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Topic History of: Gongs (MBEs, OBEs, etc.): anachronism or a good thing?
Max. showing the last 5 posts - (Last post first)
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Barney |
The Word Champion, for titles, though is Charles.
Several hundred - from different countries, military organisations, universities, charities, sports, academies etc.
In dozens of Commonwealth places, and beyond. All carefully stored on his website/ciriclum vitae.
Honours should be earned, or relinquished; many of the honours were gifts, like my new carpet - not to be constantly published about.
In any 5 year period, our future King will visit less than 5% of those admirable entities - of which he is just a name on the letterhead.
Perhaps Harry was right to opt out of anachronistic ideology...
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Bookworm |
It's always nice to see ordinary folk receive one if deserved.
I don't agree with high honours for officials. I have been questioning it for a long time.
As I question why certain people may have been purposely awarded so idiots can rubbish The Queen when conspiracy bollocks does the rounds.
I would like to see a comprehensive list of nominators for each award. It Could tell a story.
I'm disgusted how Boris is expecting cabinet members to sack people when he himself is unfit for office.
Others have been ousted elsewhere for the same conduct. Boris never learns.
He must go! |
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Barney |
Edward V started the gong business - Order of the British Empire etc. To reward those who helped win WWI.
Lloyd George, his PM, sold these awards for cash via his agent Maundy Gregory - who was a murderer, villain, traitor and all round vagabond.
Gregory was imprisoned and banished. George had to resign.
£10k for a knighthood; £40k for a barronecy etc. This culture went on, until relatively recently.
Our award system is suspect and flawed.
Just look at our Upper House - and wonder why the Duke of Devonshire has nothing to do with Devon.
It was the only Dukedome available to purchase, on a particular day...
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JK2006 |
My Dad was given an OBE for his work in the war, Jo; I have it here. I'm not expecting a gong just now myself, although the money I've brought into the Treasury surely warrants me being made King. My hopes are that, after my wrongful convictions are overturned, I'll be given an MBE for damaging the False Allegations Industry. |
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Jo |
Have just discovered that the former head of the music department at my old school, who also ran the school choir and orchestra outside school time and was always very active in promoting musical activities in the community, continuing to do so since retirement, the main activity being to conduct a local choir that raised a lot of money for charity for decades until it dissolved itself owing to a lack of fresh blood has been "honoured" with a BEM or British Empire Medal, the absolutely lowest so-called honour of all. It was apparently abolished by John Major in a bid to help create a classless society but was revived by Old Etonian David Cameron (bet he's a prize snob). I've always had the impression that gongs are dished out along class lines with higher honours the posher or wealthier you are and the BEMs and MBEs the best that the oiks will get. I suppose this must mean that my old teacher and/or his efforts are regarded as the lowest of the low. 
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire_Medal
David Cameron revives the British Empire Medal
"The British Empire Medal (BEM), described as the working-class gong, is to be revived as David Cameron reverses one of John Major's signature reforms that was designed to create a classless society. ... The prime minister hopes that people who are not considered senior enough to receive an MBE or OBE will be able to receive a BEM. The move may come as a surprise to some Conservatives after Major scrapped the medal in 1993 on the grounds that it was out of date and entrenched class divisions." |
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