Rules for the award of the Australian Natural History Medallion

Preamble

The Australian Natural History Medallion is awarded each year to the person judged to have made the most meritorious contribution to the understanding of Australian Natural History. The financing, design and procurement of the Medallion is the responsibility of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria.

Rules Governing the Award

The General Committee
1. There shall be a General Committee to deal with all matters other than those delegated to the Award Committee.
2. There shall be a Secretary to the General Committee and such Secretary shall be responsible for the operation of all procedures governing the Award. The Secretary shall be appointed by the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria.
3. The General Committee shall consist of representatives of Societies (one such representative to each Society) which have applied or shall apply for representation. The word Society as herein used shall mean a society, club or other organisation however designated having natural history associations.
4. A Society may withdraw from representation on the General Committee. Such withdrawal shall be in writing and shall be notified to the Secretary of the General Committee.
5. Representatives shall act for a period as determined from time to time by the Societies which they represent and as advised in writing to the Secretary of the General Committee by the first day of may in the particular year involved. Representatives or their proxies must be capable of attending meetings in Melbourne. In the absence of any specific advice representatives already appointed may continue to act as such until the Societies which they represent shall advise the said Secretary to the contrary. Representatives may be changed from time to time. No nominee for the Australian Natural History Medallion is permitted to be a representative of any Society whilst his or her nomination is current.
6. The Chairman of the General Committee shall be the President from time to time of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria. In the event of the said President being not available the General Committee shall elect its own Chairman from among those present. The Chairman shall have a second or casting vote in the case of equality of votes on any motion.
7. The Secretary of the General Committee (or if unavailable then the Council of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria) shall act as convenor of the meetings of the General Committee and at least fourteen days notice of meetings shall be given to the representatives.
8. The General Committee shall be called together for the purpose of appointing the Award Committee and for consideration of applications to be represented on the general Committee and for any other purpose for which it may be necessary.
9. A representative appointed by a Society may appoint a proxy to act for him at a meeting of the General Committee. The instrument appointing such a proxy shall be in writing and shall be delivered to the Secretary of the General Committee before the time fixed for the meeting which the proxy proposes to attend.
10. No rule governing the Award shall be altered except by the General Committee, the Secretary of which shall notify the Societies having representation thereon one month in advance of any proposed alteration but in the event of any occasion or difficulty arising beyond the contemplation of these Rules and/or where the strict application thereof might cause dissatisfaction or inconvenience or hardship the general committee shall be empowered to waive or vary any rule governing its own operations. Any action effected pursuant to or consequent upon any such waiver shall cease to have effect unless advice is duly given to the Societies and the alteration is endorsed by the next succeeding meeting of the general Committee which meeting shall be called as soon as practicable.
11. If any occasion shall arise in respect of which the General Committee shall require assistance or direction the Council of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria shall act in the capacity of an advisory or adjudicating body.
12. At any meeting of the General Committee six people personally present shall constitute a quorum.
The Award Committee
1. The Award Committee shall be appointed by the General Committee.
2. Each year the Award Committee is to complete inspection of the dossiers submitted in support of nominees and meet to name the successful nominee by the first day of September. The Award Committee shall determine the Award after full consideration of the nominations submitted and after having made any inquiries it may consider necessary to assist with its decision including seeking the opinion or assistance of other persons and/or requiring additional information from nominees.
3. Members of the Award Committee shall not necessarily be representatives of Societies having representation on the General Committee. No nominee for the Australian Natural History Medallion shall be a member of the Award Committee while his nomination is current.
4. The Award Committee shall consist of the President of the Royal Society of Victoria (if willing to act) and not less than four nor more than six other members. If at any time the said President shall be unable or unwilling to act (and unwillingness to act shall be assumed from failure to agree to act when requested) the General Committee (or if the General Committee cannot reasonably be convened then the Council of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria) shall be empowered to co-opt an additional person to act on the Award Committee in his stead.
5. Members of the Award Committee other than the President shall hold office for four years and of such members two or three as appropriate shall retire every second year and shall be replaced by the appointment of sufficient new members to make up the number required. Members of the Award Committee shall not be eligible for reappointment until the expiry of a period of two years after retirement.
6. If any dispute shall arise as to which members of the Award Committee are to retire the dispute shall be settled by the General Committee. If any member of the Award Committee should die or resign or become incapable of acting the General Committee may make (and if circumstances require shall make) an appointment in the place of the member so dying, resigning or becoming incapable of acting.
7. The Award Committee shall elect its own Chairman who in case of an equality of votes shall have an additional casting vote.
8. The Award Committee may appoint a secretary or other to facilitate the conduct of meetings and to record proceedings and/or other matters. The Award Committee (subject to these Rules) may frame its own procedure.
9. At any meeting of the Award Committee four people personally present shall constitute a quorum.
Nominations - Eligibility
1. Any person shall be eligible for the Award who within the period of ten years immediately preceding last nomination has increased popular and/or scientific knowledge of Australian natural history (biological or physical). Such a person may have:
  - assisted notably in the protection and understanding of Australian native flora and/or fauna;
  - discovered and and/or described new Australian species of plants or animals; devoted considerable time and care to the study of any branch of Australian natural history, including palaeontology and geology, and the dissemination of knowledge through the publication of articles or books or by photography or pictorial art or any other means accepted by the Award Committee.
2. A nominee need not be a member of the nominating society.
3. Any one living person may be nominated and neither nationality nor domicile shall be taken into account in making the award. If a nominee should die his/her nomination may remain current until the next award is decided upon, but then shall lapse.
4. Nominees may be renominated after their nominations lapse or are withdrawn under Rule 4.3
5. No person shall receive the Award more than once and notwithstanding the provisions of Rule 4.3 upon an award being made to any nominee the standing nomination shall be withdrawn.
Nominations - Procedures
1. Nominations for the Award of the Medallion shall be submitted by Societies to the Secretary of the General Committee. No Society shall submit or have standing more than one nomination in any one year.
2. Nominations together with full details of qualifications are to be lodged by the first day of May in each year otherwise they will not be considered in making the Award for that particular year. Nominations shall be made available to the Award committee as soon as possible after the first day of May. The Award Committee shall make its award before the first day of September in the same calendar year.
3. Every nomination shall stand for three years (subject to Rule 3.5) unless the nominee or nominating body indicates in writing that the nomination shall be withdrawn.
4. At any time between the first day of September for any year and the first day of May in the following year Societies may supplement or add to details of nominees' qualifications in respect of nominees whose names are standing.
Medallion - Presentation
1. The Medallion shall be presented to the successful nominee or his proxy at the meeting arranged by the Field Naturalist Club of Victoria to be held in a suitable location and preferably at the November general Meeting of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria in Melbourne.

Click here to download Australian Natural History Medallion Rules as a pdf

Last modified on 2 November 2001

Maintained by Mike McBain