It was great to see two dedicated individuals Professor Helen Roy and Dr Mark Hill receive Honorary membership at the NBN Conference in November 2017. We know that there are many other dedicated people working in the sector that you would like to receive Honorary Membership in 2018.
So we are once again seeking your nominations for honorary membership of the National Biodiversity Network. Do you know someone who you think should receive this accolade?
Honorary Membership is usually awarded to one person each year and is agreed upon by the Board of Trustees. They do not have to be a member or part of a member organisation to be nominated.
Criteria for the nominee
The person being proposed must meet at least one of the criteria listed below:
- An outstanding personal contribution to biological recording including the mentoring of others
- A long established contribution as a scheme organiser involving, for example, significant advancement of recording methodologies, extension of recording at a national scale to a wider range of taxa, development and application of taxonomy for biological recording
- A significant technical contribution to development of the NBN leading to new opportunities for accessing or using biological records
- A major motivational leadership role in biological recording contributing to the NBN
- Innovative use of the data collected by biological recorders that significantly advances understanding or influences policy and practice.
Criteria for the nominator
If you wish to nominate someone please note the following criteria:
- Nominators must be a Member of the NBN Trust. This can be as an individual member or as an employee / member of an organisation that is a member. Please check with the NBN Secretariat if you are unsure if you are a member or not.
- Nominations must be in writing and demonstrate how the individual meets at least one of the criteria listed above
- Nominations must be received by Friday 1 June 2018
- Nominations should be emailed to support@nbn.org.uk or sent to NBN Trust, Unit F, 14 – 18 St Mary’s Gate Lace Market, Nottingham NG1 1PF
- The Board of Trustees will decide by majority vote of the Board at its meeting in July 2018. It is expected that just one award will be made although the Board of Trustees reserves the right to either make no awards or multiple awards, depending on the quality of the nominations received.
- If the person you nominate is to receive Honorary Membership we will notify you of this following the Board meeting.
- It is intended that the Honorary membership will be presented at the NBN Conference in November 2018.
What should you include in your nomination?
Please include the following information:
- Your name and contact details
- The name of the person you are nominating, group or society they are connected to (if any) and their contact details
- As much detail as possible as to why the Board of Trustees should award them honorary membership
When submitting your nomination please do not assume that the Board of Trustees already know the great things the person you are proposing has done.
Guidance
In order to help you to write your nomination, and for the Board of Trustees to have sufficient information on which to make their decision, you may want to consider the following questions when preparing your nomination:
- Why do you think they should receive honorary membership?
- How has the NBN partnership benefited from the work that they have done?
- What changes have come about due to the work or influences they have made?
- What contributions have they made that has benefited others?
- How will they continue to influence the NBN partnership?
Please provide as much detail as possible – although you know the great work that the person has been doing, the Board of Trustees won’t and needs you to tell them!
Background information
The awarding of the Honorary Membership is referred to in the NBN rules and standing orders Section 2 A.
“Honorary Members, being individuals proposed by any Member of the NBN Trust, whether or not they belong to the organisations recognised for Founder, Ordinary or Associate membership. Honorary Membership will be awarded to the chair on his or her appointment to the Board of Trustees and to individuals that, in the opinion of their nominator(s), have made an outstanding personal contribution towards the objectives of the Trust. All Honorary Members are entitled to nominate, attend and vote at general meetings of the Charity.”
Read the paper – Criteria for awarding honorary membership 2016