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Since I don't know when the club's magazine is going to get out my article for nominations for the Hernando De Soto Award and the Special Achievement Awards that we present eacy year at our conventions, I've copied it below.
Bill Noble
Hernando De Soto and Special Achievement Awards
by Bill Noble, Special Achievement Award Coordinator
Each year, during our National Convention, the club presents the Hernando De Soto Award and the Special Achievement Awards. Now is the time for you to start thinking about who should win these awards this year. Do you know a club member, or a group of club members, who have done something special for our club or for De Sotos? Perhaps she, he or they have been extra helpful in finding parts or information about De Sotos for other members. Or maybe they have helped out other members with their cars, or answered lots of questions on our club’s message board, or let non-members know more about De Sotos and our club while at car shows and swap meets. If you do, and would like that person or group to be acknowledged for their efforts, then nominate that person or group for either one of our Special Achievement Awards or for the Hernando De Soto Award.
The Special Achievement Awards are presented to our club members who have gone that extra mile during the previous year to help our club, our members, or our De Sotos. Anyone who is a member of our club may nominate another member, or group of members, for this award. If the member(s) being nominated has already won a Special Achievement Award during a previous convention, then this nomination would have to be for a different reason than that for which they have already won. Last year, five Special Achievement Awards were given to members for helping out with one of our chapters, helping out at several of the recent conventions, helping out with our club’s Handbook/Reference Manual, helping out as one of our technical advisors, and hosting the 2010 convention. Other examples of past winners are: parts reproduction projects, extra-ordinary membership recruitment, club projects, starting a chapter, chapter newsletter editor, dash plaque artwork, calendar editor, coordinating a gathering of De Sotos during the Carlisle All Chrysler National, driving a De Soto cross-country, participating in a Great Race, and proofreading our club’s magazine.
The Hernando De Soto Award is presented to our members who have done the most for our club. This annual award is the highest honor our club bestows upon any of our members. The effort that the member has demonstrated and is being nominated for may have occurred at any time during our club’s existence. Last year, the winners were Pam and Craig Lane. At almost every one of our conventions, they have counted up the judging points. This behind-the-scenes task requires summing up the judges values and checking the totals not once but twice. Then the point totals are put into order by class, with one car winning the Best of Show. This takes hours to complete, and is time that they could be spending with friends and out enjoying the cars during show day. Not only that, but Craig has attended all 26 of the NDC Conventions.
So, if you know of an individual or a group of members who deserve a large pat-on-the-back for their special effort, please nominate them for either one or our Special Achievement Awards, or for the Hernando De Soto Award, or both. Each nomination for these awards should include a detailed description of what was done for our club or our members or our De Sotos. For the Special Achievement Awards, please submit your nomination(s) to me by either mailing it to 2214 Grange Hall Rd, Beavercreek, OH 45431-2338, USA; or by e-mailing it to nobledesoto@ameritech.net. For the Hernando De Soto Award, please submit your nomination(s) to Greg Walters by either mailing it to 1308 Clark Ave, Piqua, OH 45356-3016, USA; or by e-mailing it to desoto1956@hotmail.com. Please have your nominations in no later than 15 June, 2012. Thank you for your participation in the acknowledgement of the special efforts put forth by our members.
