Awards

District, Society and Individual

To download the Awards Booklet, click here.

Service Certificate
Life Membership
Society President's Award
Youth Service Certificate
Lemke Youth Garden Club Award
Ruby Bryan Youth Scrapbook Award
Ruby Lobban Award
Maisie Bray Award
Nothers Award
Youth Leaders Award
District Service Award
District Appreciation Award
Silver Medal Award
Trillium Award
Silver Fir Award
Award of Merit
Association's Honour Roll
Special Awards
Community Improvement Award
Environmental Award

Members who provide the leadership and whose participation promotes the aims of the horticultural Societies is recognized and rewarded by OHA awards. There are six categories of awards:

1. Awards to members of Societies and presented by the Society
2. Awards to youth members and youth garden clubs and presented by individuals or the Society
3. Awards to members of Societies and presented by the District
4. Awards to members of Societies and presented by the Ontario Horticultural Association
5. Association's Honour Roll
6. Special awards

Full supporting details for awards are to be submitted to the Secretary, who will forward the nomination to the Awards Committee. The Awards Committee is composed of the president (chair of the committee), the two vice presidents, the past president, the treasurer, the secretary and the chairperson of the Past Presidents' Council. Decisions of the committee will be considered as a decision of the board of directors.

All submissions become the property of the Ontario Horticultural Association. Submissions not receiving awards will only be held for consideration the following year.

SECTION 1

Awards available for members and presented by the Society

Service Certificate - Application form.
One award per year may be given by a Society. Societies with a membership over 200 may give two awards per year. The District director and the Association secretary can supply application forms. Note: This award may be presented only once to any member.

Service Certificates are supplied free of charge and are inscribed by the Association and the Seal of the Association is affixed. To preserve the value and dignity of the award, recipients should be selected carefully following these criteria:

1. Ten or more years of active membership in societies
2. Served on Society committees, contributing time or effort to civic improvements and beautification, or public plantings
3. Encouraged membership enrolment by participating in drives or canvassing for new members
4. Inspired the horticultural efforts of either individuals or groups
5. Showed sincere interest in and supported the objectives of a Horticultural Society

Any member of a Horticultural Society who meets these qualifications is eligible for a Service Certificate. In case of severe illness, the 10-year membership requirement may be shortened.

Follow the procedure outlined on the application form and allow at least two months ahead of presentation date to allow for lettering and mailing.

Life Membership
Certificates are available for a Society to honour a member with a Life Membership, following these guidelines:

1. Long-time membership in a Society, preferably a minimum of 15 years
2. Continued interest in horticulture
3. Participation in the Society and contributions to its programs

Life members are exempt from paying membership fees. However, unless the membership fee is paid into the Society's membership account by the Society, a life member cannot be counted in the official number of members.

Life membership certificates and accompanying membership cards are available from the Ontario Horticultural Association supplies chairperson for a nominal fee and must be inscribed by the Society.

Society President's Award
This certificate is presented to a member in recognition of outstanding contribution to Society activities. It is awarded at the discretion of a Society president. Copies of the certificate are available from the supplies chairperson for a nominal fee and must be inscribed by the Society.

SECTION 2

Awards Available to Youth Garden Clubs

Youth Service Certificate

Certificates to honour youth members are available for a nominal fee from the supplies chairperson. The Society is responsible for the inscription. Selection of candidates is the responsibility of the Society.

The Lemke Youth Garden Club Award
A cash award of $25 is given annually to the Youth Garden Club or Society that has been the most successful and made the greatest progress in the past year. It is awarded by the Youth Committee on the basis of youth activity reports, which must be completed and submitted for consideration. Report forms are mailed annually to each Youth Club secretary.

Ruby Bryan Youth Scrapbook Award
Youth members prepare a club scrapbook, which is submitted to the Youth Committee at the Annual Conference. The scrapbooks should give a pictorial and illustrated account of the youth garden program and activities in the past year. It may include sketches with descriptive narratives about specific subjects, meetings or projects that have been featured during the year. The size of the scrapbook is not limited, but it should be transportable to the Conference.

This award includes a challenge plaque and cash prizes. The Club is responsible for any engraving. Each club is limited to one entry per annual competition.

Ruby Lobban Award
The Youth Club earning the highest number of points in competition at the Annual Conference will receive this cash award.

Maisie Bray Award
Cash prizes are awarded to the winner of the annual Wildflower poster contest. The theme will be changed annually and is selected by the OHA Youth Committee. Each club is limited to one entry per annual competition.

Nothers Awards and Identifications Ltd. Award
This award recipient is chosen from among youth clubs that submit written presentations of public projects they have undertaken. The presentation describe the site or conditions before and after in text and photographic form. The project might be planters on a city street, school plantings or other public plantings, etc.

A plaque and cash prize is awarded annually. Clubs are limited to one entry per annual competition.

Youth Leader Award
This plaque is presented to a person who has been a Youth Club leader for a minimum of 5 years. Nominations may be made each year within a District to the District director. The nomination letter should give full details of the nominee's qualifications. The District executive may select one nomination, which must be forwarded by February 28 to the association secretary to be considered by the Awards Committee.

SECTION 3

Awards Available to Members or Organizations within their Respective Districts

The District Service Award
This engraved wooden plaque is provided by the Ontario Horticultural Association. One nomination may be made each year by each Society within a District to the District director in a letter giving full details of the nominee's qualifications. From these nominations, the District executive may select one award winner per year. The name of the recipient and the date of presentation are to be submitted to the Association secretary by the District director at least four months before the award is to be presented. The Association secretary maintains a list of recipients.

Criteria for candidate selection are:

1. An individual who has given effective service to a Society or District, preferably for a minimum of 15 years
2. An individual who has given extensive service to horticulture, apart from participation in horticultural Societies
3. A Society or organization that has undertaken and completed a special project in horticulture
4. A Society or organization that has made a special accomplishment

District Appreciation Award
This certificate is presented to a member at the discretion of the District director in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the District's activities. Copies of the certificate are available for a nominal charge from the Association's supplies chairperson and are inscribed by the District.

SECTION 4

Member or Organization Awards Given by the Ontario Horticultural Association

Nominations for awards in this section must be submitted to the Association Secretary by February 28. In each case, a member, Society or organization may nominate a recipient through the District director. Nominees may also be recommended by Association officers, directors and past presidents. Full supporting documentation must accompany each nomination, as the Awards Committee will make its selection based on this information.

Recipients of any of these major awards are not eligible for a further award for a period of three years.

Silver Medal Award
This is a silver medal of the Association logo is worn as a pin. The Ontario Horticultural Association Silver Medal, with its associated framed certificate, is the highest award of the Association. The award recognizes outstanding work in the advancement of horticulture in accordance with the aims of the Association as outlined in the Constitution of the Association. Outstanding work may include:-

1. Meritorious service and beautification, conservation or ecological work on a District or provincial basis.
2. Establishment and maintenance of trial plots, botanical gardens and arboretae and /or intensive horticulture such as originating and producing outstanding varieties of plants.
3. Planting within a Society or community
4. Outstanding leadership in the promotion of horticultural Societies including their programs, membership and allied activities or other worthy efforts.

Trillium Award
This award is a silver brooch in the shape of a trillium. The award was initially donated by Mrs. Thelma Boucher, who was OHA President in 1941. One award annually may be made to a female member for outstanding service to Horticultural Societies for an extended period. Preference will be given to recipients of District and Society awards. The criteria to be followed are:

1. Involvement giving outstanding service in the areas of beautification, conservation, ecology, administration, etc. at the Society, District and/or Provincial level
2. Planting within a Society and the community
3. Leadership in the promotion of Horticultural Societies including their programs, membership, and allied activities or other worthy efforts.

Silver Fir Award
This silver lapel pin may be awarded annually to a male member for outstanding service to horticultural Societies for an extended period. The criteria to be followed are identical to those for the Trillium Award.

Award of Merit
This framed certificate is given for notable contributions to the programs of the Association or a Society. The Awards Committee may elect to present more than one Award of Merit in a given year, following these criteria:

1. Special beautification project
2. Outstanding work in the science or art of horticulture
3. Supporting individuals or organizations in the area of communications
4. Any other worthy efforts

SECTION 5

Ontario Horticultural Association Honour Roll
The Honour Roll is maintained in a book. Two pages are devoted to each individual: one page for pictures and the opposing page for biographical information. Each District may nominate one person annually. The nomination should be forwarded to the Association secretary by February 28. The Awards Committee will select a maximum of two candidates from those nominated.

Nominations should be based on these criteria:

1. A member of a horticultural Society with at least 15 years service to one or more Societies
2. Contribution of horticultural service to the community, District or Association or in the development of horticultural practices

SECTION 6

Special Awards
Nominations from Societies or Districts for special awards must be submitted to the Association Secretary by February 28 through the District director for consideration by the Awards Committee. Recipients of any of these awards are not eligible for a further award for a period of three years.

Community Improvement Award
This plaque is provided by the Ontario Horticultural Association. It may be given to an individual, organization or company whose horticultural project the Awards Committee deems has improved the beauty of the landscape and added to the quality of life.

Environmental Award
This plaque is provided by the Ontario Horticultural Association. It may be presented to an individual, organization, municipality, company or a school or other educational establishment that the Awards Committee judges has made a significant contribution to environmental preservation and /or improvement. More than one award may be presented annually.