NZLA Service Award Policy

Rationale

The NZLA Service Award acknowledges and honours those members who provide significant service to local councils and/or NZLA

Purposes

  • To recognise and acknowledge members who have provided a significant level of service to local councils and/or NZLA. 

Nomination Criteria

To be eligible for the award the nominee should have demonstrated outstanding service as a member for at least ten years and meet at least four of the following criteria:

  • Have been an office holder on the local council committee for at least five years

  • Have taken a leadership role in organising council events and promotion of literacy 

  • Led a significant new initiative for their local council 

  • Represented their local council as delegate at Annual Meeting 

  • Have contributed at least one article to Literacy Forum NZ Te Kōrero Pānui Tuhituhi o Aotearoa

  • Presented at least three times, at local council events or at a national event. 

  • Taken a lead role in organising a national conference/symposium

  • Served as a member of the NZLA executive. 

Guidelines 

  1. The secretary will seek nominations and ensure that local councils are aware of the process and the nomination criteria (see above).

  2. Local councils should forward detailed supporting information, including the full name of the nominee(s) to the president of NZLA six weeks prior to Annual Meeting . 

  3. If the NZLA Executive deems that the nomination does not meet the criteria, the NZLA president will write to the president of the nominating council detailing in what way the nomination was not successful. If appropriate, the nomination may be resubmitted with added information.

  4. Upon approval of an award, the NZLA president will inform the nominating council and the successful nominee. 

  5. The nominating council will maintain confidentiality until the executive decision is announced.

  6. For a successful nominee, the national executive will prepare a certificate to be signed by the president of NZLA, and framed by the national executive. 

  7. Either the NZLA president or a member of the national executive (whoever is closest geographically) will present the award at an agreed Council event.

  8. To publicly acknowledge the prestigious nature of the award and the value of the recipient’s service:

    1. A copy of the award’s citation will be forwarded to the editor of Literacy Forum NZ Te Kōrero Pānui Tuhituhi o Aotearoa for publication. 

    2. The award will be announced at the next Annual Meeting and acknowledged at the next NZLA Conference as part of the President’s welcome address. Note: this award is presented at a Council event, not at a national conference. 

    3. The name of the recipient, Council and a copy of the service award will be included in the history of NZLA document on the NZLA Website.

  9. The executive is not obliged to award service awards.

Reviewed June 2025

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