Provincial Grand R.A.C. of Aberdeenshire

Companions, Excellent Companions
& Most Excellent Companions

If like me you are a bit confused as who is just a Companion, who is an Excellent Companion and who is entitled to be addressed as Most Excellent Companion then read on...

From the lists below you can see that the listed Office-bearers are split into three different colours, clearly showing how each office should be addressed.

The Principals are all addressed as
“Most Excellent Companion”
  • First Principal
  • Second Principal
  • Third Principal
  • Past Principals
Sojourners and Scribes are addressed as
“Excellent Companion”
  • First Sojourner
  • Second Sojourner
  • Third Sojourner
  • Scribe E.
  • Scribe N.
Which leaves all the other offices to be addressed as
“Companion”
  • Treasurer
  • Recorder
  • Chancellor
  • Sword Bearer
  • D.O.C.
  • Sup. of Works
  • Standard Bearer
  • Organist
  • Steward
  • Janitor
Called by name or by office...

The above titles are all correct and can be and should be used if you wish to address the Most Excellent First Principal, Excellent Companion First Sojourner, or even Companion Janitor by the office that they are currently occupying.

However...

Once a Most Excellent always a Most Excellent... so if you wish to address the First Sojourner by name, for example Excellent Companion Smith, if Excellent Companion Smith has at anytime been a Principal (1st., 2nd., or 3rd.) then he is justly entitled to be addressed as Most Excellent Companion Smith, otherwise he is addressed as Excellent Companion as befitting a Sojourner.

If after serving his term in that office he goes to the East and becomes 3rd. Principal he will ever after be referred to as Most Excellent Companion Smith, but should he step out of office without ever becoming a Principal of any kind and take a place on the benches or go back to a lower office he would revert to Companion Smith.