Merits

For a long time, the administration sought a way to recognize those who contribute greatly to our community, often in ways that are unrecognized at a visible level. At the 2010 administrative meeting, it was decided to implement a system that would accomplish this recognition as well as rewarding those who truly go above and beyond.

Figuring this system out wasn't an easy task. A focus group helped examine the different areas that people could contribute, different levels of recognition, and other aspects of the program, and the administration took their thoughts and came up with the initial system. It's something that will be a work-in-progress, and different Merits are likely to be added as the administration realizes that an area of contribution has been neglected. The rewards and privileges may change at any future time as well.

The system currently keeps a record of people's contributions. When certain milestones are reached, a Merit may be awarded. Some of these Merits are received automatically; others must be granted by the administration. Specific privileges are associated with certain merits and/or combinations of merits. The Silver Merits are designed to recognize the top 25%, while the Gold Merits are meant to recognize a much smaller percentage, sometimes as little as 1%. Not everyone will have even one Merit, much less several, and that's expected.