The “Others” award is an important way to give special recognition to those that give important service and assistance to your local Salvation Army.

It is important that your board develop specific criteria for determining worthy recipients, and you will be required to write up the application for ultimate approval at division and territory levels.

While you should carefully consider giving this award annually, there is no mandate to make this on a yearly basis, and in many cases you will want to only give it, as appropriate, and not simply because another year has passed since last awarded.

Suggested criteria might include:

*   Given in recognition of unique and meritorious local service to the Army

*   Create a committee of past award recipients to make recommendation

*   Ideally alternate between internal (board) and external (community)

*   Keep careful records as to past recipients  (never give it twice to the same person!)

*   Only one per year, and consider skipping years, as appropriate

Remember, this is a very significant award, and it should be determined with great care and thought.  Also, be sure to award this, if possible, at an event where the community is in attendance, to give the greatest exposure and recognition to the recipient and the services performed.

We also give lesser awards to deserving individuals which we call “Community Service Awards.”  We have special plaques engraved with suitable Salvation Army logos and identification of the award.  Thus we are able to give wider recognition to deserving community members than otherwise afforded by the once a year “Others” recognition.