Recognitions and Awards - July 6, 2015

 
 
 
 
 
 
Taking Credit for What We Have Done
 
By Robert Cassidy and Klaus Hachfeld
 
These Rotarians are not looking for recognition or awards. They are looking for results, and they usually get them. Having said that, all of Rotary and its 1.2 million Rotarians do one thing notoriously poorly: taking credit for and publicizing what we have done.
 
How many times have you seen a news clip about polio being eliminated, and never heard Rotary’s name mentioned? The same may be true about the Rotarian (the champion) behind your club’s most successful project. All too many times, Rotary and Rotary champions get lost in the success of what is being accomplished.
 
That is where the Awards Committee comes in. We want to make sure all our clubs know of the many different awards and forms of recognition available, to recognize what clubs have done as well as the individuals who have done them.
 
(Mike Razza, shown holding an award,  and his family pose following his receipt of Rotary International’s Service Above Self Award during the District 7910 Conference on May 15, 2015 at the Holiday Inn Marlborough.)
 
There are a variety of awards available to clubs:
  • The Presidential Citation: applied for by the club, and submitted to RI by the Governor
  • The Club Planning and Awards Form: completed by the club through the year, and submitted to the Awards Committee in the spring of 2016
  • The Rotary Foundation Paul Harris Recognitions: submitted directly by the club to The Rotary Foundation, as Rotarians meet different recognition levels
  • The Rotary International individual Avenue of Service Citation: applied for by a club president directly to Rotary International on behalf of one of its members
  • The Rotary International Significant Achievement Award (recognizes a significant project): nomination form completed and submitted by the club, signed by the Governor, and submitted to RI by the Governor.
There are also higher levels of awards, which recognize outstanding individual efforts:
  • The Rotary Foundation Meritorious Service Citation, and Distinguished Service Award: nomination forms completed by District Awards Committee, approved by Governor, and submitted by Governor to The Rotary Foundation
  • Rotary International Service Above Self Award: nomination form completed by District Awards Committee, signed by Governor, and submitted to Rotary International by Governor.
The Awards Committee  will be publishing an article in the Governor’s now-weekly Newsletter each week. We will be giving you details on each of these awards, where the nomination forms are, when they are due, etc.
 
For starters we would like to introduce you to the “Club Planning and Award Form.” This form is available now on the district website, in both Excel and  PDF formats. 
 
In previous years, it was called the “Best Club Award Form.” The two version look similar but are really quite different. We want you to read through the form, its many categories and the points your club can accumulate by doing a variety of different things through the year. The president should use the line items on this form to partially form the club's goals for the year. The president should also appoint someone in the club to track the club's progress through the year in completing the various items listed. It is recommended that this person should report monthly on the progress to the Board of Directors and the club membership. This person should also familiarize himself or herself with the many individual and club awards that can be applied for, and make sure the nomination forms are completed and turned in on time.
 
Attention to these details will insure your club is recognized for its work, and your project champions are given the credit they deserve for all they are.
 
Please contact either of us, who are members of the district's Awards Committee, if you have questions: