Background

Developed jointly by the Awards and Nominating Committees, and approved by the RASC Board of Directors in November 2013, the award of Fellow of the RASC (FRASC) is created to acknowledge the work of long-serving members. It recognizes those outstanding members who have made extraordinary contributions to the Society over the long term, much of which service has been rendered at the national level.

Purpose

The award of Fellow of the RASC is to recognize the long-term and on-going contributions of members whose service to the Society has been exemplary and substantive for an extended period of time. Such contribution will far exceed the level required for our Service Award. Nominees may already hold the Service Award, but it is not a prerequisite for Fellowship.

Eligibility

This is a major, and senior, national award. It is intended to be the Society’s most senior award and the highest honour the Society can pay to a member. Candidate’s service and contributions to the Society must have had a significant positive impact on the work of the Society over an extended period, and must have contributed to the Society’s success in attaining its stated objectives, mission, and vision. Such contributions can be at both the Centre and national level, but at least half of the service contribution must have been rendered at the national level.

The Society recognizes and acknowledges the fact that many of the Society’s stalwarts begin their service in their Centres and later become involved nationally. Many continue to contribute for decades at both the Centre and national levels.

The award of Fellow of the RASC is open only to RASC members in good standing.

There will be no maximum number of Fellows. There will be no limit on the number of Fellowships presented in any given year.

Posthumous awards are permissible.

Nominations

Candidates may be nominated either by existing Fellows, individual RASC members, groups of members, by a Centre (or Centres), or by the Awards or Nominating committees. Nominations shall be submitted to the Awards Committee each year by the published annual awards nomination deadline (usually December 31). Nominations approved by the Awards Committee will be submitted to the Board of Directors for consideration and final approval.

Evaluation Criteria

Successful nominations will document the candidates’ contributions and service to the Society by:

• Outlining and/or describing the various works done, projects undertaken, roles filled, etc. by the candidate,
• Indicating when (dates and date ranges) this work was done over the required number of years and describing how it has impacted the Society, and by
• Describing how the work supported the RASC’s objectives, mission, and vision.

Awardees will be presented with a certificate, a wall plaque, and will be recognized on the RASC website. Successful nominations to Fellow will be published in JRASC and/or other RASC publications as appropriate. Fellowship recipients will be entitled to use the post-nominal of FRASC.

A Fellowship and the use of its associated post-nominal is a life-long benefit; it is not contingent on continued membership.

Any two Society members may submit nominations for the award. Nominations should be sent to the Awards Committee chair by December 31. Use the fillable form below.

For an account of the original RASC Fellowship Award (1903-ca. 1944), of which the present FRASC is a revival, see here.