His project was that, commencing at the time of the earliest hour in the morning on the 20th at Windsor Castle, where Her Majesty would be in residence, the sons and daughters in the Colonies should encircle their Queen with the never ceasing upraisal of their loyal acclaim and prayer by taking up the singing of the National Anthem in succession at their far distant homes throughout all the hours of that great day of her life. It was to be as though deputation after deputation from the Colonies, each carrying the Union Jack, were presenting themselves minute after minute and singing below the Castle walls.
On the opposite side of the world from the Heart of the Empire at Windsor Castle are the Fiji Islands, the Colony situate nearest to longitude 180°, which is 180°, or 12 hours, from the centre of time at the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, and is the dividing line of the days of the world's time—where day begins and midnight ends. At these Islands, being on the opposite side of the world, it is 4 o'clock in the afternoon at the same moment at which it is 4 o'clock in the morning of the same day in England. The problem was therefore to have the National Anthem commenced in Fiji at the beginning of Her Majesty's day, and arranging to have it sung thereafter precisely at 4 p.m., as the sun arrived at that moment in succession over each place in the Colonies and passed onward around the world.
A form of service was devised, suitable for any Sunday afternoon service to be held in any church, open air service or assembly hall, in which the National Anthem should be arranged to be sung at the exact moment of 4 o'clock.
A time-table of longitudes, prepared by the Meteorological Department of Canada, showing the meridian or sun time at each place, and full descriptive circulars with forms of service and a time-table showing the hour at Windsor Castle and the corresponding hour at each place, were sent in multitude to friends and correspondents in these Colonies and Dependencies owning allegiance to the Union Jack.
With the co-operation of the Right Rev. the Bishop of Toronto, who was a member of the Order, and the Heads in Canada of all religious bodies, communication was opened up with the Colonial bishops and clergy, and their services were enlisted. Patriotic societies and the secretaries of the Royal Colonial Institute were asked to assist, and letters were also sent to the captains of every British passenger ship which would be at sea on the 20th of June, asking them to sing the Anthem, fire a gun, and note the position of their ship at 4 p.m. on that day.
The brethren of the Society in Newfoundland and Canada took the service up with energy and enthusiasm. The Sons of England in South Africa answered with alacrity, Australia and New Zealand joined in heartily, and thus, by prompt and efficient action, the organization was completed and ready for the eventful day.
Copies of the services and time-table beautifully illuminated, were sent to Her Majesty, by reference to which it could be seen at any hour how far the Anthem had proceeded on its way and in what Colony it was at any moment being sung.
In acknowledging receipt the Colonial Secretary, the Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, said to His Excellency Lord Aberdeen: "I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch of the 24th April, with its enclosures on the subject of the Continuous Service around the World which is being arranged by the Sons of England in commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the Queen's Accession to the Throne. I have to inform you that, in accordance with your request, the matter has been brought before the notice of the Queen, and that Her Majesty was graciously pleased to express her sincere appreciation of the loyal feelings that have prompted this interesting method of Commemoration."
Two thousand six hundred personal letters were written, 60,000 copies of the service sent out, and after months of work the 20th of June came and the Anthem passed around the world.
Each one knew that they had done their duty, but had others far away done theirs so that the links might be complete?