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Jay Remer

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Following protocol and exercising proper etiquette is crucial when addressing dignitaries.

There are clear guidelines outlining the several forms of address, many of which have been used by royal families, the military, court systems and clergy for centuries. They are recorded in a number of books.

Whenever meeting an important official, we might be fortunate enough to be given directions on what to say, what to do, how to address the person and a list of behaviours to avoid. The purpose for this is to ensure that due respect is appropriately adhered to and the event or meeting is pleasant and fruitful.

It baffles me when media representatives ignore these guidelines. It is unprofessional, disrespectful and irresponsible. These gaffs are pet peeves of many etiquette professionals. I view it as blatant disrespect. Feigning ignorance just doesn't fly. There are many media folks who get it right, but I am surprised by the number who don't. I even heard an esteemed commentator on CNN News refer to the U.S. president as Chief Obama just the other day. What was he thinking?

The most current source of information on how to address dignitaries is Robert Hickey's book Honor and Respect - to which I was a contributor. Published by the Protocol School of Washington, it should be on the shelf of anyone who uses or will use this kind of information on a regular basis.

There are a few rules that demystify this subject. They follow the fundamentals of all etiquette.

For anyone in an elected office for which there is only one occupant at a time, such as prime minister, president or mayor of a city, they are properly referred to verbally as Prime Minister Harper, President Obama or Mayor Craig, and not Mr. Harper, Mr. Obama or Mr. Craig. Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. President or Your Honour would also be appropriate.

Some titles are retained for life. These tend to be those for professional or appointed positions. Others are not and the titles are dropped once the office is vacated.

It would be far easier if the forms of address used in the United States and Canada were the same or even similar. They are often not, however. The structure of the governments - federal, provincial/state and local; military; and judicial systems are quite different. Commonwealth countries do tend to share a great deal in common however, which does make life simpler.

When questioning how to address someone, err on the side of caution and check a reliable source. Government offices are helpful. The Chief Protocol Officer is likely to have the most up-to-date information at hand. Don't be shy. Staff members are happy to help. It is important these exchanges are correctly handled.

These details can be a critical ingredient in a successful business deal or governmental exchange. That is precisely why reference books exist and have existed for many years.

Making the effort to ensure one is correctly addressed shows you have respect for the other person and his or her office. In turn, this reflects the respect you have for yourself.

Jay Remer is certified by the Protocol School of Washington as a consultant for corporate etiquette and international protocol. He lives in St. Andrews. Email your etiquette questions to jay@etiquetteguy.com and visit his website at www.etiquetteguy.com.