Life Membership

• Full membership for life with no fees
• Presentation of Life Member Award at club event
• Recognition on the Club's media platforms (website, Facebook, etc)
• Invitation to all club events

Any full member or former member can be nominated by any current full member with the nomination seconded by at least two current financial members of the Club.

I.The nomination should be prepared so as to set out the achievements and activities of the nominee and at a minimum must meet the award criteria as set out below.

II. This should be a written document lodged online via the form below and signed/endorsed by the nominating members. This will be forwarded to the Secretary to be tabled at the next committee meeting.

III. Life Membership cannot be nominated by or supported by an immediate family member or other person who has a conflict of interest.

IV. Any nomination for life membership must be made at least three months prior to the annual general meeting so that a thorough appraisal of the nomination can be conducted.

V. If the nominee is serving on the committee at the time of nomination, that person must be disqualified from any deliberation on the nomination.

VI. A simple majority of a quorum of the committee is enough for the nomination to be pursued. At this time the committee may appoint an individual or subcommittee to further research the nomination and report back to the committee, if considered necessary

VII. At the meeting to decide on the nomination/s the committee shall, take regard of the following criteria, to determine if the nomination is worthy. The emphasis in this determination should be heavily on a critical appraisal of the level of service rendered to Cycling Geelong required to be a Life Member. If there is any doubt about the level of service having been achieved, or lack of information about the nominee that makes a conclusion impossible, then committee members should consider voting in the negative.

VIII. If the committee believes the nomination is worthy of life membership a simple majority is required to formalise the nomination.

IX. The committee will present the nomination to the annual general meeting for the final ratification of the nomination and the awarding of life membership.

X. Life membership must be recorded in the Club’s official records.

XI. The granting of life membership and the recipients service to the club should be publicised in the Club’s social media (Facebook, Website etc) and any other club communication tool considered appropriate.

Life membership should not be considered as a competitive matter and nominees must be considered individually and on their personal attributes and achievements and not in comparison to others. While it is inevitable that comparisons will be made with past recipients, direct comparisons should not be made.

Granting life membership is a balancing exercise. Criteria are provided as guidance, but it is the overall contribution of the nominee that must be evaluated. There is necessarily some subjectivity in the granting of life membership; nominee's strengths against the various criteria will vary.

To assist with the nomination, some or all the following criteria should be considered.

For any of the relevant criteria the nominee should have demonstrated an exceptional contribution, demonstrated significant, sustained and high-quality service enhancing the reputation of the Club beyond the ordinary, for an extended period, which has a measurable benefit to the club and membership.

The decision of the members at the Annual General Meeting is final and if a nomination is not endorsed an additional nomination can be submitted in future financial years.

I .Minimum 15 years concurrent club membership.

II. Minimum 10 years in specific roles that contribute to the benefit of the club, these roles may include but not be restricted to – service on the committee, coordinator roles, fund-raising activities, promotional and marketing and/or event coordinator roles official as volunteer/supporter.

III. Has the nominee represented the club with distinction on regional committees, association councils?

IV. Has the nominee demonstrated an attitude and demeanour that reflects dedication to the values of the club?

V. Has the nominee demonstrated a commitment to the principles of fair play and good sportsmanship.

VI. Has the nominee provided valued leadership and/or been an outstanding role model to the members in general.

VII. The nominee's service must reflect favourably on the Club and bring credit to the Club.

VIII. The nominee must be a former member or currently active, financial member.

These points apply in whatever role the nominee has participated in during their service in the Club. Achieving the minimum service levels will not in any way automatically guarantee the award of Life Membership

Objections and Retractions of Honorary Life Membership
In the case of an objection, the objecting member must provide strong reasons and/or evidence that counteracts the fundamentals of the Life Membership selection criteria. The committee needs to provide and document evidence upon which the final decision was based.

Retraction of Life Membership bestowment may occur where the recipient has conducted themselves in a manner that reflects directly and adversely on the image or activities of the club. This provision will only be exercised in exceptional circumstances and will require the full support of the committee. As part of the deliberation the ‘Honorary Life Member’ in question is also to be given an opportunity to present his/her case for retention of his/her status.