Additional Tips for Writing Fellow Nominations
You do not need to write long wordy letters, bullets are fine. What we are looking for:
When the candidate joined the NSS.
Served on grotto committees - years Served as a grotto director - years Served as grotto officer - years Served on region committee - years Served as region officer - years Served on NSS committee - years Served as a director - years
Served as an NSS officer – years
Member/Officer of a Cave Conservancy – years Member/officer of a Cave Survey – years. Volunteered at caving events - national, regional, etc Other: (ex/ Served on Virginia Cave Board) –years.
Makes presentations to school groups/scouts/etc.
Promotes caving in a positive light to the public, via webinars, outdoor festivals, videos, guest spots on local TV stations, etc.
Trains new cavers
Leads/led beginner trips Ran/runs vertical training classes
Involved with cave rescue
NSS awards – cover art, cave songs, maps, etc?
Ridge-walks looking for caves Involved with surveying Creates cave maps
Project leader or participant for cave conservation or sinkhole cleanup projects.
Meets/talks with landowners, fosters good caver/owner relations.
Sets up/manages cave access for landowner (including fencing or gating cave, being access contact for landowner.
Helped with cave gating projects (specify which ones).
Performs cave science Publishes science papers
Presenter at an NSS Convention (gives paper, talk, etc. Specify) Newsletter editor, frequent submitter to local grotto newsletter Submits articles to the NSS NEWS
Submits articles to the NSS BULLETIN
Written cave/karst related books (or helped edit book)
A lot of identical letters carry less weight than similar letters with first hand experiences/information on the individual.
