Filling in empty nominations for award categories

[Guest Brian]

I am needing advice about the process for awards and nominations. Notifications were sent out to nominate members for our yearly awards ceremony, but by the deadline not all of the categories received nominations. Is it ok to fill these empty categories in from nominations from years past or can we (awards commitee) substitute someone nominated this year in a category that has multiple submissions? Thank you.

[Guest Guest]

You can't make changes to the nominations submitted but why can't the awards committee nominate members in the vacant categories?

[Josh Martin]

Is it ok to fill these empty categories in from nominations from years past or can we (awards commitee) substitute someone nominated this year in a category that has multiple submissions?

So far as RONR is concerned, the committee members are free to nominate additional members from the floor. The members could nominate members from past years or members who were nominated for other categories, but they are not limited to this. Your organization's rules on the process may provide otherwise.

[hmtcastle]

Is it ok to fill these empty categories in from nominations from years past or can we (awards commitee) substitute someone nominated this year in a category that has multiple submissions?

RONR has little (if anything) to say about award ceremonies but if you treat this like an election, the nominating committee would first make its report (as complete or incomplete as it may be) and then additional nominations would be taken "from the floor" (i.e. from the general membership). You would than cast votes (typically by ballot) for each award and members would be free to vote for anyone, even someone who wasn't nominated (i.e. cast a write-in vote).

Whether this procedure suits your award ceremony is for your organization to determine.

[Guest brian]

You can't make changes to the nominations submitted but why can't the awards committee nominate members in the vacant categories?

There was an issue in the past where this was abused - members on the committee putting friends in categories they were never nominated for in the first place, playing favorites, that sort of thing. So a whole new committee was created to make this a more offical process.

[hmtcastle]

There was an issue in the past where this was abused - members on the committee putting friends in categories they were never nominated for in the first place, playing favorites, that sort of thing.

I think you may have the process a bit backwards. While anyone is free to make suggestions to the nominating committee, those suggestions aren't nominations in and of themselves (and, unlike nominations, they can be ignored).

The first nominations are contained in the nominating committee's report which is presented at a meeting of the general membership. Additional nominations "from the floor" are then made at that meeting.

[tctheatc]

Would not this be more a main motion than an election? IOW the nomination for an award is actually a motion to give Mr X the cuz award, and thus amendable and debatable as a main motion?

[Rev Ed]

I think that you need to check the organizations By-laws about the Committee. What group actually decides who will receive the awards? The Board may make the final decision, or the general membership, or even the Awards Committee. The By-laws should state this - why most committees will only have the power to make recommendations, the Awards Committee might be given the power to make the final decision, hence the nominating process.

[Josh Martin]

Would not this be more a main motion than an election? IOW the nomination for an award is actually a motion to give Mr X the cuz award, and thus amendable and debatable as a main motion?

It depends on what the rules have to say about the awards. If the awards must be given, then it should be handled like an election. If the awards may be given, then it may be handled as an election or as a regular main motion, at the assembly's discretion.