--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > I saw this article in the local paper, too. > > Would one of the JMDL Canadians kindly explain what > this "member, officer, > companion' of the Order of Canada is about? > > Bob S from America (as usual, ignorant of non-U.S. > culture) ;-) >
Well, Bob, I was ignorant too. Just being Canadian certainly doesn't make one an expert on these kinds of things! (So, I decided to look it up.) Here is a link to the governor general's website, with the news release on the recently announced appointments: http://www.gg.ca/media/appointments/archive-2002/20020704_e.asp (*While browing this website, I also discovered that Sharon, Lois and Bram, popular children's entertainers, had also been named, as members.) unfortunately, the GG's site doesn't get into a lot of detail as to what one has to do to rate the different levels, except to say "Three different levels of membership honour people whose accomplishments vary in degree and scope: Companion, Officer and Member." Companion is the highest honour, and that's what our Joni got. I also notice that Bruce Cockburn was named "Officer" but that this was a promotion within the order - so I guess you can start off at the "member" level, be promoted to "officer", and then I suppose to "companion" - although some are immediately placed in a higher level without working their way up. Another website, http://canadaonline.about.com/library/weekly/aa012700a.htm has the following to say: Levels and Numbers of Honours There are three levels of the Order of Canada: Companion of the Order of Canada Only 15 awards a year, and only a total of 165 recipients living at any time Officer of the Order of Canada Up to 64 appointments made every year Member of the Order of Canada Up to 136 appointments are made each year So, the field narrows the further up you go - sometimes you have to wait for someone to die before you can get the Companion level! You also have to be a Canadian citizen, living (that helps), and not a politician or judge currently in office. ______________________________________________________________________ Post your ad for free now! http://personals.yahoo.ca
