St. John Ambulance:

Thumbnail St John Ambulance, branded as St John in some territories, is a common name used by a number of affiliated organizations in different countries dedicated to the teaching and practice of medical first aid and the provision of ambulance services, all of which derive their origins from the St John Ambulance Association founded in 1877 in England. Each national group falls within the charge of a Priory or National Council of the Venerable Order of Saint John in which each Priory ranks alongside the others.
In several priories St John Ambulance has commercial sections or subsidiaries operating to generate surplus for charitable activities, these are structured much like other commercial bodies. The membership aspect of St John Ambulance is largely ranked, and members fall into a hierarchical structure of command. Ranks run from corporals, through sergeants and officers all the way up to high national ranks, but there is significant variation between Priories and it is hard to generalise the structure too much from an international perspective.
Most members of St John Ambulance are not themselves members of the Order, and vice versa, so a major presence of the Order does not dictate a major presence of St John Ambulance. Most notably, the Order of St John is a Christian organization, whereas St John Ambulance is keen to ensure there is no allegiance to any particular religion or denomination, so as to remain available to all. St John Ambulance works on a more geographical nature than the Order, and has to contend with the differing national laws, medical practices and cultures of countries.

Name and mottoes:

In formal British English, where the Order of St John is based, St is the abbreviated form of Saint, whilst St. is the abbreviation of Street. Corporate and National logos began to reflect this as a change from St. (with the dot) in 2006-7.[citation needed]
The unusual name of the organization has been known to cause confusion to members of the public, and many people often assume that the "St John" prefix indicates a church related organization. In fact, in its modern form, the prefix refers to the Order of St. John (which in fact is a Christian organisation) and is used as an adjective. However, it is often assumed to be used as a noun, and this leads to the organization being frequently incorrectly termed "St John's Ambulance", a long standing source of irritation to some members. This is further perpetuated since members on duty are often referred to collectively as "St John's". In terms of the Order, the original allegiance was to John the Baptist; this allegiance is not however inherited by St John Ambulance.
The order's mottoes are Pro fide (For the faith) and Pro utilitate hominum (For the service of mankind). The 'Priory of England and The Islands' has recently replaced the Latin mottoes with a single English sentence: "For the faith and in the service of humanity", which some see as a controversial move. However in December 2006 it was agreed by Priory Council that this move should be partially reversed and the Latin mottoes were reintroduced in the Cadet Code of Chivalry. Thumbnail

Key dates:

  • 1511: The young King Henry VIII was named protector of the Order .
  • 1540: The English branch of the Order of St John, the Knights Hospitallers, property is confiscated by Henry VIII.
  • 1826: An idea to re-establish the Order within Britain is put forward by some remaining French Knights of the original worldwide Order.
  • 1841: The "St John's Day Declaration" is prepared, seeking official recognition of the new British Order by the original Order, now known as SMOM.
  • 10 July 1877: St John Ambulance Association formed to teach first-aid in large railway centres and mining districts.
  • June 1887: St John Ambulance Brigade is formed as a uniformed organization to provide a First Aid and Ambulance services at public events.
  • 14 May 1888: British Order of St John is granted royal charter by Queen Victoria.
  • 1908: By mutual agreement with St Andrew's Ambulance Association, St John Ambulance Association ceased operating in Scotland but the Order continued to operate.
  • 1999 The Order of St John celebrated its 900th anniversary worldwide