All About St John Induction Handbook for Members (Kenya)
First Edition All about St. John: Induction Handbook for Members Written by George Oloo © 2011, St. John Kenya. Published by St. John Kenya, Nairobi Region St. John House, St. John’s Gate, Off Parliament Road, NAIROBI. P.O. Box 41469 -00100, NAIROBI.
All rights reserved. This material is copyright but may be reproduced by any method by members without fee for educational purposes but not for resale. Formal permission is required for all such uses but normally will be granted immediately. For copying in other circumstances or for re-use in other publications, or for translation or adaptation, prior written permission must be obtained from the copyright owner and/or author, and a fee may be payable.
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 2
- Part One – History of the Order
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 3
Back in Time
The year is 600 A.D. Religious tension persists in Jerusalem, between Christian and Muslim pilgrims, paying homage to their ‘holy city’- the crusades are around the corner, and Pope Gregory is head of ‘the church’. This is the setting the Order first identifies as pertaining to its history. From this date, let’s try and trace the Order to today.
600 A.D. Pope Gregory asks Abbey Probus to set up a hostel to house Christian pilgrims. It provided a place not only for the pilgrims to shelter, but also to get attention on any injuries sustained. In the intensity of fighting between Christian and Muslim forces, the survival of the hostel was short-lived. It was burnt down in the year 1009 by Caliph El Hakim.
1099 A.D. Christian forces recaptured Jerusalem. The hostel was re- established, and Blessed Gerard (a Benedictine monk from Montague, France), was put in charge. The hostel now included a hospital for wounded crusaders and sick pilgrims, and Gerard received them, giving treatment for the wounded. It is in this year, to promote, maintain and perpetuate this work that Gerard founded the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, or what we today simply know as the Order of St. John. Blessed Gerard, founder of the Order of St John 1113 A.D. Pope Pasqual II formally recognized the Order, as a religious order of Hospitallers under the leadership of Blessed Gerard.
1120 A.D. Blessed Gerard died and Raymond Du Puy, a knight from Burgundy, France was elected to succeed Gerard. Raymond Du Puy is referred to as the First Grand Master of the Order of St. John. Despite the fact that Jerusalem was now under Christian control, pilgrims were continually being attacked. In order to protect the pilgrims, Raymond added a military role to the duties of a number of Hospitallers. These knights formed a military wing known as the Knight Hospitallers, making the order effectively a Military Religious Order.
1160 A.D. Raymond Du Puy died, having transformed the Order thus, and given them the role of ‘Champions of Christendom’, in addition to their role of taking care of the sick and injured. The Hospitallers were expelled from Jerusalem in 1187 A.D. when it fell to Saladin and his Muslim army. They moved to North Palestine, Cyprus, and finally attacking, capturing and settling on the island of Rhodes in 1310. In 1530 A.D., the Hospitallers were again homeless, after Turkish forces forced them to surrender, and Emperor Charles V gave them a home in Malta.
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 4 1565 A.D. The Knights of St. John in Malta, under the leadership of their Grand Master Jean de la Valette turned back the Turks at the Great siege of Malta. In honor of their leader, the Knights of St. John built a new city and named it Valetta. Today Valetta is the capital city of Malta. Thus began a 200- year domination of the Mediterranean area by the Knights of St. John in Malta, a dominion that was only cut short by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798, when he expelled the Order from Malta.
This was the end of the Order of St. John as a military order. Some of the Knights later settled in Rome, and changed their name to The Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a body that is still in existence today. Malta However, in Britain, the Order of St. John as we know it today was already in When Emperor Charles V the making. gave the Knights a home in Malta, they had no idea just The Order Finds a Home! how long they would have to stay there, or how much they would lose. But as it While fighting was going on in most of the world, the Order inevitably found turned out, Malta turned out its way to Europe, and specifically to Britain. We take this story up in the year to be on of the most the Order of St. John first arrived in England. important stops in the history of the Order. At the 1144 A.D. The Order of St. John sets up in Britain, founding a ‘priory’ at end of the great siege of Clerkenwell. This headquarters, referred to as the ‘Gate House’ was later Malta, 219 Knights and 9000 burnt down by peasants during the Wat Tyler’s rebellion of 1381. inhabitants were dead. It is recommended that one 1504 A.D. Grand Prior Thomas Dowcra completed rebuilding of the Gate reads a somewhat House at Clerkenwell, which today is the headquarters of the Order. sensationalized story of the Great Siege of Malta from 1540 A.D. The Order of St. John in England suffered the first of its ‘religious’ Charles Owen’s The Maltese Islands. woes when it was abolished by King Henry VIII after a disagreement with the Pope, and its properties confiscated. Although Queen Mary briefly reinstated it in 1557, Queen Elizabeth I again abolished it in 1558. The Order remained dormant in England for close to three centuries.
1798 A.D. Napoleon Bornapate expels the Order from Malta, causing some members of the Order to seek its revival in Britain. Finally, despite protestations by the head of the Order in Italy, this happened in 1831.
1831 A.D. The Order was revived in England due to the initiative of French knights. The Reverend Sir Robert Peat was elected Prior.
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 5 1858 A.D. After years of fruitless negotiations with Rome, the Order in England proclaimed itself as an independent Order under the British crown, titled the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in England. Thus was born the modern Order of St. John, independent from the Catholic Church and Rome.
1872 A.D. The first ambulance services of the Order of St. John operated in the pottery and mining districts of England.
1877 A.D. The St. John Ambulance Association was formed. Its aim was to train people in First Aid skills and provide ambulance support for home and work. A WW1 St John Ambulance 1882 A.D. The St. John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem was established to [Courtesy: Order of St John provide care to people afflicted with treatable eye diseases and injuries. The Museum] St. John Eye Hospital in East Jerusalem, as it is now known, is today one of the world’s most renown centers for ophthalmic treatment.
1887 A.D. The St. John Ambulance Brigade was founded, to rope in volunteers willing to offer their time in offering First Aid to the community. Thousands were trained in First Aid, and the Brigade began to offer first aid and ambulance services at public events. The first public duty covered by the Brigade was the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Queen Victoria’s reign.
1888 A.D. The Order was formally incorporated as ‘The Grand Priory of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England’ by a royal charter issued by Queen Victoria. She also became patron and Sovereign Head of the Order of St. John. **The Charter has undergone several amendments since. In 1926, King George V, an enthusiastic supporter of the Order, restyled the formal title of the Order, adding the ‘British Realm’ and ‘Venerable’. It thus became The Grand Priory in the British Realm of the Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. The current Charter was made in 1974 (It includes amendments in 1999 and 2002), and among other things, restyled the title of the organization to read The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, also simply known as The Order of St. John. A 1950s St John Ambulance 1922 A.D. The St. John Ambulance Cadet movement was founded. Brigade poster [Source: Order of St John 1987 A.D. The St. John Badgers movement was founded. Museum]
And those were the dates and events (at least some of them!) that brought the Order of St. John to the 20th Century.
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 6 The Mottoes of the Order The Order of St. John has two mottoes that sum up its objects and purposes. They are (predictably) in Latin, and are:
Pro-Fide and Pro Utilitate Hominum
Pro-Fide (for the Faith), the first great principle of the Order, calls for all that makes for the spiritual and moral strengthening of mankind.
Pro-Utilitate Hominum (In the service of humanity), the second great principle, calls for the encouragement and promotion of all works of humanity and charity for the relief of persons in sickness, distress, suffering or danger without distinction of race, class or religion.
The Eight Pointed Cross Perhaps the most interesting and lasting connection to our history, the 8- pointed cross can be traced back to the very beginning of the Order of St. Pro-Fide: For the John when Blessed Gerard founded the Order. Faith
As a distinguishing garb for the Order, Blessed Gerard and his Benedictine Pro-Utilitate monks chose to have as their ‘uniform’ the flag of a tiny republic south of Hominum: In the service of Naples, Italy called Amalfi, in gratitude for having purchased land for a group humanity. of Benedictine monks.
The flag of the Amalfi republic, as you must have guessed already, was a plain black background with an 8-pointed white cross.
Due to the Knights’ long association with Malta, the cross came to be referred to as the Maltese Cross.
Thus was born what we know today as the ‘St. John Badge’, worn by every member, from the Sovereign Head to the St. John cadet: a simple white 8- pointed Cross on a black background.
The lion and the unicorn were added to the Cross in 1888 when the Order was granted a royal Charter by Queen Victoria. This was mainly to differentiate it from the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, which, since we share a history with, we share the Cross with as well.
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 7
-Part Two–
The Order Today
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 8 The Modern Day Order of St. John
The Order of St. John today is quite different from the one founded by Blessed Gerard over 900 years ago. From a medieval Order, St. John has grown to be one of the world’s most respected international charities, playing a critical role in service to humanity in various countries around the world through its service Foundations.
As we have already seen, the objects and purposes of the Order are encompassed in its two mottoes, Pro-Fide and Pro-Utilitate Hominum. The mission of the Order of St. John is to prevent and relieve sickness and injury and to act to enhance health and well being of people of all races and creeds anywhere in the world.
The Order achieves most of its work through its two service Foundations. The two Foundations of the Order are: a) The St. John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital, and b) The St. John Ambulance
The St. John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital is incorporated as a charitable company and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Order. It is managed by a board of directors/trustees who are accountable to the Grand Council.
The St. John Ambulance has activities that include first aid provision and St John’s Gate is near the International Office of the training, ambulance and community service and youth programmes. It is Order of St John in London, comprised mainly of volunteers, which is where we belong. and houses the St John Museum
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 9
Organization and Structure of the Order – Overview
The Connection Question
Let us start by answering the connection question-how the members of St. John Ambulance for example fit in the structure of the Order. Barring details, a diagrammatic presentation would look something like this:
The Order
The St. John Eye Hospital The St. John Ambulance
Staff Volunteers HM Queen Elizabeth II, Sovereign Head of the Order of St John Adults Cadets Badgers
St. John volunteers are grouped into three general age-groups: Badgers are aged 6-11 years old; Cadets are 12-18 years old; while members above 18 are grouped as Adults. (Adult members of St. John in tertiary institutions are in many territories administered separately as Links.)
Since the Order is a Royal Order of Chivalry, the reigning monarch in the United Kingdom at any one time is the Sovereign Head of the Order. Currently, therefore, the Sovereign Head of the Order is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. HRH Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, The Sovereign Head appoints a Grand Prior (always a member of the royal Grand Prior of the Order family) to run the Order and exercise Supreme direction. The current Grand of St John Prior is HRH Richard, Duke of Gloucester, KG, GCVO. The Grand Prior is assisted in running the Order by the Lord Prior and the Grand Council.
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 10 The Grand Council
This is the governing body of the Order. It is composed of the Great Officers and representatives (heads) of each of the eight Priories. It provides global strategic leadership and policy direction to the Foundations, Establishments, Members and volunteers. It regularly reviews progress in achieving the Order’s goals and agrees actions to achieve them.
The Grand Council oversees the St John Establishments (Priories, Associations and Associated Body). The 32 Associations are mainly in Common-wealth countries, and in many cases, are established by local statutes. The Grand Council is chaired by the Lord Prior, who is the Order’s 8 senior-most volunteer, and also acts as the worldwide ambassador for the The number of Order of St John. The current Lord Prior is Professor Anthony Mellows, Priories OBE, GCSTJ, TD.
The International Office (headed by the Secretary General) provides support to the Grand Council, especially with regard to activities of the St John Establishments.
The hierarchy is as follows:
Sovereign Head (Her Majesty The Queen) * Grand Prior The Duke of Gloucester * Grand Council consisting of The Great Officers Professor Anthony Mellows, OBE, GCSTJ, TD, Lord Prior of the Order of Lord Prior (Chairman) St John Prelate Vice Lord Prior Deputy Lord Prior (Establishments) Deputy Lord Prior (Finance)
Sub-Prior
and
The Hospitaller
Plus the heads of each of the 8 Priories
(England, Scotland, Wales, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, USA)
They oversee
Priories (8 see above), St John Associations (32) and Associated Body
(Republic of Ireland)
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 11
Enrolment into the Order
Apart from its world-renowned charitable work through its Foundations, the Order is in and of itself an Order of Chivalry of the British Crown. As such, the Order has members admitted into it by invitation of Her Majesty the Queen, who through their different endeavors, subscribe to and promote the Mission of the Order.
Moreover, individuals are enrolled into the various Grades of the Order as a result of exemplary and extra-ordinary service rendered to the Order of St. John, either directly or in any of its Foundations and Establishments. In the very same way we have individuals receiving local honors (EBS, EGH, HSC etc), the Order recognizes these individuals by giving them certain Grades of Kenya’s highest membership. ranked officers on the Order Roll One will usually begin at a lower grade and be promoted up the grades as are the former their service to the Order (either directly or through the Foundations) patron, former President Daniel increases. Each of the 6 grades has initials that the holders are allowed to Moi, who is a bear as part of their name/titles. Knight of St.
John, and the The grades are, from the lowest: National Council
Chairman, Maj.
GRADE TITLE INITIALS (Rtd) Marsden
VI Esquire of St. John EsqSt.J Madoka, who is a V Serving Brother/Sister of St. John SSt.J Commander IV Officer Brother/Sister of St. John OSt.J Brother of St. III Commander Brother/Sister of St. John CSt.J John. Hence the III Chaplain of St. John CSt.J C.St.J next to his
II Knight of St. John KSt.J title!
II Dame of St. John DSt.J
I Bailiff Grand Cross GCSt.J I Dames Grand Cross GCSt.J
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 12
-Part Three–
St. John in Kenya
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 13 SSTT... JJOOHHNN IINN KKEENNYYAA
ST. John Ambulance was first introduced in Kenya in 1923, with the first
Division being set up within the Kenya Police in 1925. In 1928, Kenya became a District Of St. John with Sir Cavendish as the first Commissioner,
St. John Kenya. He was deputized by Sir Godfrey Rhodes.
Here are a few more important dates in the history of St John in Kenya:
1939
First Public Duty of St John ambulance Nairobi with assistance from Kenya
Police was held.
1953
The council of the order of St. John was established in Kenya on the 10th June and hereinafter constituted in accordance to the rules.
1956
The foundation stone for St. John Ambulance Headquarters was laid by Sir
Evelyn Baring, G.C.M.G, K.C.V.O, K.T.St.J, Governor of Kenya . The house was officially opened by His worship the mayor Alderman Harold Travis.
1972
His Excellency the President of Kenya, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was invested as a
Knight of Grace by the Superintendent-in-Chief Marjorie, Countess of
Brecknock at State House Nairobi, 22nd March 1972
1979
St John Ambulance in Kenya is formally created by an Act of Parliament, Cap
259 of the Laws of Kenya
Since then, St. John Kenya has been at the forefront of provision of First Aid
Services to the country and has had its membership grow from the initial 2 to about 18,000 volunteers countrywide.
1964
The Governor General of Kenya, Mr Malcom
McDonald inspecting
ambulances with the
Commissioner, Sir Charles
Markhan, District
Superintendent, Ms. C.A Evewoud and District
Surgeon Dr. Adaya
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 14 Governance & Structure
The St John Association of Kenya, also known as St John Kenya, is one of the 32 St. John Associations in the world, and was originally established by an Act of Parliament, Cap 259 of the Laws of Kenya.
The Chief Patron of St John in Kenya is His Excellency the President, Hon. Mwai Kibaki, CGH, MP.
St John Kenya is managed by a National Council, which is the governing body of St John in Kenya. The National Council is headed by a Chairman of Council, who is appointed by the Grand Prior.
The Chairman of the National Council is appointed by the Grand Prior on the recommendation of the Council. He exercises direction and administrative and executive control over the affairs of St. John in Kenya. The current chairman of the National Council is Hon. Maj. (Rtd.) Marsden Madoka, EGH, CSt.J.
Maj. (Rtd.) Marsden Madoka, The Chief Commissioner is the senior-most uniformed volunteer and is the EGH, CSt.J., Chairman of the officer in charge of the members of St John in Kenya. He is assisted in his National Council work by National Officers and Regional Commissioners at regional level. The current Chief Commissioner is Mr. Eliakim M. Masale, MBS.
The Secretariat, headed at the national level by the Chief Executive Officer, comprises the staff employed by St John Kenya, and is responsible for day to day management of the organization, supporting, coordinating and facilitating the work of the Council (s), the members and other volunteers, as well as Regional activities.
Regions St. John in Kenya is divided into 11 Regions. They are: Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Upper Eastern, Western, Kenya Railways and Kenya Ports Authority. Corps
Within each Region, the members of St John are further divided into smaller units called Corps. A region may have three or more Corps comprising Eliakim M. Masale, MBS several Divisions as provided for in the General Regulations. Chief Commissioner Divisions A Division is the normal basic unit of St. John. The Divisions, headed by Divisional Superintendents, are grouped in Corps. The DS reports to the Corp Superintendent. (Note: Within the Badger Movement, Divisions are referred to as Badger Setts, and in tertiary institutions, as Links)
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 15
The following is a diagrammatic representation of the governance and structure of St John Kenya:
At the Regional level, the structure further cascades:
REGIONAL GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
Regional Councils
Regional Executive Officers Commissioners
Corps, Divisions Regional staff (Adults, Badgers & team Cadets)
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 16
Volunteers & Members
St. John Kenya has close to 18,000 volunteers, serving the organization either as members or in other capacities. A number of these, referred to generally as governance volunteers serve in the national and regional councils as well as various NEC committees (see diagram on previous page) that serve the management in an advisory capacity in their various areas of expertise.
The bulk of the volunteers however, are uniformed volunteers of St John Kenya, and meet the requirements to be called members. It is this body of uniformed volunteers that collectively make up the ‘St John Ambulance’ part of the organization. So when we talk about members, we are talking about the uniformed volunteers of St John, while when we talk about volunteers in general, we mean both the uniformed (members) and non- uniformed volunteers.
These two sections, extracted from the St John Ambulance General Regulations, outline the main objects and duty of all members:
2.01 The Objects of St John Ambulance are: -
(a) To train and maintain a body of men and women thoroughly efficient in First Aid and Auxiliary Patient Care. (b) To afford opportunities for holders of approved First Aid Certificates to meet together for training and practice, with the assistance of the
medical and nursing professions, with the object of combining individual efforts in the service of the public. (c) To provide First Aid and Patient Care for the injured and sick. (d) To provide ancillary services for the sick and injured in hospitals of all kinds, homes and elsewhere. (e) To provide reserves for the Medical Services of the country’s Armed Forces. (f) To provide a trained organization that will be immediately available in time of emergency.
2.02 PRIMARY DUTY OF MEMBERS
(a) The primary and distinct duty of all full members of St John Ambulance
is the rendering of First Aid and they are, therefore, required to qualify and keep themselves efficient in this respect. (b) In addition all members of St John Ambulance must qualify in Patient Care in order to meet the ordinary need for nursing the sick in their own homes, or in emergency, and to provide assistance with the ancillary nursing services in hospitals and institutions.
In the next few sections, we will look at how members are structured, the regulations for members as well as an overview of the programmes St John members are involved in.
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 17 Structure The members of St John form a uniformed and disciplined body. This discipline is reflected in their pseudo-military styling of uniform, ranks and drill, which form a key component of discipline and leadership development. The leaders of the members are referred to as ‘officers’, and one can rise through the ranks in very much the same way as the army!
As already mentioned, the senior-most uniformed volunteer is the Chief Commissioner. He is responsible to the Chairman of the National Council for the general organization, administration, efficiency and discipline of the members. The Chief Commissioner appoints all the Commissioned Officers of St. John in Kenya.
The current Chief Commissioner is Mr. Eliakim M. Masale, MBS. Here is the rest of the structure from the national level to the division. DS
Heads a Division NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
Chief Commissioner Deputy Chief Commissioners Chief Surgeon Deputy Chief Surgeon
Chief Nursing Officer Commissioners Principal Surgeon (and Deputy) Principal Nursing Officer (and Deputy)
REGIONAL LEVEL
Regional Commissioner Deputy Regional Commissioner Regional Youth Officer Regional Staff Officers Regional Surgeon Regional Nursing Officer
CORP LEVEL CS Corp Superintendent Heads a Corp Corp Youth Officer Corp Staff Officers Corp Surgeon Corp Nursing Officer
DIVISION Divisional Superintendent Divisional Officers NCOs Members
During your induction course, you will be provided with the names and rank markings for all the current holders of the various positions.
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 18
-Part Four–
Regulations
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 19 Regulations
The work of members of St John Ambulance is governed by the St. John Ambulance General Regulations. These specify all aspects of the members’ activities and form the basis for running the volunteer movement. All members are required not only to know the regulations, but carefully follow them.
This section highlights some of the integral aspects of the Regulations, and is certainly no substitute for being extensively familiar with the whole 12 document. Divisional Instructional 1. Requirements for Membership & Annual Efficiency Meetings you must attend every year Chapter 2 of the General Regulations deals with membership issues. Some of its key provisions are as follows:
Primary Duty: The primary and distinct duty of all full members of St. John Ambulance is the rendering of First Aid and they are therefore required to qualify and keep themselves efficient in this respect. In addition, all members of St. John Ambulance must qualify in Patient Care in order to meet the ordinary need for nursing the sick in their own homes, or in emergency, and to provide assistance with the ancillary nursing services in hospitals and institutions. St. John’s Day The Annual Qualification for Enrolment: Candidates for enrolment for adult Parade & membership must: Inspection is Have attained the age of 18 years held every Be of good character year on the Be acceptable to the Chief Commissioner in all respects Sunday falling
nearest to the Annual Efficiency: Chapter 7 deals with the requirements that members day of St. John must meet every year to be returned efficient: the Baptist, Pass a re-examination or assessment in First Aid and Patient Care which is 24th Be present at the Annual Inspection June. Attend, if a member of a Division, at least 12 divisional instructional meetings, or if a Staff Officer, perform a comparable number of specific duties Carry out their St. John Ambulance duties to the satisfaction of their Senior Officers In addition, locally, members are expected to perform at least 30 hours of Public Duty and 24 hours of Community Service or Hospital Duty every year.
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 20
2. Discipline & Disciplinary Issues
As a uniformed organization, discipline forms an integral part of our organization. As a matter of fact, our Mission talks of St. John being identified as a leading organization of disciplined volunteers. Chapter 6 of the General Regulations deals with discipline issues. Some important points to note are as follows:
As already mentioned, St. John has a rank system in place. Members are thus expected to obey and respect their officers. Regulation 6.17 provides that all members of St. John Ambulance will maintain the time-honored custom of acknowledging their seniors by saluting, and addressing them as ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’.
A member who neglects his duty or is guilty of misconduct may be suspended from duty, meaning that they may not take part in St. John Ambulance activities or wear the uniform. Regulations 6.10 specify the action to be taken in case a member is suspended from duty. Chapter Disciplinary action may include a member being completely expelled from the Organization if the Chief Commissioner finds that their conduct warrants it. 6 All about Discipline Insubordination i.e. failing to follow instructions given by your superior is considered a major case of misconduct.
St. John Ambulance is strictly non-political and is prohibited from furthering the objects of any particular party.
Members are not allowed to smoke or drink alcohol during or immediately before a duty, or in the course of performance of their St. John Ambulance duties.
Seniority of Duty is dealt with in Regulation 6.07. This provides that when two or more members of St. John Ambulance are present at a duty, responsibility for the duty and for the good conduct and discipline devolves upon the member who is the senior in rank, or if two or more are of equal grading, upon the one with the longest service in the grading.
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 21 3. Dressing Regulations
All Officers and members are required to wear such uniforms and badges as prescribed by Dressing Regulations issued from time to time. The standard Dressing Orders can be found in the annual St. John catalogue, which members can order for free every year. Each Dressing Order is suitable to the particular duties for which it’s worn.
The basic dress is as follows:
Male - Plain Black trouser; white pilot shirt; plain black tie; St. John badges (side flashes, St. John Badge and epaulettes); black shoes; black socks; black or St. John belt; St. John sweater or blazer; pea cape or beret; Rank markings as relevant.
Female - Plain Black skirt or trouser; white pilot shirt; plain black tie; St. John badges (side flashes, St. John Badge and epaulettes); black shoes; white socks or black stockings if wearing skirt or black socks (if wearing trousers); St. John sweater or blazer; pea cape or beret; Rank markings as relevant. Looking
In addition, Regulation 6.22 provides guidelines on wearing of the Uniform. Some of its provisions include: Smart Are You? - Unless the Senior Officer present orders otherwise, every member participating in an official duty must wear the prescribed St. John Ambulance uniform.
- No decorations, medals or badges except those granted by the St. John Association may be worn on St. John Ambulance Uniform.
Regulation 6.21 provides for the protection of St. John Badges by Law. All badges, buttons and gorget patches are the property of St. John Ambulance, though bought by individual members – in the event of any member resigning from St. John Ambulance, these must be returned to his/her unit.
During your induction, you will discuss the different badges of rank worn by members and officers, as well as special uniforms for such groups as Badgers and Links.
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 22
4. Public Duty Regulations
All duties allocated through official St. John Ambulance channels are designated St. John Ambulance duties.
According to Regulation 8.02, a Public Duty is a First Aid duty, allocated through St. John Ambulance channels, undertaken indoors or out, wherever a number of people are congested, or where it is recognized by those responsible that a First Aid service should be provided. This may be at national events, company events, school events etc.
Regulation 8.01 further provides that it is basic to the performance of these duties that they are of a voluntary nature. That said, in many cases, members attending a Public Duty will be given an allowance to cater for their meals and transport. Serving the In order to meet their annual efficiency requirements, members are expected Public to perform at least 30 hours of Public Duty every year. A member may not attend a Public Duty unless they have a valid First Aid certificate. Wherever First Each duty has an officer-in-charge, who will normally be the most senior officer present according to Seniority of Duty. The in-charge has overall Aid is needed, responsibility for the members, Ambulance personnel, equipment and St. John is first Ambulances at the Duty. Some of his responsibilities include: to care!
Ensuring all members are in proper uniform and have valid First Aid certificates before departing for the duty Ensuring medical supplies for the duty are available and adequate Reporting to the contact person at the venue of the duty Allocating members and Ambulance personnel (in consultation with the EMTs) to their various duty stations Ensuring proper standards of First Aid are maintained in the conduct of the duty Ensuring records of all cases attended to are properly kept Filling a duty report sheet at the end of the duty and ensuring this is forwarded to the relevant authority after the duty Taking action on and reporting any cases of misconduct
Cadets are not allowed to attend Public Duties at places where their entry would otherwise be restricted. Moreover, whenever Cadets are allocated a Duty, they must be accompanied by an adult Officer who will be in-charge of the Duty. Locally, Cadets are not allowed to attend duties that will last beyond 6 p.m.
During your induction course, you will be taken through how public duties are allocated and what actually takes place on site.
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 23
5. Appointments
Chapter 4 of the General Regulations provides for appointments, How Far Along promotions and grading of members within St. John Ambulance. It is Are YOU? important to note that persons proposed as Officers must be of good Member character and of suitable age and education, all of which are necessary to - ensure their having proper influence over the members under their Corporal command. - Sergeant The minimum age for appointment of all Officers is 19 except in special - circumstances. Divisional Officer - Divisional Regulation 4.03 points out that the Divisional Superintendent, while being Superintendent personally responsible for nominating qualified persons for appointment - to Divisional vacancies, must also consult such of his Senior Officers as Corp Staff Officer may be concerned. - Corp Youth Officer All Officers and Adult NCOs (other than Senior Officers, Surgeons and - Corp Nursing Officers) are required to take a Promotion Examination unless Superintendent otherwise approved by assessment. - Regional Staff The Chief Commissioner may make Acting Appointments pending Officer qualification for confirmation, and generally delegates this authority to - Regional Commissioners in the case of Region, Corp or Divisional Regional Youth Officer appointments. - Deputy Regional Dual appointments are not permitted. Commissioner - Medical Appointments Regional Commissioner Being a medical organization, through out the St John structure, there are - Assistant medical personnel. Volunteer doctors and nurses serve within the St John Commissioner system to ensure First Aid and care standards are at the highest levels and - to offer expert advice in needed cases. Commissioner - The appointment of volunteer doctors (referred to with the honorary St Deputy Chief John title of ‘Surgeon’) will normally be done through the Chief Surgeon, Commissioner - while nurses (referred to as ‘Nursing Officers’) will normally be appointed Chief through the Chief Nursing Officer. Commissioner
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 24
-Part Five - The St John Membership Programme
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 25 Introduction
As already mentioned, St John members are divided into age-groups. Let’s recap:
Badgers are the youngest members, aged 6-12 years old.
Cadets are St John members aged 13 – 18 years old.
Adult members are above 18 to around 70 years old.
Links refer to adult members of St John organized within tertiary institutions such as universities and colleges.
Further, as we saw when we were looking at the Structure, the Division is the ordinary unit of St John members. Again, here’s a recap:
Divisions
A Division is the normal basic unit of St. John. The Division will have a minimum of 12 members and normally, a maximum of 48. The Division has ordinary members as well as the leaders, who as we’ve seen, are referred to as officers.
At the Divisional level, these officers are Corporals, Sergeants and Cadet
Leaders (referred to collectively as NCOs), as well Divisional Officers and the
Divisional Superintendent who is the head of the Division.
(Note: Within the Badger Movement, Divisions are referred to as Badger
Setts, and in tertiary institutions, as Links. These two will also have a different leadership structure peculiar to their needs.)
Corps
Three or more divisions make up a Corp. A Corp is headed by a Corp
Superintendent, who co-ordinates the work and activities of the various
Divisional Superintendents under his/her Corp, and reports to the Regional
Commissioner. He is assisted by the Corp Youth Officer and Corp Staff
Officers.
Regions
Finally, Corps make up a Region, and as we saw in the structure, the officer in charge of the members in the Region is the Regional Commissioner.
Currently, St. John is present in 11 Regions across the country. They are:
Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Upper
Eastern, Western, Kenya Railways and Kenya Ports Authority.
Over the next sections, we’ll look at each of the groups of members briefly, and what their different programmes have to offer.
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 26 St. John Badgers
Primary School Age (6-12yrs)
St John Ambulance prides itself in having one of the most vibrant programmes for children aged between 6 and 12 years old. Currently, St John has over 2,000 Badgers in different primary schools in the country.
Why Badgers? The St John Badgers programme exists: To provide a friendly, safe and relaxed environment, in which children can both learn and have fun, gaining a sense of achievement in everything they do. To stimulate the interest of children in the concept and aims of St. John Ambulance at a very young age. This is achieved through their participation in a wide range of activities, including basic First Aid. To encourage the Badgers to develop their common sense, honesty, self-control, courage and essential life skills at an early age.
What They Do: The Badgers hold weekly meetings at their schools, and follow a fun course in 'Absolutely Everything' throughout their Badger life. The Badger's Course in 'Absolutely Everything' has 15 different subjects, and the Badgers choose 12 to do – sort of like climbing stairs!
After completing every 3 subjects, the Badger receives a Badge and certificate to show their accomplishment, and on completing 12 subjects, obtain the Super Badger Award, the highest a Badger can receive.
3 Badges 6 Badges 9 Badges 12 Badges Bronze Paw Award Silver Paw Award Gold Paw Award Super Badger Award
For more information about the Badger subjects and the St John Badgers, see the St John Badgers Handbook.
If you would like to have a Badger Sett in your school or one near you, or would like to volunteer your time as a Badger Leader (for adult members only), contact your Regional Youth Officer.
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 27 St. John Cadets
High School Age (13 – 18yrs) The St John Cadets form one of Kenya’s most exciting and popular youth movements. There are currently over 7,000 St John Cadets in Kenya, most of them in high schools.
Why Cadets? The Cadet Programme aims to: “By the time one is through with the cadet programme, they are able Develop the skills in caring for people and dealing with emergency to effectively handle small situations groups and have usually Enhances the Cadets’ personal, social and career development developed life-long life Develop leadership and decision-making skills and social skills, besides Grow a powerful sense of responsibility for the Cadet, others and the giving hundreds of hours in community service.” community
Builds self-esteem and a feeling of belonging See the Cadet Handbook for more info on the Cadet What They Do: Cadets hold weekly meetings at their schools or other points Programme. of meeting such as St John Headquarters.
They are taught First Aid and Emergency Response early into the programme, as well as other ancillary subjects. They start to practice this almost immediately, offering First Aid cover at national and other events under the supervision of adult members, and responding to minor injuries/emergencies at their schools.
The pride of the Cadet programme is its emphasis on personal development, which includes training and practice in administration and leadership as well The Grand Prior Award as different life skills. Cadets are also trained in the highest standards of Badge discipline and prepared to be reponsible members of society.
The Grand Prior Award: This is the highest award a Cadet can achieve in St John. The Cadets complete 24 subjects of their choice that are not part of Cadet Divisions are led their school curriculum, 8 for Bronze and Silver stages, 3 more for Gold and a by adult “youth final 3 to get the Grand Prior Award. When a Cadet completes the 24 subjects, leaders”, who provide he receives the Award issued by the Duke of Gloucester, who is the Grand guidance and training
Prior. for the Cadets and their
activities. If you’re
Other Activities: The Cadets participate in various including public and interested in serving as community service, hospital duty and first aid cover for various events. They a youth leader, contact also have social activities such as out-of-town camps, picnics, educational your nearest Regional trips and topical discussions during their weekly meetings. Every year, the Youth Officer. Cadets also take part in First Aid and Drill competitions, both at the national and international level.
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 28
St. John Adults
Adult Members (18 and above)
St John Kenya has over 8,000 adults serving as volunteer members in various parts of the country. Being a leader in emergency medical response, our adult volunteers are involved in offering First Aid and emergency care at accidents and incidents, offering professional and life-saving pre-hospital care in these difficult times.
Beyond that, the volunteers give community and hospital service, First Aid cover at national and public events as well as caring for the sick in the communities where they live through our Community Health programme.
Adult members are involved in a wide range of personal development programmes as well - from the Amlfi Challenge to the Sovereign's Award and the President's Award scheme as well as annual competitions in First Aid, Caring for the Sick and Drill among others.
Their trainings also include a heavy focus on leadership and volunteer management, and they are actually involved in the running of the volunteer units to give them the experience needed. As they rise through the ranks, they receive responsibilities over increasing numbers of members and units. Interested adult members are often recruited as leaders for Cadet divisions.
With a number of our adult members being in tertiary institutions or just starting off their careers, their weekly meetings serve as excellent forums for networking and career development as well as a social outlet. Activities like career talks, networking meetings, camps, picnics and other social activities dot their annual calendar.
The adult volunteers form a core part of our timely and effective response to disasters, wherever in the country they may be. Their high level of discipline and commitment ensures St John is always at the forefront of caring for our community.
The Service Medal of Adult members get Service Medals from the Order of St John for years of service the Order of St John given, on the recommendation of HM the Queen, who is the Sovereign Head.
One joins an adult division once they turn 18, and can stay until 75 years of age!
For more information on the Adult members’ programme, contact the nearest St John Office.
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 29
-Part Six -
What Next?
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 30 Let’s Go!
Now that you have completed your Induction Course, you should be ready to fully launch into St John activities within your Division.
Your officers will guide you through what is required. However, here are a few pointers and to dos following your class-based Induction Course:
Basic Drill - A Drill session to learn basic Drill that is required of all members. This will usually be done on the last afternoon of your induction training.
General Regulations - Ensure you liaise with your Divisional Superintendent so that you can have access to the General Regulations for your reading and information. In addition, find out if your Division has a copy of any Regional & Divisional Policies you may need to be aware of.
Divisional Programme - Obtain a full divisional programme from your Divisional Superintendent so that you’re aware of upcoming activities and topics for upcoming meetings
Initial First Aid Course - Your initial First Aid Course will follow soon after the Induction Course. The First Aid Course is at least 32 hours long, and your Divisional Superintendent will advise you on when and where.
Ready To Roll - After you have finished your First Aid Course, you’ll be done wth your membership process and you can now begin to enjoy and be part of St John activities, including wearing uniform and attending Public Duties! Also, find out which award schemes and courses you can enroll into immediately, and ensure you fill a copy of SJF4 form for your records.
Enrolment Ceremony - Cadets will normally be enrolled in a special public enrolment ceremony soon after completing the First Aid course – inquire from your Divisional Superintendent.
Enjoy the journey!
St. John – Members Induction Handbook 31