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Grand Priors
Activities
The Grand Priories of the order are required to celebrate the following days through social gatherings such as dinners or balls;
New Year's Day - January 1
Birth and Accession Day of the Prince Grandmaster - February 6
Inaugural Day of the Order- March 1
International Peace Day - September 21
Christmas Day - December 25
Aside from this, the Grand Priory is required to have at least 3 charitable or humanitarian project every year. They may also hold special gatherings for visiting dignitaries of the Order
Regalia
Grand Priories may appoint their own jeweler for supplying their priory’s regalia or choose to puchase it directly from the Office of the Grand Keeper of the Regalia. For the designs and more information, please visit the Regalia page under the Insignia tab.
General Assembly
The Grand Prior may hold General Assemblies as often as needed. General Assemblies are called to discuss projects that the grand priory will undertake.
Investiture Ceremony
The Investiture Ceremony is an important occasion for any chivalric Order. In the investiture ceremony, the squires and ladies-in-waiting who have satisfied all the requirements for promotion to the next level are invested as full Knights and Dames of the Order of Prince Daniel of Kholm.
As the order strives to show equality between knights and dames, there will be no difference in investing them.
Set up
The function hall must be arranged similar to a church. Chairs would be lined up facing a raised platform where chairs are placed and reserved for the Prince Grandmaster, The Hereditary Prince Grandmaster (Heir), the Chancellor, the Grand Commander and the Grand Prior. Chairs are also placed on the sides of the platform where officers of the Grand Priory will be seated. If the Chancellor, the Hereditary Prince Grandmaster, and the Grand Commander is/are not present, their chairs may be removed from the set up. Only the chair of the Prince Grandmaster will be on the platform even if he is not present. This signifies that the knights and dames are invested on behalf of the Grandmaster.
Part I Procession
The members of the procession will march under the Processional March of the Order "Procession of the Nobles by Rimsky-Korsakoff". While the guests are seated, the Knights and Dames of the Order who will be present at the ceremony will first join the procession. The squires and ladies-in-waiting will be seated unless they are bearing the standards of the Order in the procession. The Herald of the Grand Priory would be announcing the entrance of the members of the procession and would request everyone to stand. Once the Grandmaster has taken his seat, it is a signal that all in the room may take a seat. The Order of the procession is as follows:
First, the Knights and Dames of the Priory lead by a standard bearer holding the banner of the order would march in the center and once they reach the platform would turn either left or right and head towards their respective places.
After the Knights and Dames who are the officers of the Grand Priory reach the platform, they head towards their respective seats.
Once the officers have seated, the Grand Prior does the procession alone and is announced by the Herald. He heads towards his seat in the platform.
If the other visiting officials are present they will march one by one according to rank from lowest to highest and is announced one by one by the Herald. After the procession they head towards their respective seats.
After the visiting officials, if the Grandmaster is present, he will be the last to join in the procession. He will march along with other visiting knights and dames who do not hold any administrative position. They will accompany him and those knights would carry the Standard of the Grandmaster and the Standard of the House of Carrillo-Rurikovich-Tverskoi-Kholmsky. If other visiting knights and dames are not present then a squire from the priory may substitute. The flags and banners, once they reach the platform, would turn either the left or right and place the flag on a flag holder. The Grandmaster would proceed to his seat in the platform and his accompanying knights and dames would take their seat among the other knights and dames.
Part II Investiture
After all have taken their seat, the Herald of the Grand Priory will announce the names of the Squires and Ladies-in-Waiting who will be invested. They will be called to come forward and would stand in front of the platform. The Squires and Ladies-in-Waiting may stand side by side in no particular order. The Grand Prior will then present them their vows which will be based on the Chivalric Doctrine. They would also swear allegiance to the Prince Grandmaster.
After they have said their vows, the highest official present (Grand Prior, Commander, Chancellor or Grandmaster) would invest them with a sword. The official who is investing must also hold an oak leaf long with the sword to symbolize the fight for peace. If the investing official is holding the sword in his right hand then the oak leaf must be in the same hand. The squires and ladies-in-waiting will be asked to kneel. When dubbing, the left shoulder is tapped first, then the right. After all have been dubbed, they will be accepting the regalia and their letters patent. After receiving the letters patent, they will be asked to stand by their investing official by saying, "Rise as knights and dames of the Order of Prince Daniel of Kholm". They will stand and face the audience where applause is allowed.
After, they will join the Knights and Dames in their seat and the Grandmaster will exit along with his entourage where he will retire before the reception. It is the option of the organizers of the ceremony whether to have a dinner afterwards.
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