Beginning with three beautiful items... The Chaplain's Candlestick, The Wardens’ Quaich and The Mace...
The Chaplain’s Candlestick
Every Livery Company has a Chaplain but, from its very early days, The Management Consultants’ Company had not only a Chaplain but also one who practised as a management consultant!
The Reverend WA (Bill) Penney was both an ordained Anglican priest and a management consultant; few, if any, other Livery Companies could claim to have a Chaplain as one of their own! Bill was appointed Chaplain and conducted the Guild's first Service in October 1996 at St James Garlickhythe. He was admitted as a Founder Liveryman in 1997. He was already somewhat familiar with the traditions of Livery Companies since his wife, Penelope, was headmistress of a well known Haberdashers’ girls’ school.
Bill always worried about getting the formal grace at Livery Dinners wrong and subject to a Spoonerism; instead of blessing the Company ‘root and branch’, he was fearful of saying ‘boot and ranch’! Michael Jeans decided that he would donate The Chaplain’s Candlestick that would be engraved ‘boot and ranch’ and placed before the Chaplain at dinners that he attended.
Bill ‘retired’ in 2018 following the sad death of his wife but hopefully the tradition may continue. At the Company Service in 2018, it was carried by the Clerk as she processed and then placed on the altar – perhaps this might become a tradition?
Company's Annual Service at St James Garlickhythe in 2015.
MHVJ: 06.06.19
The Wardens’ Quaich
When Michael Jeans demitted office as Immediate Past Master in October 2003, it would be the first time that he had not been a member of the Court of Wardens since the Company’s inception in October 1992; there was a personal reason for this, but his period of office as a member of the Court of Wardens was unlikely ever to be surpassed. Michael decided that he would like to mark the occasion by giving a gift to the Company: The Wardens’ Quaich.
The Quaich was specially commissioned from Searle & Co in Royal Exchange; it is solid silver and prominently hallmarked on its rim. It is engraved ‘The Wardens’ Quaich’ .
Michael requested that the Quaich be presented annually to a member of the Company who had given outstanding service over time; he also stipulated that it should not be awarded to a member of Court but to an ‘ordinary’ member.
It is for the Court of Wardens to decide upon the recipient and not the Master or the whole Court of Assistants. The following table shows all the previous recipients of this award:
2004 Gordon Stoker 2017 Not Awarded
2005 John Pulford 2018 Gill King
2006 Shelagh Rushforth 2019 Elizabeth Consalvi
2007 Adrian Williams 2020 Simon Davey
2008 Phil Swallow 2021 Geoff Berridge
2009 Misha Hebel 2022 David Glassman
2010 Allan Williams 2023 Nanette Young
2011 Noorzaman Rashid 2024 Tom Jenkins
2012 Sally Garratt 2025 John Watson
2013 Liz Walker
2014 Benjamin Taylor
2015 Not Awarded
2016 Jeff Herman
The first recipient in 1994 was Gordon Stoker and, in January 2015, Gordon arranged an informal lunch in Ironmongers’ Hall to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Quaich. Annual lunches have been held ever since then; they are informal and the logic behind the invitees remains Gordon’s secret! A quaich was a celebration drinking cup for whisky; thus, at the end of the annual lunch, all of those present sip whisky from the Quaich but using individual straws for reasons of ‘hygiene’!
Most these January lunches have been at the Ironmongers Hall (Monday Lunch Club) although since 2025 lunches have moved to the Honourable Artillery Company. The following table shows the Guests of Honour at each lunch.
2011 (Oct) John Moulton
2014 (March) John McLean-Fox
2015 (12 Jan) Mike Jeans
2016 (11 Jan) Adrian Williams
2017 (9 Jan) Alan Broomhead
2017 (20 July) John McLean-Fox - Held in Leigh on Sea
2018 (8 Jan) Sir Andrew Parmley
2019 (7 Jan) Claire Dyer
2020 (6 Jan) Miranda Hooper (Gordon Stoker)
2022 (10 Jan) Suzanne Harris
2023 (9 Jan) Alderman Alison Gowman
2024 (8 Jan) Cllr Chris Hayward
2025 (8 Jan) Andrew Marsden
2026 (14Jan) Lt Col Karl Eze
The Mace
Lt Col Brian O'Rorke - Master 1996-97 commissioned the production of a "Mace" for the Company, presented at the Master's Dinner, 10th May 2000. See article by PM Mike Jeans https://wcomc.org/2018Oct31-1
Notes on The Company's Treasure contributors were: Past Master Michael Jeans, Past Master Geoff Llewellyn and Past Master Edward Sankey
MHVJ: 06.06.19