calendar year.

Proficiency Badges

Crusaders/Cadets are entitled to wear the Proficiency Badge on gaining the first Proficiency Certificate. The gaining of further Proficiency Certificates is currently indicated by wearing of the appropriate numeral above the Proficiency Badge until the candidate qualifies for the Grand Prior s Badge, when the Proficiency Badge and numerals will no longer be worn.

Grand Prior s Badge

• On obtaining twelve Proficiency Certificates Crusaders/Cadets will relinquish the Proficiency Badge and numerals and, subject to conditions B to F below, be granted the Grand Prior s Badge awarded by the Order of St. John. Crusaders/Cadets gaining this special badge will be known as Grand Prior Crusaders/Cadets, and are permitted to wear the Badge on their uniform for as long as they remain entitled to wear the Brigade uniform.
• The Grand Prior s Badge will not normally be awarded until a Crusader/Cadethas had three years efficient service.
• Qualification in one subject from each of the subject categories must be obtained.
• All requirements for the Grand Prior s Badge must be completed by the applicant s 21st birthday.
• Members who transfer to an Adult Division from a Cadet or Crusader Division may continue to work towards the Grand Prior s Badge until their 21st birthday, provided that a minimum of four Proficiency Subjects have been completed prior to the date of their transfer.
• Members who join after their 17th birthday will not be authorized to start the Proficiency Subject Programme.

Ontario Council Trophies And Awards

There are a number of trophies and awards available to individual St. John members, Adult and Cadet Brigade Units, Branches and others during the course of the year.

These trophies and awards cover:

• First aid and patient care competitions
• Brigade recruiting
• Brigade public service
• Branch/Brigade relationships
• Branch/Brigade communications
• Brigade achievement
• Branch achievement
• First aid and health promotion
• Special recognition

Instructions governing the criteria for Ontario Council awards and trophies are issued annually by Ontario Council. For further information refer to Section OP 0403 of the Ontario Council Branch & Brigade Operations Manual, or consult your Member Services Coordinator.