SHREWSBURY TOWN COUNCIL
MAYORAL ENGAGEMENTS
NOTES ON MAYORAL ETIQUETTE FOR ORGANISERS OF FUNCTIONS
Introduction
The following notes give guidance on general Mayoral etiquette and to completing the Mayoral Attendance Enquiry Form.
Mayoral Attendance Enquiry Form
Completion of the Mayoral Engagement Form is essential so that the Mayor can be advised regarding any formal aspects of the function. If there are any major changes to the arrangements after the form has been submitted they should be notified to the Mayor’s Secretary in good time before the date of the function. It is essential that you complete the form as fully as possible, detailing as much information as you can about your event, in order for the Mayor’s Secretary to ensure that the Mayor is sufficiently prepared.
Attendance of a Mayoress/Consort
The Organiser can assume that the Mayor will attend alone but at certain engagements the Mayor may be accompanied by a consort. In this case the Mayor’s Secretary will advise the Organiser beforehand.
Precedence
The Mayor or Deputy Mayor must be accorded the proper precedence. At formal functions the place at table to be reserved for the Mayor should be on the immediate right of the Chairman or other person presiding. The Mayoress/Consort should be seated on the immediate right of the Mayor or on the left of the Chairman. The Deputy Mayor, when acting for the Mayor, should be accorded the same precedence as that which would be accorded to the Mayor.
However, the Lord Lieutenant of the County and the Chairman of Shropshire Council, if present in their official capacity, will take precedence over the Mayor. At a formal dinner the Lord Lieutenant or Chairman of Shropshire Council would be seated on the right of the Chairman and the Mayor on your Chairman’s left. If both these dignitaries are present along with the Mayor you may consult the Mayor’s Secretary for advice if needed.
It is also important that precedence should be observed when welcoming guests and at introductions, speeches etc.
Unless the Lord Lieutenant of the County and the Chairman of Shropshire Council are present, the Mayor should be greeted, introduced or referred to before all other guests.
If you are in any doubt as to the correct procedure to be used, you should contact the Mayor’s Secretary before the event in order to clarify the situation.
Title
In correspondence the Mayor should be addressed by the title of The Mayor of Shrewsbury Councillor David Vasmer and the letter can be opened with ‘Dear Mr Mayor’.
The Mayor may be addressed personally as ‘Mr Mayor’, the Mayor’s Consort should be referred to by name.
The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Alex Wagner, should be addressed in correspondence as ‘Dear Mr Deputy Mayor’ and personally as ‘Mr Deputy Mayor’. The Deputy Mayor’s Consort should be referred to by name.
Arrival
The Mayor will arrive at the function about five minutes before the time advised in the ‘Event Date and Time’ section of the Mayoral Attendance Enquiry Form or will arrive as advised in the ‘Civic Party Arrival / Departure’ section of the form The Mayor should be met on arrival by, preferably, the most senior representative of the organisation attending and escorted to the proper position.
Speeches and Toasts
If the Mayor is to be asked to speak at any function the Mayor’s Secretary should be supplied with as much information as possible to enable a speech to be prepared. Provision is made on the Mayoral Attendance Enquiry Form under the ‘Additional Information Speeches or Toasts’ section. If there is not sufficient space, a separate sheet should be appended. It would be helpful, where possible, if a copy of the speech (or a note of its likely content) of the proposer of a toast could be supplied where the Mayor is asked to respond. If the function is a luncheon, dinner or public meeting, a copy of the Toast List or Agenda showing the order of procedure would be helpful and should be returned with the form or forwarded in due course.
Parking Arrangements
Where possible it would be helpful if a parking space can be reserved at the main entrance to the venue for the Mayor’s vehicle. On some occasions the Mayor’s Driver will drive the Mayor to the venue and return later towards the end of the function but on others this will not be feasible; therefore, the provision of a parking space for the Mayor’s vehicle at the venue will be much appreciated.
Conclusion
It must be emphasised that the Deputy Mayor deputises for the Mayor. Invitations should not be made to the Deputy Mayor but to the Mayor. The Mayor if unable to attend may then by agreement arrange through the Mayor’s Secretary for the Deputy Mayor to deputise for him.
I hope you have found these notes of help to you but if you require further guidance please do not hesitate to contact me at Livesey House (01743 257655) and I will be pleased to help.
Mrs Sally Nicholson, Mayor’s Secretary, Livesey House, 7 St John’s Hill, SHREWSBURY, SY1 1JD
Tel: 01743 257655