A GUIDE TO VIRGINIA PROTOCOL AND TRADITIONS

1 A GUIDE TOVIRGINIA PROTOCOLAND TRADITIONSFOREWORDThe Practical PROTOCOL GUIDE was first compiled and published in 1977. The manyvisiting dignitaries and official functions encountered during the 1976 bicentennialyear in VIRGINIA brought about many questions regarding PROTOCOL and procedure. TheGuide was developed for use by the Governor s Office and those directly associated withthe office and its activities. It was intended as a concise reference outlining recommended,acceptable practices consistent with modern lifestyle and approved social usage. It was notmeant to address all contingencies but to set forth some rules that could be applied andlead to logical solutions. There were many people and agencies involved in the originalGuide, including personnel in the Governor s Office, the Department of Military Affairs, theMilitary District of Washington, the Department of Planning and Budget, the VIRGINIA Houseof Delegates, the VIRGINIA Senate, the Division of Capitol Police, the Department of GeneralServices, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Special Events Office of ColonialWilliamsburg.

2 Anne Geddy Cross and Trudy E. Norfleet performed in-depth and wide-ranging research and Martha U. Pritchard and Robert H. Kirby contributed significantlythrough extensive review and suggestions to questions arose and subsequent expanded editions of the GUIDE were producedin 1987 and 1989. In 2002, copies were no longer available and Bruce F. Jamerson, Clerkof the House of Delegates; Susan Clarke Schaar, Clerk of the Senate; and William H. Leighty,Chief of Staff to the Governor, organized a group of knowledgeable state employees alongwith Anne Cross and Trudy Norfleet to produce this publication. Personnel from most ofthe original agencies supported this project. Assistance also came from staff at theSupreme Court of VIRGINIA , the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, the VirginiaEconomic Development Partnership, the Library of VIRGINIA , the VIRGINIA Museum of FineArts, and the Executive is hoped that the procedures and guidelines suggested in this publication will assist usersin formulating answers to their questions based on accepted practices and common OF CONTENTS1.

3 PROTOCOL .. 1A. Precedence .. 1 General Rules .. 1 Federal Order .. 1 VIRGINIA Order .. 2 Armed Forces .. 3B. Forms of Address .. 5 The Honorable .. 5 Excellency .. 5 Esquire .. 6 Courtesy Titles .. 6 Salutation and Complimentary Close .. 6 Federal Officials .. 6 State Officials .. 7 Judicial Officials .. 9 Local Officials .. 10 Diplomatic Officials .. 10 Foreign Officials .. 10 Ecclesiastical Officials .. 11 Military Officials .. 12C. Social Correspondence .. 14E. Dress .. Line .. and Luncheons .. 20 Seating .. 20 Special Events .. 24 Place Cards .. 24 Precedence to Dining Room .. 25 Toasts .. 25 Toastmaster .. 25H. Foreign Visitors .. for a Visit To or From the Governor.

4 Events at the Executive Mansion .. 30iTABLE OF CONTENTS Information .. 31A. Order of Entry into the Union .. 31B. Governors and their Addresses .. 32C. Legislatures and their Addresses .. Names and Symbols .. Holidays .. of the House of Delegates and the Senate .. Square .. 3810. Flag Ceremonies .. 39A. United States Flag .. 39B. VIRGINIA Flag .. 42C. POW/MIA Flag .. Anthems .. 4311. Official Portraits .. 4412. Official Mourning for State Officials .. 4513. Electronic Communication .. 4614. Questions and Answers .. 4815. Index .. 4916. Bibliography .. 52ii11 PROTOCOLP recedenceGeneral RulesWebster s Dictionary defines precedence as the right to superior honor on a ceremonialor formal occasion or the order of ceremonialor formal preference.

5 Precedence is still determined by basic principles firstset forth in the Eight Articles adopted by the Congressof Vienna in 1815. These principles resulted in theofficial precedence used today which is firmly set inWashington, and in all foreign capitals. Despiteestablished rules, there are many situations which canalter the order of precedence; therefore, the of State does not publish its completeprecedence list. Those wishing to observe strictprotocol may send names and titles to the of State for suggested the federal government, there is no fixed orderof precedence for state and local government , state precedence follows the same order asfederal precedence. When several state officials of thesame rank from different states are present, their rankingis determined by their state s admission to the listing of these dates is found on page dealing with the American precedence, there areseveral rules which always hold true and which maydiffer from what one would assume the order ofprecedence to be.

6 First, no one outranks a governor inhis own state except the President or Vice President ofthe United States. Secondly, no one outranks a mayorin his own city or town or the Chairman of the Boardof Supervisors in his own county except the Governorof the state or the President or Vice President of theUnited is important to remember that for purposes such asseating the spouses of officials take on the rank of theirspouses. They do not have their own rank unless theyalso hold an office. One exception to this is widowsof former presidents who do have official standing. Ata public dinner to which the President of the UnitedStates has been invited and sends his or her spouse asrepresentative, that representative is accorded the samerank as the President.

7 This could also be true ofgovernors in their own state, but not other federal orstate government rule of precedence to remember is that in alimousine the right rear seat is the seat of is impossible to address individual situations in apublication of this nature. Sound reasoning and practicalapplication of established precedence should be appliedto determine appropriate ranking at a specific events with guest rankings are provided asexamples at the end of this OrderThe following unofficial list of precedence indicatesthe most usual order for various dignitaries:The President of the United StatesThe Vice President of the United StatesThe Speaker of the House of RepresentativesThe Chief Justice of the United StatesFormer Presidents of the United States The Secretary of StateThe Secretary General of the United NationsAmbassadors of Foreign PowersWidows of former Presidents of the United StatesMinisters of Foreign Powers (Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions)

8 Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United StatesThe CabinetChief of Staff for the PresidentDirector of the Office of Management and BudgetUnited States Representative to the United NationsThe SenateGovernors of StatesFormer Vice Presidents of the United StatesThe House of RepresentativesCharges d affaires of Foreign PowersThe Under Secretaries of the Executive Departments and the Deputy SecretariesAdministrator of the Agency for International DevelopmentDirector of the United States Arms Control andDisarmament AgencySecretaries of the army , the Navy, and the Air ForceChairman of the Council of Economic Advisors1P R O T O C O L2 Chai rma n of the Boar d of Governors,Fe de ral Re serv eChai rma n of the Joint Chiefsof Sta ffChie fs of Staff of the Ar my, the Na vy, and theAi r Forc e (ra nk ed accordingto da te ofap poi ntm en t)Comma ndantof the Ma rine Corps(5 Sta r)

9 Gener al s of the Ar my and Fleet AdmiralsTh e Se cre ta ry Gene ral of the Or ganiza tion ofAm er ica n Sta tesRep res ent ative s of th e Or ganizationofAm er ica n Sta tesDi re ct or of the Ce ntral Intel ligenceAgenc yAdmi ni strator of the Gener al Services Administra tionDi re ct or of the Infor mationAge ncyAdmi ni strator of the Nati onal AeronauticsandSp ace Ad minis tr ati onChai rma n of the Civil ServiceCommissionChai rma n of the Atom ic EnergyCommissionDi re ct or of the Officeof Emergency Prepa redne ssDi re ct or of the Pe ace Cor psDi re ct or of the Officeof EconomicOppo rtunitySpec ial Assista nts to the PresidentDep uty Unde r Se cretar ies of StateAssi st ant Se cre ta ries of the Execu ti ve De partmentsChie f of Pr otocolof the Uni ted State sMem be rs of the Councilof EconomicAdvis ersActi ve or Desi gnateUnited StatesAmbas sa dors andMi ni ste rs (c are er ra nk, whenin the Unite d State s)Un de r Secreta ries of the army , the Na vy , andth e Air Fo rc e(4 Sta r) Gener al s and Admi ralsAssi st ant Se cre ta ries of the army , the Nav y, andth e Air Fo rc e(3 Sta r) Lieute nant Gener al s and Vice AdmiralsFo rm er UnitedStates AmbassadorsandMi ni ste rs to Fore ign Countr iesMi ni st ers of Fore ign Powers(s er ving in Emba ssies , not accre dited)Dep uty Assistant Secretariesofth e Exe cuti ve Depa rtmentsDep uty Chie f of ProtocolCoun sel ors of EmbassiesorLe gat ions of Fore ign Powers(2 Sta r) MajorGeneralsand Rear Admiral s(1 Sta r)

10 BrigadierGeneralsand CommodoresAssi st ant Chie fs of ProtocolVirginiaOrderDirectedbypr evi ouspr ac tice, similaritiesonth e Feder allis t,an destabl ishedrelationships, th efollo winglistissuggestedas a guidetoVirginia sprecedence:Govern orLie ut enan t GovernorAttorn ey Gener Senators for Rep rese ntativesfor VirginiaSpeaker of the VirginiaHouseof Dele gate sChief Ju stice of the SupremeCour t of VirginiaPresid en t Pro Te mporeof the Se na te of VirginiaForme r GovernorsActive and re tired Jus ti ces ofthe Supreme Courtof Virgi niaFederal Judg esGovern or s Se creta riesSecret ary of the CommonwealthWid ows of formerGov ernorsMem bers of the Sena te of VIRGINIA *Mem bers of the VirginiaHouseof Dele gates*Judges of the Courtof Appealsof VirginiaJudges of Courtsof Recor dMay ors of Cities**Chairm en of Boardsof Supervisor s **May ors of Tow ns **Forme r LieutenantGov ernorsForme r At torneysGeneralAppointed Heads ofState Dep ar tme nts and InstitutionsChairm en of