By Craig Taggart, National Recognition Committee Chair (craig.taggart@skipatrol.ca)
This is the final call for nominations for national recognition – formerly known as national awards. All nominations are made through the National Database System, or NDS. The deadline for nominations is January 15, 2019. The full guide can be found here.
There have been changes to the awards program, resulting in the questions addressed below. If you have other questions, please contact National Recognition Committee Chair, Craig Taggart, at craig.taggart@skipatrol.ca.
Q: I’m not an instructor or a patrol leader, and I don’t hold an executive position. Can I nominate someone for recognition?
A: Absolutely. Nominations for most awards can be made by any member in good standing. The exception is the Outstanding National Executive Award.
Q: A member of my patrol deserves to be recognized, but I’m not sure what to write in the nomination. Help!
A: The nomination format provides directed with questions and the guide has the questions listed. Directed questions allow for concise information to be presented. There is a word limit to keep information provided succinct and relevant.
Q: A patroller has worked hard, but involvement has only been at the local level. How can they be recognized?
A: The first level of recognition is ideally at the local or zone level. Some local areas and zones don’t have awards, so the next logical step is the division level. If there is no local or zone award program, ask about starting one. If there are no awards at any of these levels, nominate the individual for national recognition, and be sure to explain in the nomination that there is no award program at the other levels.
Q: I’ve worked with a patroller for many years and know they should receive a national appreciation award, but he/she has no national experience. Is national experience needed to receive this award?
A: No. When you work as a CSP member, you are in fact working for the national organization. Therefore, a person who has worked hard as a patroller can receive an NAA. Ideally, the individual would be recognized at the area or zone or division level first. If awards at that level don’t exist, be sure to include that information in the nomination.
Q: Can somebody receive a Canadian Ski Patroller Award or Life Member Award with no national involvement?
A: Yes! While national involvement is desirable, it is not required for these awards. What is important is that involvement continues to grow over time, and the activities are not the same as what the previous award was based on.
Q: My patrol is amazing; the people are great, and work very hard. We have done a lot of things to promote the image of the CSP. How can they be recognized? Who should write the nomination?
A: Ask for input from your fellow patrollers, write up the nomination and submit it. Don’t wait for somebody else to do it – you are that “somebody else.”
Q: We had a situation where a life was saved at an event we did, but we cannot get a letter from any medical personnel. What do we do?
A: Due to privacy laws, it is not always possible to get a letter. A generic letter stating that the actions of the patrollers contributed to saving the life without going into specifics would be good. Letters from medical professionals may not be available, so other forms of documentation are accepted. A letter from the patient, or parents of the patient (in the case of a child) is very desirable. Any documentation stating that the treatment was significant in saving a life is desirable. This can include statements from other patrollers, accident report forms, etc. The more documentation provided to corroborate the nomination, the better.
Q: How do I know if somebody is a good candidate for an award?
A: Check the recognition policy for the award’s requirements. If the person fits the criteria, submit the nomination. If you are not sure the nomination would be successful, submit it anyway. Let the recognition committee score it and make the decision. If a submission is not made, it is guaranteed that the individual(s) won’t receive recognition, but if a submission is made, it may be successful.
Q: My zone should have some sort or recognition program, but doesn’t. What do we do?
A: Get in touch with the recognition committee in the Brand and Partners portfolio. We will help you to set up a program. Ideally, each division and zone should have an awards program – even if it is just a few awards.
Recognizing our volunteers is important. Since we don’t have financial means to compensate our members for their efforts, thanking them through recognition is vital. Don’t wait for others to make nominations – put your fingers on the keyboard, log in to the database, and make the nomination.
If you have questions, please contact Recognition Committee Chair, Craig Taggart, at craig.taggart@skipatrol.ca.