Handouts for the Leadership Program at the STC Summit 2015.

1. Recognizing Your Community’s Members and Leaders Page 1 of 7
Recognizing Your Community’s Members and Leaders
Lori Meyer Summit 2015
What you can recognize
Type of service  Committee chair
 Officer
 Special projects leader
 Competition manager
 Conference manager
 Events manager
 Mentor
 Webmaster
 Exceptional contributions by a new volunteer
 Consistent contributions by a member who does not hold an office
or does not chair a committee
Extent of service  Multiple leadership roles
 Both community and STC leadership
Amount of service  Long-term committee management
 Long-term membership in STC and your community:
 Advancement to senior member
 Members with more than 10, 20, 25, or 30 + years of
membership
Notable achievements  Major award or honor from STC
 Major award or honor from a related organization
 Academic or publication recognition
 Recognition received for significant service to member’s home city
or county, or to a charitable organization
Presentations and teaching  Organizing or running a mentoring program for your community
 Serving as a mentor for your community
 Presenting for workshops and conferences run by your community
 Teaching at a local college or university
 Encouraging high school and college students to seek technical
communication as a career
 Significant research that benefits the profession

2. Recognizing Your Community’s Members and Leaders Page 2 of 7
Who you can recognize
 Individual members
 Committees
When you can recognize
 Annually
 Semi-annually
 Quarterly
 On the spot
What does a strong recognition program include?
A strong recognition program:
 Includes honors/awards from both STC and your community.
 Is clearly defined in writing, and referenced in your community’s strategic goals.
 Has a schedule for giving and celebrating recognition regularly throughout your program year.
 Is known and understood by your members.
 Reflects meaningful achievements that strike a balance between challenge and possibility.
 Provides something tangible for recipients – a plaque, certificate, photo of the event,
announcements and postings.
 Is part of your community’s historical records.
 Focuses on service to the community, to STC, and to the profession.
 Has a purpose and definition that will stand the test of time.
 Is celebrated with enthusiasm by your community.
Recognition offered by STC
For individuals
 Distinguished Community Service:
 Distinguished Chapter Service (DCSA)
 Distinguished SIG Service (DSSA)
 Distinguished Service for Students
 Associate Fellow
 Fellow
 Competitions
 Frank R Smith Award for outstanding journal article in Technical Communication
 Jay R Gould Award for excellence in teaching
 Ken Rainey Award for excellence in research
 Sigma Tau Chi and Alpha Sigma Honor Societies for students

3. Recognizing Your Community’s Members and Leaders Page 3 of 7
For communities
 Community Achievement Award (CAA)
 Pacesetter Award
Making recognition happen for your community
Follow these steps to build or strengthen your community’s recognition.
Step 1: Evaluate.
 What does recognition mean for your community?
 Providing incentives to volunteer?
 Giving thanks for length or type of service?
 Emphasizing your community’s appreciation of service offered by your members?
 Some or all of the above?
 How is recognition defined and communicated in your community?
 Are awards and honors described on your community web site?
 Is recognition included in your community’s goals and strategic plan?
 Does your council discuss recognition?
 How do you communicate recognition?
 What challenges and obstacles has your community faced as far as recognition?
 Significant drop in membership?
 Loss of leaders committed to recognition?
 Shortage of volunteers?
 Competing priorities?
 Differences in understanding among your leaders about the meaning and relevance of
recognition?
Step 2: Plan.
 Get a plan in writing, no matter what your community’s size or budget.
 Make sure all of your leaders are on board and committed to the program.
 Recruit volunteers to help carry out the plan. Some examples:
 Designing award certificates
 Coordinating recognition events
 Communicating recognition
 Include the following details in your plan:
 How recognition relates to your community’s strategic goals
 A clear description of each type of recognition:
 What you are recognizing; for example
 Amount of volunteer service
 Type of volunteer service
 Length of volunteer service

4. Recognizing Your Community’s Members and Leaders Page 4 of 7
 Achievement
 Who is eligible
 Who may nominate candidates
 Who decides the recipients:
 The leadership team?
 The chapter president or SIG manager?
 The membership?
 How often recognition will be given:
 Annually?
 Semi-annually?
 Quarterly?
 At different times of the year, depending on the type of recognition?
 Who notifies the recipients
 Who presents the award or honor
 When the recognition will be given:
 At a specific time of year?
 As part of another community event?
 As a stand-alone event?
 At various times of the year, depending on the recognition given?
Step 3: Budget.
 Include recognition in your budget planning.
 Determine how much to spend on items such as:
 Certificates and plaques
 Pins (Recognition pins are available from STC and can be ordered by contacting the STC
Membership Department)
 Gift cards and gift certificates
 Other gifts (such as monogrammed items)
 Postage for mailings of certificates, plaques, letters
 Recognition events (site costs, food, other costs)
 Look for ways to provide quality recognition if your budget is severely limited.
 Recruit volunteers to design attractive certificates.
 Purchase heavyweight paper (for example, 32# or 65# card stock) to use for certificates.
 Use attractive certificate covers (available at office supply stores).
 Have informal recognition events that are easy to plan and fun to attend.
Step 4: Communicate and educate.
 Make sure your members know about the recognition your community offers.
 Show your enthusiasm.
 Keep your recognition history up to date.

5. Recognizing Your Community’s Members and Leaders Page 5 of 7
 Educate your community’s incoming leaders about your recognition programs. Include
recognition in your orientation for new leaders.
 Encourage your members and community leaders to support your recognition program.
 Announce nomination schedules for honors and awards.
 Encourage members to nominate candidates for both STC awards and your community’s
awards.
Step 5: Recognize and celebrate!
 Tie your recognition to a community event, or make it a tradition in your community.
 Shout it out!
 Announce your recognition when it happens.
 Share the news with enthusiasm.
 Record your recognition through articles and pictures in your communication channels.

6. Recognizing Your Community’s Members and Leaders Page 6 of 7
Recognition Quick Reference Calendar – STC
Honor or award Nomination/submission
deadline
Recipients notified
For individuals
Distinguished Community Service (DCSA,
DSSA, Student)
Mid October December or January
Associate Fellow / Fellow Mid to late October January or February
Sigma Tau Chi and Alpha Sigma Mid to late October December
J. R. Gould Award for Excellence in Teaching
Technical Communication
Mid October January or February
Ken Rainey Award for Excellence in Research Late October/Early
November
January or February
For communities
Community Achievement Award 3rd
week in January Late February or March
Pacesetter Award Late March At Summit Conference

7. Recognizing Your Community’s Members and Leaders Page 7 of 7
Recognition Quick Reference Calendar – Your Community
Use a quick-reference table such as this one to keep track of the timeline for your community’s
recognition program.
Honor or award
name
Description Date last given Nomination deadline
for next award