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USNA '70 Honorary Member Guidelines and Criteria

Guidelines and Criteria for an Individual to be an Honorary Member of the Class of 1970

The purpose of these Guidelines and Criteria, created in accordance with the Class of 1970 By-Laws, is to provide policy, guidance, and criteria to be followed by those Class Members who may wish to nominate a person to be an Honorary Member of the Class. They shall further govern the process that the Class Officers and Board of Trustees shall follow when reviewing and considering any such nomination and before determining whether or not to grant approval of any such nomination.

Any Member of the Class of 1970 may nominate as an Honorary Class Member any person, living or deceased, who has:

1. Been a significant inspiration or influence upon the Class of 1970, or a group of Class Members for a sustained period of time; or


2. Made substantial contributions of his or her time or assets in support of activities and endeavors of the Class of 1970, or a group of Class Members; or


3. By his or her actions, deeds, or words, has brought much pride, benefit, or recognition to the Class of 1970 or a group of Class Members; or


4. In association with the Class of 1970 or a group of Class Members, furthered the Mission, goals, or performance of the U.S. Naval Academy, or significantly influenced or contributed to the education, moral development, or physical fitness of Midshipmen; or


5. Otherwise greatly contributed by his or her sustained deeds, leadership, or support to the Class of 1970 or a group of Class Members.

It is recognized that the criteria, above, are subjective and can be interpreted differently by different individuals. Accordingly, these criteria should be considered generic in nature, and not all-encompassing. The Class Officers and Trustees will use these criteria as basic guidelines – not as a checklist – for their decisions regarding Honorary Class Member nominations. In particular:

1. The Honorary Class Member designation shall ordinarily be for contributions to the Class of 1970 or to a significant segment thereof, by living individuals, but deceased individuals may also be nominated. In certain cases, the Honorary Class Member designation may be appropriate for an individual who has contributed significantly to the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Navy, or the U.S. Marine Corps (and, thereby, indirectly to the Class of 1970).


2. The Honorary Class Member designation shall ordinarily be for sustained contributions to the Class of 1970 or to a significant segment thereof. In certain cases, the Honorary Classmate designation may be appropriate for an individual who has made a significant one-time contribution of time, effort, or assets to the Class of 1970.

A nomination shall be submitted to the President of the Class of 1970. The nomination shall include the nominee’s name, contact information (or family member contact information, if the nominee is deceased or incapacitated), and a brief justification (not to exceed one typed page) for the nomination (i.e., how the nominee qualifies based upon the criteria listed above). The nomination shall also include the name and contact information of the Class Member submitting the nomination.

At a regular meeting of Class Officers, the nomination shall be evaluated by the Class Officers, who shall decide whether or not to support the nomination.

Following determination by the Class Officers, the Class President shall forward the nomination and Class Officers’ statement of support or non-support to the full Class Board of Trustees for information and comment. Trustees shall have 15 business days to submit any comments regarding the nomination to the Class President. In the event that the Trustees submit objections or questions regarding the nomination, the Class President shall return the nomination to the nominator for resolution. The Nominator shall have 20 business days to forward a response to the Board of Trustees’ regarding said objections and/or questions. The Board shall have 15 business days to send its final recommendation to the Class President.

If the Trustees submit no objections or questions regarding the nomination, or after receiving the Board of Trustees’ final recommendation, the Class President shall convene an executive session of the Class Officers for final decision. Approval of the nomination shall be by simple majority vote of the Class Officers.

The Class President shall notify the nominator of the results of the Class Officers’ vote. In the case of a disapproved nomination, the nominator shall notify the nominee of the Class Officers’ decision.

In the case of an approved nomination, the Class President shall notify the nominee (or nominee’s family if the nominee is deceased or incapacitated) of the designation as Honorary Class Member. The Class President shall send a letter of congratulations, on Class of 1970 stationery, to the Honorary Class Member (or to the Honorary Class Member’s family if the Honorary Class Member is deceased or incapacitated). A Certificate of Designation as Honorary Class Member shall be presented to the Honorary Class Member (or to the Honorary Class Member’s family, if the Honorary Class Member is deceased or incapacitated) at an appropriate time and place.

Submitted the 1st day of July 2018, to the Class Officers and Board of Trustees by:

Barry L. Steelman, Class of 1970, Member Board of Trustees, Class Legal Advisor.

Approved by unanimous vote of the Class Officers on 25 July 2018.

Michael J. Novak
President, USNA '70