Awards CommittEe

A. Awards are an important motivator when effectively used to recognize the accomplishments of a deserving individual or organization. This requires that the right organization is willing and able to identify and use awards correctly. This document focuses on the recognitions available to the State Society and member Chapters to provide guidance that will ensure that the awards given are commensurate with the actions and achievements of the recipient. The National Society provides guidance for awards given by the National Society, and that information will not be repeated except where Virginia specific guidance augments or clarifies that of National. The Virginia Society, via the Awards Committee, shall retain exclusive authority for the recognition of state-level service but may recognize chapter level service at its discretion. Virginia Society Chapters may only reward commendable service at the chapter level. Additional criteria for the proper recognition of service are provided for each award.  

Recommendations | Appointments | Presentations | Progression | Committee Members

B. The Awards Committee (The Committee) is responsible for the selection of those individuals to receive Virginia Society awards and to ensure that nominations for National Awards from the Virginia Society meet the criteria and are submitted properly. The Committee coordinates the Virginia Society program for Chapter performance awards and is responsible for ensuring that National Society and Virginia Society standards for awards are followed. The Committee also ensures the fair and equitable granting of awards under its purview based on the criteria for the awards and accepted practice. The Committee is responsible for maintaining these standards and reserves the right to final judgement regarding the distribution of all state level recognitions.

C. The Committee coordinates the presentation of awards at the annual business meetings of the Virginia Society and at other times as required. Chairmen of the various contest committees should report the names of their contest winners to the Awards Committee as soon as the contests have been judged. Any other award recommendations should be sent to the Awards Committee as early as possible so that the recommendation may be reviewed and approved recognitions be procured in time to be presented at the appropriate meeting. The submitter of the award is responsible for ensuring that submission is put forward in time for all necessary processing to be accomplished by the Awards Committee.

D. The Chairman shall be appointed by the State President. The Chairman should be experienced in the Virginia Society awards process and familiar with current and past interpretations of the Virginia Society awards guidelines. The Chairman shall advise the committee how guidelines and precedents apply to particular award proposals and the judging of contests that fall within the jurisdiction of the Awards Committee. In short, the Chairman shall provide continuity and institutional knowledge to the Awards Committee, the Executive Committee, and the General Membership. He should be capable of serving for many years in this capacity. As a representative of the Executive Committee, The Third Vice President shall serve as the Vice Chairman of the Awards Committee. The Chairman shall be responsible for recruiting and maintaining membership on the committee, focusing on personnel with extensive knowledge of the Society, its membership, and its general workings. The Chairman normally retains custody of the Virginia Society stock of awards materials.

E. For each meeting of the Virginia Society where awards are to be presented, the Chairman, with the help of the committee, prepares a list of the awards and a presentation script for review by the President. During the awards ceremony, the President or appropriate official presents the awards. The members of the Awards Committee work together to: layout the awards in the proper sequence, hand the awards to the presenter or recipients as required, and read the script. After the awards presentation, the Chairman sends the list of awards to the Editor for publication in The Virginia Bulletin and to the webmaster for inclusion on the Virginia Society webpage.

F. The general guidelines for the progression of awards are as follows:

  1. For one or two years of service, a chapter should award a member a Certificate of Appreciation
  2. For two or three years of service, a chapter may consider awarding a member a Virginia Society Chapter Service Medal
  3. For three or four years of service, a chapter may consider awarding a member a Virginia Society Medal (with the approval of the Awards Committee).
  4. The performance of the nominee must be commensurate with the guidelines of the award to be presented and not based solely on the time served in a position.
  5. The Virginia Society or a chapter may opt to give an award within a lesser timeframe than the guidelines provide for exceptional work in a unique endeavor.  For example, recently a Virginia Society compatriot has been awarded a Virginia Society Chapter Service Medal for his seminal role in establishing a new chapter.  This is less than two or three years of service, but his service was exceptional and in a unique endeavor.
  6. A medal should not be awarded for service for which a medal has already been given.

Committee Members

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