The Society’s Medals and Awards celebrate achievement and success across the breadth and diversity of work in geography. The responsibilities of the Medals and Awards Sub-Committee are to ensure that nominations are eligible for consideration and to recommend recipients on an annual basis for approval by Council.
Membership
The Sub-Committee is chaired by the President, or by a Vice President nominated by the President.
Membership of the Sub-Committee consists of the Society’s three Honorary Secretaries and three external members, ensuring representation of human and physical academic geographers and from the Society’s professional, educational and/or expedition communities. The Sub-Committee proposes a fourth external member who has a background in physical, particularly environmental, geography is added to the sub-committee membership going forward (from 2021) to aid the representation of physical geography in the medals and awards.
Members are approved by Council to serve a three-year term. The Director attends the meetings and participates in an advisory capacity. Meetings of the Sub-Committee are organised by the Director’s Office.
Frequency of meetings
The Sub-Committee meets annually in March. If approved to do so by Council, there is provision for the Sub-Committee to hold an extraordinary meeting at a different time of year should the Society be in receipt of a new award that is outside the usual cycle. Council can co-opt up to two additional members with specific expertise if appropriate to do so to assess nominations for new Awards outside the usual cycle.
Quorum
The Sub-Committee shall be quorate when 50% of its members are present, in person or through teleconferencing.
Decision-making
Decision-making shall be by consensus as far as possible. If a vote is required, each member shall have one vote and the Chair shall have the casting vote.
Duties
The duties of the Sub-Committee shall be:
To have oversight over the Society’s Medals and Awards and the nomination process
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By providing strategic guidance to Council on any new areas for Medals and Awards
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By proposing to Council any recommendations for changes to the descriptors for Medals and Awards (within the terms of any relevant endowments) and/or to the nomination form
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By ensuring that the deadline for nominations is at least six weeks before the Sub-Committee meeting and that nominations are circulated at least two weeks before the Sub-Committee meeting
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By ensuring that nominations are made by members and Fellows of the Society (including staff Fellows at the Society, with the exception of Sub-Committee members, including the Director)
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By ensuring that no late nominations are accepted after the paperwork for the Sub-Committee meeting has been circulated.
To review nominations for Medals and Awards
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By reviewing nominations across all categories of Medals and Awards at the Sub-Committee meeting
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By considering nominations across the breadth and diversity of geography
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By adhering to the Society’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in the assessment of nominations
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By agreeing the recipients of Medals and Awards to be recommended to Council.
To recommend the recipients of Medals and Awards to Council
Terms of this Authority
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This paper is approved by the Council for a period of three years after which it will automatically lapse unless renewed by the Council.
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In any event, the Council may, by ordinary resolution, revoke or amend this authority as it deems fit.