CFMS Junior Achievement Award
Description & Procedures
The CFMS Junior Achievement Award goes above-and-beyond the “Rockhound of the Year” award that any club may bestow with a paragraph highlighting a selected junior, who then receives a certificate. Instead, our CFMS Junior Achievement Award requires a formal application from the junior member that will be scored against other applications. At the Awards Banquet of the CFMS Show & Convention, winning applicants will be awarded a Certificate-of-Achievement and a $100 check. This Award was proposed by Junior Activities Chair Jim Brace-Thompson and approved at the CFMS Fall Directors Meeting in November 2020.
Membership Requirement & Age Groups. Applicants must be enrolled in a CFMS-affiliated society to participate and will fall within 2 age groups. Group 1 (Pebble Pups): ages 11 and under. Group 2 (Juniors): ages 12-17. The child’s age as of December 31 of the past year determines the age group. If a child won in the past year, that child needs to wait out a full year to enter again UNLESS s/he has moved up from Age Group 1 to Age Group 2.
Application & Deadline. An Application form is posted to the CFMS website and will be printed at least once each year in CFMS Newsletter. After completing the Application, kids must secure signatures of at least 2 representatives from their society (for instance, President, Federation Director, Membership Chair, Juniors Leader) confirming their membership and acknowledging their achievements. They will then mail or email the Application and their responses to the questions posed therein to the CFMS Junior Activities Chair with a postmarked date as indicated on the application form. Questions about the application process may be directed to the CFMS Junior Activities Chair via phone or email.
Application Guidelines. The following areas will be considered: hobby related, educational achievement, community involvement, and work related. For each area, kids should provide as much detail as possible covering the full preceding year.
Cover Letter. Applications should be accompanied by a short cover letter written by the child (or dictated to a parent) highlighting any information or accomplishments to which s/he wishes to draw special attention. Basically, “in your own words, tell us where you really shine.”
Scoring. Applications will be evaluated by at least 3 CFMS representatives selected by the Chair (all drawn from different societies so as to eliminate potential bias). Scores will be added together and averaged by the Chair to determine the top winner in each age group. The Chair has discretion to break tied scores. To earn the Award, juniors must achieve a minimum averaged score of 80.
Notification. The top winner in each age group will be notified by letter, text, email or other method approximately 2 months before the CFMS Show & Convention, as will other entrants who may not have won. Notice of the winners, with brief descriptions of accomplishments, will be posted in the CFMS Newsletter, and they will be honored at the Awards Banquet of the CFMS Show & Convention. If winner/s are unable to attend, certificates and checks will be passed along in trust to an affiliated club member in attendance or will be mailed.