By Nancy Price-Hutley, National Recognition Committee Chair (nancy.price-hutley@skipatrol.ca)
In a previous article, we offered some tips to get organized for writing CSP award nominations. If you’d like to review those steps, click here to reference that article.
Drafting an effective award nomination – things to consider
This article offers suggestions that will improve the chances of seeing your nominations turn into awards (and thus, helping a fellow patroller be formally recognized by the CSP).
Know the award criteria
- Carefully review and familiarize yourself with the specific criteria for the award category you’re nominating someone for. Read through the full award category description.
- Ensure your nominee meets all the eligibility requirements. If you are unsure, reach out to the nominee’s team leader, patrol leader, or anyone you know has patrolled with them regularly or recently. In some instances, it might make sense to chat directly with the nominee to help you fill in the blanks you’re unsure of related to the award category requirements.
- Address each criterion in your nomination, providing concrete examples. Pay close attention to each subsection within the award, so you don’t repeat examples and maximize the content allowed for each part of the nomination.
Provide specific examples
- Use detailed anecdotes and examples to illustrate how the nominee meets or exceeds the award criteria in each subsection.
- Quantify achievements where possible (e.g. number of years served, people trained, lives saved).
- Describe the impact of the nominee’s contributions on the CSP and its members.
Focus on recent accomplishments (if possible)
- Highlight the nominee’s contributions and achievements since receiving their last major award.
- Emphasize ongoing dedication and leadership over an extended period.
Gather supporting documentation
- Include relevant supporting items not written by you (the nominator), to things like websites showcasing positive media coverage (traditional media outlets or social media accounts) within your written nomination.
- Ensure all supporting references are current and directly relate to the award criteria.
Be concise yet comprehensive
- Keep your nomination clear and to-the-point while fully addressing all criteria.
- Use bullet points or short paragraphs to improve readability.
- Stay within the word limits specified in the awards portal. Use the word count feature in MS Word or Pages, to see if you’ve gone over or under the subsection word count limit and edit your writing accordingly.
Highlight leadership and innovation
- Describe how the nominee has gone above and beyond normal expectations of the CSP.
- Showcase any innovative programs or initiatives they’ve spearheaded (if applicable to the award category).
- Emphasize the nominee’s role in mentoring and inspiring other patrollers.
Demonstrate broad impact
- Explain how the nominee’s contributions have positively impacted the CSP at various levels (zone, division, national).
- Describe any ripple effects of the nominee’s work that extend beyond their immediate role.
Review and refine
- Have someone else review your nomination for clarity and completeness.
- Double-check that you’ve addressed all criteria and included all necessary information.
- Proofread carefully for spelling and grammar errors (use a spell-checker, if available).
Remember, a well-crafted nomination significantly increases the chances of your deserving colleague receiving recognition for their outstanding service to the Canadian Ski Patrol.
Coming up next…
In the February 5/5 member newsletter issue, we will share some successful award nomination examples. Seeing how others have written or structured the subsections of different award categories, may help you in finalizing your draft nomination before formally submitting it to be considered.
This post is also available in: French