We promote fellowship amongst members by holding social events. We hold a formal dinner on April 23rd each year to honor and celebrate our patron saint, Saint George. We congregate on significant dates or occasions for church services at St. George's Church, Brunswick Street Halifax (The Round Church). Arrange for guest speakers to give talks about events of interest to the membership, usually with some reference or connection to England. Supporting smaller local charities and a music scholarship at Dalhousie University. Maintain links with other St. George societies around the world and in Canada. In London, Toronto, Vancouver, New York, Houston, Tokyo, Bangkok, and Jakarta to name but a few.
St George's Day Dinner 2010
We had a lovely evening in April celebrating our heritage and remembering our patron saint at the World Trade and Conference Centre in Halfax. We were joined for the evening by Her Honour The Honourable Mayann E. Francis, O.N.S., DHumL, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. Her remarks included the following:
A quick word of congratulations to the new President of the Royal Saint George’s Society of Halifax – Mr. Mark Spindloe. Having read the most recent newsletter, I can see that Mark is already busy invigorating the Society with commitment and purpose to match the start of a new decade. Well done, indeed.
I have been an honourary member of the Royal Saint George’s Society for some time now, and I know that our group goes well beyond the “Cheerio, Pip-Pip, and all that!” of England. Celebrating and honouring the patron saint of England, and celebrating English culture and traditions, is closely tied to acts of charity, as well.
I would like to encourage the Society to continue its charitable work. Acts of benevolence reinforce the local focus of the Royal Saint George’s Society and the continued connection between good deeds here in Halifax, and our beloved England.
Charity is the cornerstone of our community. All of us, if we have the means and the ways, should be willing to share our bread, give our shirt, or lend a hand when we can. That is what binds us together, it is what makes us a society, but beyond that, it makes us a caring and inclusive society.
In the words cultural anthropologist, Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Let us look to 2010 as the year we begin spending a little extra time helping fellow citizens in need, and changing the world for the better.
In closing, I would be remiss not to stress the centuries-long friendship that exists between England, Canada, and Nova Scotia. Whether supplying timber and other resources to build and expand an empire, working together to eliminate the scourge of fascism from Europe, or today, keeping the world safe from many complex threats, the ties between us are deep and unshakable. The Royal St. George’s Society is to be commended for protecting and promoting our unique relationship.
