Déjà Vu

About a week ago, we recognized the promotion of Margaret Hunt to the grade of Dame of Grace. It would seem that the local press in Queensland is enjoying sharing stories of VOSJ awards. In this case, the South-East Advertiser notes that Rosemary Moran was made a member of the VOSJ after nearly two decades of volunteer work. She was a prominent feature at public events in and around Brisbane providing first aid and assistance as so many St John Ambulance members do around the world. Well done! Below you can see the Governor of Queensland, Penelope Wensley, standing with the new confrère after the investiture.

Pro Utilitate Hominum

Well Deserved

Here at the VOSJ Source, we enjoy recognizing those that have been given awards by the Order. We are members, after all, of a confraternity whose main objective is service. A few weeks ago, the Priory of Australia rewarded Margaret Hunt for more than a half century of service to the Order. She was invested as a Dame of Grace of the Order by the Governor of Queensland, Penelope Wensley, on 10 July 2009.

Such news would probably not even reach our ears but for the fact that it was noted in the local media. This is another great point about this event. It has given publicity to the wonderful work that our Order does around the world.

Pro Utilitate Hominum

Australian Minister Promoted

We saw in the London Gazette recently that Dr Richard Westwood Worth was recently promoted to the grade of knight in the VOSJ. Dr Worth is the Minister of Internal Affairs in Australia and has been continually and quietly serving with the St John Ambulance in that Priory. This is a well-deserved honour--coming fast on the heals of his appointment as Minister. It is always a pleasure to see high-ranking government officials involved in the VOSJ, because it helps to give some visibility to the Order's mission.

Malta Visit

One of the nice things about writing a blog that focuses on matters of the Venerable Order of St John is that most Governor-Generals of Commonwealth realms are high-ranking members of the Order. So whenever these people do something related to St John, it gives us something to write about. Australia is no exception, as Quentin Bryce is a Dame of Grace in the Australian Priory. The Prior in Australia is still the former Governor-General, Michael Jeffery, but there is no reason to believe that Ms. Bryce won't soon become the next (and first female) Prior.

Ms. Bryce is the focus of today's blog post because she will soon be visiting an ancient home of the Order. At the invitation of the president of Malta, Bryce will be paying a state visit to the island between 14 and 15 November. This is significant because Malta was once the home of Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta (SMOM) --the Order from which the VOSJ descends. Though they are two separate Orders today, they still cooperate through, among other things, the Alliance of the Orders of St John of Jerusalem. We could not locate a good picture of either the current Prior of Australia, or Ms Bryce. Below, you can see an image of a modern Knight of Honour and Devotion of the SMOM.