The Society of the Friends of St George's and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter

The Society of the Friends of St George's and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter is a constituent group of the Foundation of the College of St George

Collegiate church

In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...

, Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...

which is a national charity

Charitable organization

A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. The society

Society

A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...

includes more than 5,100 members

Group (sociology)

In the social sciences a social group can be defined as two or more humans who interact with one another, share similar characteristics and collectively have a sense of unity...

worldwide (including more than 900 AmFriends members of the American Friends of St George's and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter Inc.) to "protect, preserve and enhance" the college, its St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle and the royal

Monarchy

A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...

chivalric

Chivalric order

Chivalric orders are societies and fellowships of knights that have been created by European monarchs in imitation of the military orders of the Crusades...

knighthood, the Order of the Garter

Order of the Garter

The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...

.

In addition to the many enhancement projects that the society helped fund since its creation, several major preservation projects were also completed. The ongoing project for 2009 is to clean and restore the chapel West Window which is one of the largest in any English church with its collection of late-medieval

Medieval art

The medieval art of the Western world covers a vast scope of time and place, over 1000 years of art history in Europe, and at times the Middle East and North Africa...

stained-glass

Stained glass

The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...

. The project for 2007 was to clean and repair the chapel West Front including its 16th century stonework

Stonemasonry

The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...

, turrets

Turret

In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...

and flying buttresses

Flying buttress

A flying buttress is a specific form of buttressing most strongly associated with Gothic church architecture. The purpose of any buttress is to resist the lateral forces pushing a wall outwards by redirecting them to the ground...

.

People interested in the society and its traditions and service may join as its members.

History

A group known as the Association of the Descendants of the Knights of the Garter was founded in the 1920s, composed of knights

Knight

A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....

(KG) and ladies

Lady

The word lady is a polite term for a woman, specifically the female equivalent to, or spouse of, a lord or gentleman, and in many contexts a term for any adult woman...

(LG) of the order, and their descendants

Kinship

Kinship is a relationship between any entities that share a genealogical origin, through either biological, cultural, or historical descent. And descent groups, lineages, etc. are treated in their own subsections....

. Another group known as the Friends of St George's was founded in 1931 to support the college by raising funds to "protect, preserve and enhance" the chapel as the physical and spiritual center of the order. The two groups accomplished their missions separately until 1934 when they merged as The Society of the Friends of St George's with which is amalgamated the Association of the Descendants of the Knights of the Garter.

The society was founded with the mission

Strategic planning

Strategic planning is an organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy. In order to determine the direction of the organization, it is necessary to understand its current position and the possible avenues...

to continue the support of the college and historic chapel. The society shares with the order its patron

Patron saint

A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...

Saint George

Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...

the Martyr, the motto

Motto

A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...

"Honi soit qui mal y pense (Shame whoever thinks it evil)," and the insignia

Insignia

Insignia or insigne pl -nia or -nias : a symbol or token of personal power, status or office, or of an official body of government or jurisdiction...

of the garter.

The society changed its name a last time in 1966 when it was designated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales

Charity Commission

The Charity Commission for England and Wales is the non-ministerial government department that regulates registered charities in England and Wales....

as a charity. After celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2006, the society became a constituent group of the foundation in 2007 when it completed its change in corporate governance.

A separate Philadelphia-based group, the Society of Descendants of Knights of the Most Noble Order of the Garter http://www.societyofdescendantsofknightsofthemostnobleorderofthegarter.org/ http://www.library.illinois.edu/dnc/Default/Skins/UIUC/Client.asp?Skin=UIUC&AppName=2&enter=true&BaseHref=TUC/1935/10/15&EntityId=Ar00409, was founded in 1929 according to the group, the Hereditary Society Blue Book and the Hereditary Society Community of the United States of America http://www.hereditary.us/.

Officers

The foundation enjoys the service of its patron

Patronage

Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...

, the sovereign

Monarch

A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...

of the order, Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...

and that of its president, the statutory

Statute

A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...

knight companion of the order, His Royal Highness Charles, the Prince of Wales

Charles, Prince of Wales

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...

. The foundation vice presidents

Vice president

A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...

are the members of the order. The foundation patron and officers are assisted in their duties by its Board of Trustees.

The society members join in nominating a trustee to the foundation board, and are assisted in the society duties by its Friends' Consultative Committee

Committee

A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...

Membership

All society members support its mission with their annual, ten-year or life contributions

Charitable contribution

Charitable contribution deductions for United States Federal Income Tax purposes are defined in section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code as contributions to or for the use of certain nonprofit enterprises. See...

. Every member receives:

A copy of the society Annual Review
Annual report
An annual report is a comprehensive report on a company's activities throughout the preceding year. Annual reports are intended to give shareholders and other interested people information about the company's activities and financial performance...

which includes reports about the preservation work and history of the chapel and other college buildings,
Publication
Publication
To publish is to make content available to the public. While specific use of the term may vary among countries, it is usually applied to text, images, or other audio-visual content on any medium, including paper or electronic publishing forms such as websites, e-books, Compact Discs and MP3s...

of his or her name
Name
A name is a word or term used for identification. Names can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. A personal name identifies a specific unique and identifiable individual person, and may or may not include a middle name...

in the society leather-bound
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...

Book of Honour
Registry
-Computing:* Windows Registry, a database of configuration settings in Microsoft Windows operating systems* Domain name registry, an organization that manages the registration of top-level internet domain names...

that is displayed permanently at the chapel,
Entrance
Admission to an event or establishment
Admission to a journey or other event or establishment may be subject to paying an entrance fee / buying a ticket. A pass may give admittance without a ticket for a given time period, or give the right to obtain free tickets. A discount pass allows buying tickets at a reduced price...

to the chapel and precincts
Enceinte
Enceinte , is a French term used technically in fortification for the inner ring of fortifications surrounding a town or a concentric castle....

through the Visitors' Centre during the open hours of the castle,
Discount
Discounts and allowances
Discounts and allowances are reductions to a basic price of goods or services.They can occur anywhere in the distribution channel, modifying either the manufacturer's list price , the retail price , or the list price Discounts and allowances are reductions to a basic price of goods or services.They...

prices
Price
-Definition:In ordinary usage, price is the quantity of payment or compensation given by one party to another in return for goods or services.In modern economies, prices are generally expressed in units of some form of currency...

of limited-edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...

and official
Official
An official is someone who holds an office in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority .A government official or functionary is an official who is involved in public...

merchandise
Product (business)
In general, the product is defined as a "thing produced by labor or effort" or the "result of an act or a process", and stems from the verb produce, from the Latin prōdūce ' lead or bring forth'. Since 1575, the word "product" has referred to anything produced...

including an annual commissioned
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...

Christmas card
Christmas card
A Christmas card is a greeting card sent as part of the traditional celebration of Christmas in order to convey between people a range of sentiments related to the Christmas and holiday season. Christmas cards are usually exchanged during the weeks preceding Christmas Day by many people in Western...

, and
Invitation to attend the society Annual General Meeting
Annual general meeting
An annual general meeting is a meeting that official bodies, and associations involving the public , are often required by law to hold...

and Festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....

in May, the society Friends' Stand spectator seating
Bleacher
Bleachers is an American term used to describe the raised, tiered rows of seats found at sports fields or at other spectator events...

at the royal Garter Day procession
Procession
A procession is an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner.-Procession elements:...

and service in June, various society teas
Tea (meal)
Tea can refer to any of several different meals or mealtimes, depending on a country's customs and its history of drinking tea. However, in those countries where the term's use is common, the influences are generally those of the former British Empire...

throughout the year, various society tours
Cultural tourism
Cultural tourism is the subset of tourism concerned with a country or region's culture, specifically the lifestyle of the people in those geographical areas, the history of those peoples, their art, architecture, religion, and other elements that helped shape their way of life...

of the chapel and other places of historic interest, often with privileged access, throughout the year, and, chapel services
Service of worship
In the Protestant denominations of Christianity, a service of worship is a meeting whose primary purpose is the worship of God. The phrase is normally shortened to service. It is also commonly called a worship service...

, organ recitals
Organ recital
An organ recital is a concert at which music specially written for the organ is played.The music played at such recitals was typically written for pipe organ, which includes church organs, and symphonic organs...

, choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...

Evensong
Evening Prayer (Anglican)
Evening Prayer is a liturgy in use in the Anglican Communion and celebrated in the late afternoon or evening...

and other concerts
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...

throughout the year.

Friend members

Every friend member is also given a personalized

Personalization

Personalization involves using technology to accommodate the differences between individuals. Once confined mainly to the Web, it is increasingly becoming a factor in education, health care Personalization involves using technology to accommodate the differences between individuals. Once confined...

written

Writing

Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...

Membership Certificate which bears an illumination

Illuminated manuscript

An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration, such as decorated initials, borders and miniature illustrations...

of the patron saint and dragon known as The George

The George

The George is the name of many inns, hotels and public houses in theUK. It may also be a common shortening of The George and Dragon. Well-known examples include:*The George, Southwark*The George, Dublin...

, and is signed by the Dean of Windsor

Dean of Windsor

The Dean of Windsor is the spiritual head of the Canons of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Dean chairs meetings of the Chapter of Canons as primus inter pares.-List of Deans of Windsor:* William Mugge, 1348* Walter Almaly, 1380...

; and a college heraldic badge

Heraldic badge

A heraldic badge is an emblem or personal device worn as a badge to indicate allegiance to or the property of an individual or family. Medieval forms are usually called a livery badge, and also a cognizance...

which bears the heraldic shield

Coat of arms

A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...

of St George's Cross

St George's Cross

St George's Cross is a red cross on a white background used as a symbolic reference to Saint George. The red cross on white was associated with St George from medieval times....

Descendant members

Descendant members have also proved descent from one or more of the current or former members of the order. Every descendant member is also given a similar certificate and a descendant heraldic badge http://www.hereditary.us/decorations.htm which instead bears the heraldic

Heraldry

Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...

shield of the founder of the order, the Plantagenet King Edward III

Edward III of England

Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...

, surmounted by a circlet crown

Circlet

A circlet is a crown with neither arches nor a cap ....

http://www.hereditary.us/decorations.htm.

External links

Charity Commission: 2007-Present http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/SHOWCHARITY/RegisterOfCharities/RemovedCharityMain.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1118295
Charity Commission: 1966-2007 http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/SHOWCHARITY/RegisterOfCharities/RemovedCharityMain.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=248904
CharitiesDirect.com: The Foundation of the College of St George, Windsor Castle http://www.charitiesdirect.com/charities/the-foundation-of-the-college-of-st-george-windsor-castle-1118295.html
The Prince of Wales Charities: Patronages, The Society of the Friends of St George's and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/personalprofiles/theprinceofwales/patronages
The Princess Royal Charities: Patronages, The Society of the Friends of St George's and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter http://www.royal.gov.uk/ThecurrentRoyalFamily/ThePrincessRoyal/Charitiesandpatronages.aspx
St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle: The Society of the Friends of St George's and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/supporting-st-georges/friends-and-descendants.html
UK Department for Constitutional Affairs THE ROYAL PECULIARS: Report of the Review Group set up by Her Majesty The Queen, Chapter 5: St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, London 2001 http://www.dca.gov.uk/majrep/part6.htm