Would You Accept An Honour?

[Calvin]

I've been listening to the Life With You album a lot this week. One of my favourite songs is 'In Recognition'. For those that don't know it, it's a song about how hypocritical people are when it comes to receiving honours: saying they aren't in favour of a monarchy but quickly accepting an honour from the Queen.

My Grandma says that the song is so applicable to her brother. In his younger days he was very rebellious and anti-establishment, and always spoke out against a monarchy, but when the letter came offering the CBE he didn't give it a second thought.

I am very against the Monarchy but never gave whether I would accept an honour a lot of thought until recently. While I would feel complimented that I had done enough in my life to be nominated for one, I would not accept it as I feel that would validate the Monarchy. However, due to simply my own vanity and ego, I think it would be difficult to turn down a knighthood - I don't think I'd know what to do unless I actually was in that position.

Please note I am not preparing to receive an honour, just think it is an interesting hypothetical question!

[Speedy]

I'm not really bothered about the monarchy and wouldn't say I was for or against them but I would accept an honour because I think people would perceive me negatively if I rejected one.

[Phil D. Rolls]

A man starts off seeking justice
And ends up wanting a crown.

[Mibbes Aye]

A man starts off seeking justice
And ends up wanting a crown.

:agree: Apart from the few who would rather place the crown than wear it.

[Phil D. Rolls]

:agree: Apart from the few who would rather place the crown than wear it.

That is the cleverer (?) path to take. The power behind the throne.

In answer to Calvino's question, I think I'd take one. It's easy to say you don't want recognition when your best days are in front of you. If I had an honour, at least I could send it back in protest at the war in Iraq or something.

[Mibbes Aye]

That is the cleverer (?) path to take. The power behind the throne.

In answer to Calvino's question, I think I'd take one. It's easy to say you don't want recognition when your best days are in front of you. If I had an honour, at least I could send it back in protest at the war in Iraq or something.

I would have been filled with indignation in my younger days at the prospect of being tarnished by association with the monarchy :greengrin

As time passes, it's easier to recognise there is a place for civic recognition, even if the mechanism for delivery is a bit stained. The format is less important than perhaps the acknowledgement. While the concept of monarchy isn't right IMO, until we shift towards something more progressive there's genuine reason to validate the worth of multitudes of people who have given a working life to the public betterment and public good.

I sent my OBE back when Leon 'beat' Rhydian in X Factor 07. A voting contest so rigged it made the North Korean elections look like a lucky dip.

[Hibbyradge]

O.B.E.

Other Bugger's Efforts.

[lyonhibs]

O.B.E.

Other Bugger's Efforts.

My mum got a CBE a couple of years ago, and I can confirm that that was not off the back of "other bugger's efforts" :cool2:

Try 30 years of slog for the government trying to make the damn thing work whilst the public face of her - and others - efforts persistently cock up and ruin public confidence :greengrin

Anyway - would I take one? If I felt it was merited, then yes.

The Monarchy doesn't get my goat in the slightest, life is too short.

[Peevemor]

My mum got a CBE a couple of years ago, and I can confirm that that was not off the back of "other bugger's efforts" :cool2:

Try 30 years of slog for the government trying to make the damn thing work whilst the public face of her - and others - efforts persistently cock up and ruin public confidence :greengrin

Anyway - would I take one? If I felt it was merited, then yes.

The Monarchy doesn't get my goat in the slightest, life is too short.

Why should people be awarded honours for doing their job?

[Danderhall Hibs]

Why should people be awarded honours for doing their job?

Good question!

The honours system is a load of pish IMO - who gives a flying one if someone who works for the Queen has read a letter or whatever that suggests you're deserving of a medal. The other honours list that the Prime Minister gets picked for him is usually just pals of the Government and any folk that can be used for political gain.

[lyonhibs]

Why should people be awarded honours for doing their job?

Good question - it's not me that makes the rules.

I guess she was nominated (is it done via nominations or randonly - I don't know tbh?? :confused:) for doing the job damn well - in several departments over a long time.

It certainly wasn't off the backs of other efforts, that's the only point I was making.

[Jack]

My mum got a CBE a couple of years ago, and I can confirm that that was not off the back of "other bugger's efforts" :cool2:

Try 30 years of slog for the government trying to make the damn thing work whilst the public face of her - and others - efforts persistently cock up and ruin public confidence :greengrin

Anyway - would I take one? If I felt it was merited, then yes.

The Monarchy doesn't get my goat in the slightest, life is too short.

Jeez, I've done 35 + and got bugger all! ... So far.
I'd take one, they might be dished out by Lizzie but its your friends or colleagues who moninate you. So while Betty couldn't give one whether you accept or not you might be upsetting someone closer to home.

[lyonhibs]

Jeez, I've done 35 + and got bugger all! ... So far.
I'd take one, they might be dished out by Lizzie but its your friends or colleagues who nominate you. So while Betty couldn't give one whether you accept or not you might be upsetting someone closer to home.

This is what I thought. In that instance I'd definitely take one.

[Peevemor]

Jeez, I've done 35 + and got bugger all! ... So far.
I'd take one, they might be dished out by Lizzie but its your friends or colleagues who moninate you. So while Betty couldn't give one whether you accept or not you might be upsetting someone closer to home.


This is what I thought. In that instance I'd definitely take one.

If the award is for work you have done for the civil service or the military, then the recommendation invariably comes from your superiors.

People who are recognised for community/charity work, etc. are more likely to be nominated by friends or colleagues.

[Twa Cairpets]

I have bit if direct family experience for this. My father was awarded an OBE about twenty years ago, and was nominated for it by the members of the organisation which he managed. He was/is an anti-monarchist, and was minded not to accept. He was persuaded by my mum to accept it as the award was to do with his professional activities and not his personal beliefs, and to turn down the award could/would have impacted negatively on the work he did and the organisation he worked for.

He was acutely concerned about the perceived double standards inherent in accepting it, and in fairness has never used the "letters", never tells anyone that he has it, and has it chucked in the bottom of a box somewhere. It is a matter of zero interest, zero pride and zero personal importance to him.

[heretoday]

I'd accept it only if I felt I deserved it.

[Speedy]

I have bit if direct family experience for this. My father was awarded an OBE about twenty years ago, and was nominated for it by the members of the organisation which he managed. He was/is an anti-monarchist, and was minded not to accept. He was persuaded by my mum to accept it as the award was to do with his professional activities and not his personal beliefs, and to turn down the award could/would have impacted negatively on the work he did and the organisation he worked for.

He was acutely concerned about the perceived double standards inherent in accepting it, and in fairness has never used the "letters", never tells anyone that he has it, and has it chucked in the bottom of a box somewhere. It is a matter of zero interest, zero pride and zero personal importance to him.

That's why I'd accept one but as I said earlier I'm not particularly bothered about the monarchy.

[Pretty Boy]

There is no way i would take one. I hold firmly republican beliefs and would be a total hypocrite to accept an award from an organisation which promotes transfer of power through the blood line.

The honours list is also not announced until after it has been determined that everyone on it is going to accept therefore there would be no need for anyone to know i had turned down an honour unless i felt the need to let them know. That would then rule out potentially damaging the good name of any charity/organisation i was involved in.

[heretoday]

I'd accept it only if I felt I deserved it.

......which I do by the way.....

[--------]

What sort of price range were you thinking of, Calvino? :cool2:

[AgentDaleCooper]

my grandad turned down a CBE/OBE (dunno which).

accepted several honorary doctorates, including one from aberdeen.

as a composer/pianist, this is a cause of much amusement to him - they don't have a music department :greengrin

[givescotlandfreedom]

my grandad turned down a CBE/OBE (dunno which).

accepted several honorary doctorates, including one from aberdeen.

as a composer/pianist, this is a cause of much amusement to him - they don't have a music department :greengrin

Aberdeen Uni does have a music dept mate :agree:

Personally I wouldn't accept such an award I would be delighted if nominated by others around me and therefore would not need a symbol from someone I didn't elect and do not respect.

[AgentDaleCooper]

Aberdeen Uni does have a music dept mate :agree:

Personally I wouldn't accept such an award I would be delighted if nominated by others around me and therefore would not need a symbol from someone I didn't elect and do not respect.

:doh:

sorry, its stirling that doesn't have one.

though i was sure aberdeen didn't either, if they had i'd have gone there rather than glasgow...bugger...

[Pete]

There's no way in hell I would accept an honour from the "queen of England" and the associated establishment.

If you don't agree with the monarchy and would still accept an honour then I think you've weakened your principles and allowed an element of vanity and self-pity to creep in.
You might deserve an "award" and some recognition but who are you recieving it from and what does it really mean?

No matter what I achieve in my life, I will never accept an award from the "Royal family".

How can any one of them look me in the eye and tell me what I have done deserves their patronising praise. They're skin, blood, flesh and bone as I am.

Rewards for what I do come from the relevant bodies, the people I care about, who I've affected and from within.

[marinello59]

There's no way in hell I would accept an honour from the "queen of England" and the associated establishment.
.

Would you accept one from the Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland? Queen Anne is long dead so she won't be handing out honours any time soon.:greengrin
Or the Queen of Scotland as she would be if Wee Eck gets his wish. (As far as I know scrapping the monarchy isn't official SNP policiy though I could be wrong.)
(Just for the record I would scrap the monarchy. Whilst we have one though she is 'our' monarch as well.)

[ArabHibee]

There's no way in hell I would accept an honour from the "queen of England" and the associated establishment.

If you don't agree with the monarchy and would still accept an honour then I think you've weakened your principles and allowed an element of vanity and self-pity to creep in.
You might deserve an "award" and some recognition but who are you recieving it from and what does it really mean?

No matter what I achieve in my life, I will never accept an award from the "Royal family".

How can any one of them look me in the eye and tell me what I have done deserves their patronising praise. They're skin, blood, flesh and bone as I am.

Rewards for what I do come from the relevant bodies, the people I care about, who I've affected and from within.

Is there a 'Taxi Driver of the Year' award you could be nominated for? :cool2:

[Hainan Hibs]

I wouldn't accept one, agree with PeterDouglas post.

[J-C]

There's no way in hell I would accept an honour from the "queen of England" and the associated establishment.

If you don't agree with the monarchy and would still accept an honour then I think you've weakened your principles and allowed an element of vanity and self-pity to creep in.
You might deserve an "award" and some recognition but who are you recieving it from and what does it really mean?

No matter what I achieve in my life, I will never accept an award from the "Royal family".

How can any one of them look me in the eye and tell me what I have done deserves their patronising praise. They're skin, blood, flesh and bone as I am.

Rewards for what I do come from the relevant bodies, the people I care about, who I've affected and from within.

I'm no royalist but I'm pretty sure the Queen is half Scottish, with her mother being Scottish...............Born into a family of Scottish nobility (http://www.hibs.net/wiki/Scottish_nobility) (her father (http://www.hibs.net/wiki/Claude_Bowes-Lyon,_14th_Earl_of_Strathmore_and_Kinghorne) inherited the Earldom of Strathmore and Kinghorne (http://www.hibs.net/wiki/Earl_of_Strathmore_and_Kinghorne) in 1904), she came to prominence in 1923 when she married Albert, Duke of York, the second son of King George V (http://www.hibs.net/wiki/George_V_of_the_United_Kingdom) and Queen Mary (http://www.hibs.net/wiki/Mary_of_Teck).

This as far as I can see makes her our Queen as well as England's, so to say you'd not accept it due to her being Queen of England is a bit of a nonsense.

I'm all for giving honours to people who through their own hard work or charity work deserve them, it's the celebrity ones that get my goat.

[Wembley67]

Why should people be awarded honours for doing their job?

I kinda agree. They seem to be handed out to an awful lot of people these days.

They should be reserved for the military or for outstanding acts of bravery. My father in law received an OBE for stopping his submarine sinking and killing all the crew during the Falklands...that kinda recognition is deserved but giving Mrs Smith one for her services to Davidsons Mains post office is a lot of crap.