Cllr. Jason Ablewhite, the new Mayor of St Ives takes the chair for the first time on Wednesday 18th May 2005 in the Free Church, St. Ives.
Since its inception in 1874 each year the St Ives Town Councillors have gathered to chose one of their number to represent the town as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor, this is the process called "Mayor Making". (See list of previous mayors)
The Mayor also acts a Chairperson at the principle full meetings of the Town Council and it is this meeting that is the last one chaired by the retiring mayor and in doing so brings her or her term of office to an end.
The conduct of the meeting is as follows;
Each mayor chooses their own Chaplin depending upon their own personal religious affiliations. It is usual for the Chaplin to lead prayers at any of the civic functions during the mayors year of office and to host the Civic Service held a few weeks after Mayor Making.
It is rare for other Councillors not to be available for Mayor Making but ill health or other serious issues could be the cause of absence.
At each principle meeting of the Town Council it is usual for the mayor to inform the other councillors about their activities since the last meeting and this meeting is no exception. However it has become custom for the outgoing mayor to summarise their activity for the entire year and take the opportunity of thanking those close to them for their assistance and support.
The Mayor Making is conducted as a principle full meeting of the Town Council there is then the issue of agreeing and signing the minutes of the previous meeting/s so as to leave all in order for the new mayor.
The penultimate duty of the outgoing mayor is to make recognition to members of the community, or indeed to specific groups, who in his/her opinion have made a special and significant contribution to the community during the mayors period of office.
Currently St Ives Town Council presents two such awards on an annual basis;
This award is presented to an outstanding Individual
This award is presented to an outstanding group
The final duty of the retiring mayor is to call for nominations from the other councillors for persons within their group to take office as mayor for the ensuing year. Although if contested this process would take the form of an election where the person with the most votes would win, it is usual for the council to have already decided upon this. In point of fact they have decided the year before as it is customary for the retiring deputy mayor to become this years mayor.
We do however still go through the formal process of a councillor making the nomination and that being duly s econded. Whereupon the full council then vote, usually unanimously upon the outcome. The nominee then, usually, accepts the office bestowed upon them.
It is now that a strange ritual commences where the official vestments, chain of office and robes, of the outgoing mayor are removed from them before the council and assembled company. They are then formally placed upon the newly elected mayor. It is this ritual that is "Mayor Making"
The retiring mayor, now just a councillor once again dons their purple gown and resumes a position with the other councillors and the new mayor resplendent in the fur trimmed red robes takes their place at the head of the council. It is interesting to note that there is legislation to control the amount of fur and trimmings upon the robes of councillors to prevent them upstaging the aristocracy of the Lords, Dukes and more importantly that of the Crown, so even if the robes look posh they are not THAT posh!
The first duty of the incoming mayor is to select their consort for the coming year, usually, but not always, their life partner.
The second duty is to propose a vote of thanks to the retiring mayor for their service to the town.
The third official duty is to call for nominations from the other councillors for persons within their group to take office as deputy mayor for the ensuing year.
The new Deputy Mayor, Cllr Douglas Dew, donning the Chain of Office.
What happens now is almost a repeat performance of the process of electing the mayor as detailed above, except of course for the office as deputy mayor. It is the role of the deputy mayor to act as stand-in for the mayor at all official functions to which they cannot attend and of course to attend functions on busy days where the mayor is elsewhere.
Although this is a principle full meeting of the town council with many more items on the agenda to discuss it is usual to adjourn the meeting at this point until tomorrow. This gives the new mayor and deputy mayor the opportunity of celebrating their election. It is at this point that the robes come off and the party begins, but not before the playing of the National Anthem.
Although we have a very well situated Town Hall it is rather too small to hold civic functions. For a considerable period the Mayor Making ceremony was held in the Corn Exchange however in recent years it has been held in the Free Church adjacent to the Town Hall.
It is usual for the council to invite the mayors from neighbouring towns and representative councillors form the other principle authorities, the District and County Councils. Similarly invites go out to the leaders of all the services, charities, association and other community groups. The Town Council also maintain a small "civic list" of persons who attend functions and support the town in many other ways, these are business and shop owners and managers, public spirited individuals or simply members of the community who like to be involved. If you wish to be involved then contact the Town Hall.
