Fellowships and Awards

Many organizations grant honors, and The Augustan Society is no exception. Since 1966 most of these have been styled Fellowships. This article is a review of the system of Fellowships and Awards, and a guide to how they are determined and granted.

The Fellows of the Society are not a membership organization, yet they have much in common, and a Dean is selected to organize social and educational activities involving Fellows and Fellowship. The present dean is:

• Chris Velline, OAE, KCR

Classes of Fellowship

While originally there was only one rank of Fellow, time and need have caused that number to grow to eight. These are, in order of decreasing rank:

• Fellowship, summa cum laude
• Fellowship, insigne cum laude
• Fellowship, magna cum laude
• Fellowship, first class
  
  
• Fellowship, second class
• Fellowship, third class
• Fellowship, fourth class
• Fellowship, fifth class

These ranks are divided into the senior and junior ranks, with those holding Fellowship, first class, and higher being eligible for membership in the Order of the Augustan Eagle (OAE). An additional rank of Fellow, honoris causa, may also be granted at the discretion of the Board. All Fellows are entitled to the use of the postnominals “FAS”.

Members must progress through the ranks, beginning as a Fellow, fifth class, and advancing in rank as their further contributions warrant. An exception can be made when the magnitude of a contribution made in a single year is sufficient to warrant more rapid advancement.

Qualifications for Fellowships

Fellowship is available to all Society members in good standing, and to select non-members who have made substantial contributions. Annually, generally in the spring, decisions are made about who might be considered worthy of a grant of Fellowship, or of an advancement in rank, with the Fellowships being awarded at the following Annual Meetings. This determination considers members' contributions in four equally important areas:

• Volunteer time, which generally means service on a Board, Council, or Committee;
• Articles, reviews, and letters published in Society journals;
• Financial contributions, including the Annual Fund Raiser and donations in kind, such as books or expenses; and
• Recruitment of members, in proportion to the contributions of those new members.

These contributions, tracked back to 2007 (as far as reliable records are available), are compared to those of other members, and a determination is made as to who will be granted a Fellowship or promotion in rank. No petition is required to qualify for a grant—it is a gift from a grateful Society, not a prize to be pursued or purchased.

The minimum qualification for Fellowship is set at such a level that not more than half the members may hold Fellowships at any time, though at least one member may be elected each year regardless. This is not unreasonable, as one would naturally expect a Fellow to be "above average". Promotions among the senior ranks—that is, above Fellowship, first class—is limited to one per year.

Because grants are decided upon by comparison with other members, there is no fixed contribution that will guarantee the grant of a Fellowship or a promotion in rank. Consideration given for contributions is cumulative, however, so that a member making small, but continuing contributions will also achieve recognition over time.

Insignia

The insignia of Fellowship is today an oval lapel pin bearing the Augustan eagle. The background color and pattern indicates rank. The old Fellows pin will continue to be available while supplies last, and may be preferred by those who do not wish to display their rank.

Informally, the most senior pin may be worn on the lapel. Formally, the most senior pin may be worn on the ribbon of the medal of membership.

The colors of the Fellows' pins are:

• Summa cum laude, gold, guttée de larmes (blue drops)
• Insigne cum laude, gold, guttée d'huile (green drops)
• Magna cum laude, gold, guttée purpure (purple drops)
• First class, gold
• Second class, red
• Third class, blue
• Fourth class, green
• Fifth class, purple
• Honoris causa, gold, guttée de sang (red drops)

These insignia (and the old) are available for order by Fellows of the appropriate rank.

George R. Balling Award

Members whose contributions advance them to Fellowship, summa cum laude, or whose contribution is truly exceptional, are eligible for the George R. Balling Award. To date there have been only eleven awards granted to five individuals:

Dame Evelyn J.T. Metzler Award

Members whose contributions earn them five grants of the Balling Award are then eligible for the Evelyn J.T. Metzler Award, presently our Society's highest honor. To date, this award has only been granted once, to its namesake.

We hope this outline will help explain the goals and methods the Society uses to recognize and reward the contributions of its members and supporters. We also hope that your sense of duty to the Society will lead you to such recognition as your participation deserves.