TOASTS OF THE DAY

Spread the love

Following the Loyal Toast, the toast of the day are traditionally given by the most junior officer present and are proposed and taken standing.   The President raps the table and says, “Mr/Madame Bloggins, the Toast of the Day”.  The proposer stands and makes the toast.  They may make an informative or witty preamble but should remember that brevity is the soul of wit!  The President is quite correct to require an explanation of the toast or to ask for the toast for a specific day of the week.

Although the toasts have changed over the years, the traditional toasts for years have been as shown below.  The toast for Saturday was often changed slightly depending on the gender of the proposer.

In a move that some would roundly criticize as “political correctness” and the “mandating of tradition”, while others would hail as appropriate and a reflection of current reality, effective Battle of Atlantic Sunday, 2 May 1999, a new set of Toasts of the Day was promulgated.

 

18th & 19th

Century   

 20th Century

 

2 May 99

Sunday           

Absent friends and those at sea

Absent friends Absent friends / Amis absents

Monday

Our native land

Queen and country

Our ships at sea.

Our ships / Nos navires

Tuesday

Our mothers

Health and wealth

Our men.

Our sailors / Nos marins

Wednesday

Ourselves

Our swords

Old shipmates

Ourselves (since no one else is likely to think of us!)

Ourselves / Nous-memes

Thursday

The King

Honest men and bonnie lassies

A bloody war or a sickly season

Our Navy / Notre Marine

Friday

Fox hunting and old port

A willing foe and sea-room.

Our Nation / Notre nation

Saturday

Sweethearts and wives Sweethearts and wives (may they never meet!)

Our Families / Nos familles