These procedures are for the following NPSOT awards:

Nancy Benedict Memorial Award
For a specific act of conservation or public service in the field of Texas native plants.

Donovan Stewart Correll Memorial Award
For scientific writing in the field of the native flora of Texas.

Carroll Abbott Memorial Award
For writings in the popular vein on Texas native plants.

Lynn Lowrey Memorial Award
For horticultural achievement in the field of Texas native plants.

Charles Leonard Weddle Memorial Award
For lifetime achievement in the field of Texas native plants.

Benny J. Simpson Fellows Award
For service and work by a NPSOT member for the enrichment of the Society at the state, regional, or chapter level. It is intended to recognize work within the organization.

Kate Hillhouse Chapter of the Year Award
For chapter demonstration of leadership, chapter activities that promote the purposes of NPSOT, and chapter fun with plants.

Recipient Qualifications

1. Only those publications or acts published or performed within the past five years will be considered.


2. Only those publications which deal with the native Texas flora, or acts of discovery, rediscovery, conservation or service, in a broad sense, on Texas soil with the native Texas flora, shall be considered for awards.


3. Publications may be books, monographs, papers, magazine articles, etc. If a paper or magazine article, it would probably record original or groundbreaking work.


4. The lifetime achievement award shall be for longtime service and achievement in the collection, study, usage, writing, planting, growing, observing, etc. in the arena of the native flora of the state of Texas.


5. Award recipients need not be members of NPSOT except for the Fellows and the Chapter of the Year Awards.


6. To be eligible for the Fellows Award, nominees must be members of NPSOT of at least ten years standing as of December 31 of the preceding year, with a history of service to the Society at the state, regional or chapter level, and must not have previously received a Fellows Award.


7. The maximum number of Fellows Awards which may be granted shall depend on the size of the membership: one award per thousand (or parts of a thousand) members in the Society as of December 31 of the preceding year.


8. Selection for Fellows Awards is by direct vote of the membership, to those individual(s) receiving the most ballots, except that no award shall be made in the event that the top nominee(s) receives fewer than ten votes.

General Rules

1. Each of the above awards may be made annually, although it is not mandated that an award be given in any category every year. An award will be given only when there is justification for it.


2. No one person (team, etc.) may win more than one award in any calendar year.


3. Only one award per category will be given, with the exception of the Fellows Awards.


4. None of the above shall preclude the State Board of NPSOT from giving awards of merit, service, appreciation, etc. to members or non-members of NPSOT.

Selection Process

1. Any member of NPSOT may nominate candidates for any award (other than the Chapter of the Year Award - see Paragraph 8 below).


2. A call for award nominations shall be published in the February/March/April and May/June/July issues of the NPSOT News, which notice should include the name and address of the Committee Chairperson (the Immediate Past President of the Society). Nominations will be accepted from any source, and should be submitted to the awards committee no later than June 30.


3. At the July Board Meeting, the Awards Committee shall submit to the President and the State Board for the Board's approval a list of nominees recommended for the publications, acts, and lifetime service awards, along with a memorandum showing all nominations from the membership and a list of all eligible publications reviewed. (These lists should be kept and made available to future award committee chairs and members.)


4. Fellows Award recipients are selected directly by majority vote of ballots submitted by the membership. A ballot form for the Fellows Award shall be printed in the February/March/April and May/June/July issues of the NPSOT News. Members may vote only once, for as many candidates as there are numbers of awards permissible. Ballots should be sent to the NPSOT state office, which shall appoint an ad hoc committee to count the ballots and to rule on all questions of eligibility. Ballots must be received or postmarked by September 1 to be counted.


5. Award recipients will be notified of their award by mail or telephone.


6. An award recipient is not required to accept his or her award in person although this is certainly preferred. If the award is not accepted in person, it may be mailed to the recipient or given in person to a designated substitute.


7. Award recipients are expected to pay for their own transportation and lodging, but with the exception of the Chapter of the Year winners, may receive a complimentary registration package (including a copy of the Proceedings, and the banquet dinner).


8. The recipient of the Chapter of the Year Award shall be selected by the President of the Society and announced at the Annual State Meeting. Selection shall be at the sole discretion of the President, from information provided by each chapter about its activities during the preceding year, and from other available information.