By-laws and rules for election
- Category: General
Hall of Fame Bylaws
NATIONAL SAILNG HALL OF FAME
BY-LAWS AND RULES FOR ELECTION
Updated 6/4/19
1. The Selection Committee (the Committee) shall consist of no more than fourteen (14) members nor less than ten (10) members.
2. The Committee shall have national representation and include at least one (1) representative from the National Sailing Hall of Fame Board of Directors, U.S. Sailing, a member of the Hall of Fame, the media, the industry, NSHOF Founding Member Yacht Club, a sailing museum, community sailing, exploration/cruising, two (2) members at large and two (2) additional from the above listed groups.
3. Committee members shall be appointed by the Board of the National Sailing Hall of Fame and may be a member of the Board. The Chair will be appointed by the Board of the National Sailing Hall of Fame. The terms will be three (3) year. No member can sit for more than two (2) consecutive terms.
4. A secretary will be appointed by the Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. The secretary shall be knowledgeable in sailing related information, but need not be a member of the Selection Committee. The duties of the secretary shall include: preparation of the agenda and minutes; handling correspondence; conducting balloting; and distribution of materials related to the business of the Committee.
5. The Committee shall meet as needed at times and locations of its choosing for the purpose of recommending to the Board of Directors the names of the nominees for induction into the National Sailing Hall of Fame. Teleconference meetings are allowable.
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SAILING Category:
Recognizes achievements made on the water as a Sailboat Racer, Cruiser, or Offshore Sailor. Competition emphasis given for accomplishments such as medaling in the Olympics, Pan Am Games or otherwise representing the USA in significant events such as the America's Cup or other World, National or International Championships. Offshore accomplishment should reflect significant challenges such as The Ocean Race, Vendee Globe, Jules Verne, or similar events for the era in question. Other competitive achievement ought to demonstrate extreme test and/or extraordinary domination. Other accomplishments, by both men and women, must break barriers, forge new ground and/or leave legacy for others to benefit.
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TECHNICAL Category:
Recognizes those who have significantly contributed to the technical aspects of sailing. Emphasis given to key individuals that launched and/or guided enduring businesses or organizations which provide noteworthy support for the sport or designed and/or created products and procedures that meaningfully impacted the direction of the sport. Examples include Designers, Boat Builders, Sailmakers, Engineers of all types, etc.
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CONTRIBUTOR Category:
Recognizes those who have made significant contributions to the American sailing experience. Emphasis given to individuals with lifelong commitment that set standards for others to follow, brought significant recognition to the sport through their work, worked tirelessly for the benefit of the sport, and/or provided valued services and support for sailing enthusiasts. Examples include Teachers, Coaches, Administrators, Media (including authored works, TV, film, etc.), Artists, Musicians, Promoters, Event Organizers, Race Officers, Judges, Umpires, Measurers and others associated with the administration of the sport of sailing, etc.
7. Criteria for candidates:
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Posthumous nominations may be made 5 years postmortem for individuals younger than 55 and with the discretion of the Selection Committee, they may be inducted into the Hall of Fame prior to the time that they would have reached the age of 55.
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The Committee should consider the diversification of nominees with respect to professional versus corinthian, geographic, gender, age and other significant differences, if applicable.
8. The number of inductees shall not exceed seven (7).
9. Selection Process: Selection will be made from nominations made by the general public including the Committee but may not be anonymous. Submissions will be taken through notices posted in sailing media outlets and throughout the sailing community at large. The notices will indicate procedure for nomination and deadline for submission to the Committee. Submissions should indicate which category the candidate is best suited (marked by the nominator on the submission form), and include the accomplishments and history of the nominee.
10. Voting Process:
For 2014 and thereafter, the Committee will be split into three (3) working parties, with each working party to review all the submissions in an assigned category. Each working party will submit ten (10) names, in no particular order, from its assigned category - three (3) of which shall have been deceased for at least 60 years at the time of submission to the entire Selection Committee for a total of 30 for the following ballot procedure:
Each member of the Committee shall rank the candidates from one (1) to thirty (30) one (1) being top choice/most qualified and thirty (30) being the last choice/least qualified candidate. For each ranking a candidate receives a point value based on the following scale:
Rank Value
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total submitted by working Groups
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total submitted by working Groups minus 1
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total submitted by working Groups minus 2
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total submitted by working Groups minus 3
Etc.
Once all points are tallied and totaled for each candidate, only up to seven (7) candidates receiving 66% of the possible points will be considered for nomination to the National Sailing Hall of Fame.
If more than seven (7) candidates receive 66% or more, then a subsequent vote will be taken with only those receiving more than 66%. The candidates receiving the top seven total points in this second ranking will be presented to the Board of Directors of the Hall of Fame for induction. No more than 3 candidates shall come from the same category and 3 candidates shall have been deceased for at least 60 years at the time of selection.
The foregoing scoring system is a guideline which should be followed by the Selection Committee, however, should the suggested number of eligible candidates not be received by utilizing the scoring system, the Selection Committee may deviate from the system to achieve the maximum number of candidates allowed.
11. Carry over of candidates:
All nominees shall be carried forward for consideration and available on the National Sailing Hall of Fame website for review by the Committee and general public.
12. The Board of Directors reserves the right to revoke, alter or amend these rules. Changes may not be made during the selection process.