Family Association
The United States McCraw
~ The USMFA Carol McCraw Award of Merit ~
In September, 2019, the U.S. McCraw Family Association Board of Directors established an award honoring the late Carol McCune McCraw, chief author of the massive It Is McCraw Not McCraw work of genealogy. The board voted Carol the first recipient (posthumously) of the new award that bears her name: "The USMFA Carol McCraw Award of Merit." This award will be given at each biennial Reunion meeting to honor family members who have made significant contributions to our association or to society as a whole. Award recipients receive free Reunion registration. Nominations for the new award will be open for 2022 after the Fairhope, Alabama, Reunion.
Award guidelines are as follows:
- All nominees shall be descendants of William Maccraw (William I), either by blood or marriage. It is not a requirement that the nominee have the McCraw name.
- Nominations for the USMFA Achievement Award may be made at any time, but will be considered and voted on only during the year of a scheduled reunion. Reunions are held biennially in even-numbered years, and nominations for the award for the upcoming reunion will close on December 31 of the odd-numbered year preceding a reunion. Nominations received after the above-referenced December 31 deadline shall be considered for the next nomination cycle.
- Nominations must be submitted by USMFA members in good standing for the current membership period. All nominations must be made using the form available on our website. Nominators should familiarize themselves with the selection criteria and must fully complete and submit the nomination form to the USMFA Secretary either through email or by regular U.S. mail.
- A nomination form will include the following information: name and address of nominee and how they are related to the McCraw family (through lineage or marriage); brief background information about their nuclear family, occupation, and affiliations with community (or other) organizations; and a concise statement, not to exceed 1,000 words, about what the individual has done to deserve recognition and receipt of the USMFA Achievement Award.
- If the nomination form is incomplete in any way, or the nominating party’s membership is not in good standing, the form shall be returned by the Secretary to the nominating party for completion and/or renewal of membership. If the nominating party’s membership is confirmed to be valid and nomination form is deemed to be complete, the Secretary shall confirm receipt and acceptance of the nomination via email within seven days of acceptance. The Treasurer shall use best efforts to assist the Secretary by confirming whether a member is in good standing as soon as is possible.
- The Facebook administrator shall post quarterly reminders regarding nominations for the Award, and the Editor of the newsletter should add a reminder to each edition of the newsletter. The webmaster shall ensure that the nomination form and criteria are available and easily accessible on our web-site. The Facebook administrator, the Editor of the Newsletter and the Webmaster shall cooperate with each other and any other requesting Board Member or Officer to facilitate reminders and announcements regarding the award.
- Nominations may be made for living or posthumous recipients. It is anticipated that only one award will be granted for each 2 year reunion cycle, but upon approval by a majority of the board, it is possible for multiple awards to be given.
SELECTION CRITERIA
The Secretary shall circulate the nomination forms to the board before the January 15th immediately preceding the biannual reunion. If there is only one nomination, then the board shall vote yes or no and the award will be granted upon a majority vote. If there are more than one nomination, the board members shall rank their choices as first, second, third and so on. The Secretary shall then tally an average score for each nominee based on the number of votes. The nominee with the highest score shall then be presented to the board for a yes/no vote. In either circumstance, if a nominee fails to receive a majority vote from the board, then no award shall be given during that reunion cycle. Should a nominee be an immediate family member of a then sitting board member, then that board member shall recuse themself from voting for that candidate.
AWARD PROCESS
Selected USMFA award recipients will be sent a letter of notification regarding their selection as a award recipient. USMFA award recipients will be honored publicly during the banquet at the bi-annual family reunion. If the honoree is unable to attend, he/she will be given the option to secure a representative to receive the award in his/her stead.
In addition to the award, the honoree or their designee shall be granted ONE complimentary registration for that years reunion where they will be honored. The total cost for the award together with the registration fee shall not exceed $250.00