CEREMONIAL APPOINTMENTS

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History of Ceremonial Appointments

Among the various sorts of Executive Appointments of Presidents, Kings, Popes, and executive leaders of all levels, the Ceremonial Appointment is among the oldest. Deaths, funerals, weddings, engagements, births. christenings, sports events and essentially every other occasion offered the opportunity to improve relations among groups of all sorts, and political entities of every type. This meant that family members of the leadership, important politicians, and anybody who might please the people visited would be shipped off to the event in question to represent the executive. Only the events of highest importance required the Executive himself attend.

United States Experience with Ceremonial Appointments

In the United States, the President of the United States appoints such delegations regularly. Those groups are rarely paid for this effort, although their expenses are covered, and usually they are treated with much importance on the receiving end because they do in fact represent the President himself and all the power of the United States, too.

As this practice developed, its importance as a diplomatic opportunity has consistently grown. In times when contacts between nations are fragile or sensitive, these occasional contacts have much to do with opening new lines of communication.

Depending on the importance of the occasion, just how the President responds is very sensitive. The protocol can be critical - sending representatives of an appropriate recognition and rank can be absolutely fundamental in the way the delegation is received. More than one war in history has been started by a slight among governments on such an occasion - or was at least used as an excuse for starting a fight.

In the United States, the selection of delegations can often be very interesting. The White House generally does a good job of selecting a variety of appropriate people for those events. (Current ceremonial appointments are available on this site at the subscription Ceremonial Appointments page. Also, subscriptions are available at Subscription Services on the Presidential-Appointments. org site.

The President's appointments for Ceremonial Events do not require confirmation by the United State Senate under the Advice and Consent provisions of the Constitution.

President Barack Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to Bridgetown, Barbados to attend the Funeral of Prime Minister Thompson of Barbados

President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to Bridgetown, Barbados to attend the funeral of Prime Minister Thompson of Barbados on November 3, 2010.

The Honorable Gil Kerlikowske, Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy, will lead the delegation.

Members of the Presidential Delegation:

Mr. D. Brent Hardt, Charge d’Affaires, a.i., United States Embassy to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean

Mr. Eugene Gray, Director for Central America and Caribbean Affairs, National Security Staff

The President of the United States is represented at various events and ceremonies by one or more citizens - usually of special backgrounds and recognition. Major funerals and important festivals worldwide are examples. These usually are unpaid appointments, usually made quickly because a particular event, such as a sudden death, requires a prompt response. Usually there are more than one member of delegations to these sorts of events.