June 21, 2018 – East Lothian, Scotland – Archie Baird, who is a lifetime honorary member of the Society of Hickory Golfers, has been recognized for services to the history of golf in the Queen’s Birthday Honors. The award is the British Empire Medal (BEM). Archie is well known to those visitors from the U.S. who are regular golfing pilgrims to the Gullane area of Scotland where he long was the curator of the Heritage of Golf Museum that he opened in 1980. Gillian and David Kirkwood now look after the museum.
According to a Wikipedia source:
The King’s/Queen’s Birthday Honours mark the reigning monarch’s official birthday with the granting to various individuals appointment into national or dynastic orders or the award of decorations and medals. These are presented by the monarch or a viceregal representative. New Year Honours and Birthday Honours are bestowed each year. All royal honours are published in the relevant gazette and the daily newspapers of each realm. The tradition dates back to at least 1860 during the reign of Queen Victoria. The birthday of her successor, King Edward VII (r. 1901–1910), fell on Nov. 9, 1901. After 1908, the monarch’s official birthday in the United Kingdom was moved to the first, second, or third Saturday in June. Other Commonwealth realms celebrate the official birthday on different dates (generally late May or early June); honours are awarded accordingly.