declining/resigning awards

[PTM2792 at UTARLG.UTA.EDU]

Still clearing out my backlog:

Estril quotes:

"Diarmuit Ui Dhuinn asks:

"'one wonders what the protocol would be for declining such an award?

"'For that matter, one wonders what the protocol would be for declining 
an award because the recipient did not actually feel that they deserved 
it would be?'

"Diarmuit, *I* don't know the answer to these questions. I would suppose
a Herald would know the correct procedure for declining an award, if 
there is such a beast (not the Herald, the *procedure*).  :-)

"Otherwise, I suppose the person could just not respond if their name's 
called or the person could say "Thanks, but no thanks" to the Crown. On
the Rialto someone was talking about "resigning" their peerage. Maybe 
that's the way to do it?"

Galen's $.02 worth:
I know of no formally-adopted procedure for declining an award.  If I 
were to be called into court and offered an award I knew I didn't 
deserve, say a Laurel or a White Scarf or a Sable Comet or some such, 
I'd probably say something to the effect that my respect for the 
Companions of this Order is so great that I know that I am not 
worthy to be counted among them.  Therefore with thanks I must decline.

There is a procedure for resigning a peerage.  The peer must resign _in
writing_, with copies sent to the Crown, the Board of Directors, and 
Principle of the Order (if applicable).  It is _not_ necessary that 
this be done in a public ceremony; also, it isn't something the Crown 
can refuse to accept -- on those occasions when the Crown refused to 
accept resignations from the peerage, it has been a face-saving 
measure for someone who didn't really want to resign.

- Viscount Galen of Bristol
  "noblesse oblige"