GUIDELINES FOR STRATFORD

ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Stratford Athletic Hall of Fame (hereinafter “Hall of Fame”), a program under the jurisdiction of the Athletic Committee of the Stratford Academy Board of Directors.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

The Hall of Fame is organized as a way of maintaining the rich heritage and tradition of successful athletic programs at Stratford Academy. In addition, it will serve as a means of recognizing, preserving, and honoring the athletes, coaches, teams, and individuals who made significant contributions to the athletic programs, including Supporters which would allow us to include worthy booster club presidents, parent volunteers, faculty, staff, team doctors, and other individuals who contributed significantly to the athletic program. Many individuals have been influential in the “Eagle Pride” of excellence and have had exemplary accomplishments on the athletic fields. The Hall of Fame honors the contributions and accomplishments of these individuals who are worthy of recognition as examples for others to emulate.

ARTICLE III: GOVERNANCE

The Hall of Fame shall be governed by a Hall of Fame Selection Committee, which shall include the Athletic Director and Athletic Chairman who will serve as co-chairs of the committee and will appoint the committee per Article VII. Consensus would be needed for all decisions. If consensus cannot be reached, then a vote would be taken that would require a majority vote. A majority vote would be 51% of those in attendance. A quorum shall be present in order for any business to be transacted. A quorum shall be 70% of the committee.

ARTICLE IV: CRITERIA FOR SELECTING INDUCTION CLASS

Section 1: Categories for Nomination

Individuals may be nominated representing five categories. The categories are included on the nomination form for expediency in understanding the primary area(s) of a nominated individual and for consideration of one’s interscholastic achievements. The groupings are for screening purposes to assist those making the nominations in understanding the type of information required.

The nominee, if an alumnus/alumna, must have graduated at least 10 years prior to nomination. Teams must have graduated their Senior class at least 10 years prior to nomination.

1. ATHLETE: Any person who distinguished himself/herself in the field of athletics as a student at Stratford Academy. Criteria considerations should include All-State recognition, All-American recognition, Pro selection, outstanding college accomplishments, and college scholarship recipient or collegiate participant. Other considerations may be taken into account.
2. ALUMNUS/ALUMNA: Any person who distinguished himself/herself in the field of athletics after graduation from Stratford Academy.
3. COACH: Criteria consideration should be based on accomplishments that merit statewide recognition as well as significant contributions to the athletic programs at Stratford Academy.
4. SUPPORTER: An individual who has made outstanding contributions to the interscholastic athletic programs at Stratford Academy other than coaching and playing.
5. TEAM: Any team who distinguished itself in the field of athletics at Stratford Academy. Criteria considerations should include State Championships and/or significant records or milestones.

ARTICLE V: SIZE OF INDUCTION CLASS

With the exception of the inaugural class, the class of inductees shall not number more than 6 per year. If a Team is selected, one less individual will be selected. Individuals selected must attend the ceremonies; a family member of a deceased inductee must attend.

ARTICLE VI: REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES FOR NOMINATION

Section 1: Requirements for Nomination

In order to maintain the integrity of the Hall of Fame, the following criteria are established for nominations.

1. Nominees must exemplify the highest standards of sportsmanship, ethical conduct, and moral character. All candidates will be judged on their significant and/or long term contributions to athletic endeavors. In addition, as much as possible, acknowledged leadership in his/her chosen field or community, state, and national presence will be considered.

Section 2. Nominations Procedures

The following procedures shall be utilized for nominations to the Hall of Fame.

1. Inductees/Teams may be nominated either:
a. by the Selection Committee
b. by current faculty, administration, and staff
c. by current members of the Booster Club
d. by alumnus (a)
2. Nomination Form
a. All entries must be submitted on the official Stratford Athletic Hall of Fame nomination form.
b. The nomination form shall be available through the Athletic Director’s office, the main school office, or on the Stratford web site.
c. The nomination form shall be completed and submitted to and received by the Athletic Director along with appropriate support materials by February 15 of each year for a candidate to be considered for induction in the next school year. All nominations received for consideration must contain active and current address and contact information for the nominee (or family if deceased) as well as contact information of the person making the nomination and the date of submission. The nomination form should include the year of graduation, the sport(s) played, and a list of the outstanding contributions made to his or her sport(s). Failure to supply support material could result in invalidating the application, consequently the nomination will not be considered.
d. In addition to the official nomination form, the following materials should be submitted for an individual’s consideration:
1. A letter of recommendation from the person making the nomination, and up to 3 letters of support from appropriate individuals who can validate or substantiate pertinent information related to the high school career of the nominee.
2. A limited number of newspaper clippings, magazine articles, copies of scorebooks, and statistics may be included to help substantiate the accomplishments and contributions of the nominee.
3. Term of Nomination
a. Following initial nomination, a candidate shall remain eligible for induction for the following 4 years. After this time has expired, the candidates name must be re-submitted on a new nomination form in order for that individual to be considered.

ARTICLE VII: PROCEDURES FOR SELECTING INDUCTION CLASS

Section 1. The Selection Committee

The Hall of Fame Selection Committee will meet annually to select candidates based on the criteria presented in this document.

The Co-Chairs shall appoint up to 8 additional committee members representing various decades of the school including at least one former or current member of the Athletic Department and one former or current member of the Faculty. Committee members shall serve a 3 year term. The co-chairs will replace any vacancy that shall occur prior to the conclusion of a term.

The duties and responsibilities of the Hall of Fame Selection Committee shall be as follows:

1. Attend the regular scheduled selection meetings.
2. Annually evaluate the nomination of individuals submitted which fulfill the requirements for consideration.
3. Approve only those individuals who had significant and or long term contributions or athletic accomplishments at Stratford Academy.
4. Evaluate and update the policies and operational procedures of the Stratford Athletic Hall of Fame. This is to be done on an annual basis.
5. Validate and approve all worthy candidates for induction into the Stratford Athletic Hall of Fame. This is to be done under the parameters as set forth in this document.
6. Keep all action of the Selection Committee confidential.

The voting procedures of the Hall of Fame Selection Committee shall be as follows:

1. The Selection Committee shall review candidates based on information available at the time of the meeting.
2. After open discussion about candidates, a vote will be conducted for the purposes of choosing inductees.
4. Each committee member shall select 10 candidates from the eligible list of nominees. The top 10 vote-getters shall move to the final selection round.
5. Each committee member shall select up to 6 candidates from the top 10 list of finalist. The top vote-getters, not to exceed 6, with a majority of votes shall be the induction class. In the event of a tie, there will be a vote conducted between all persons tied to break the tie.
6. The annual voting of the Selection Committee will be confidential.
7. Inductees will be announced at a pre-determined time following the final selection process and after the individuals have been contacted and indicated that they will be present or represented (if deceased) at the induction ceremony.
8. Inductees, who are unable to attend the induction ceremony, will be carried over for a maximum of two (2) years. After two (2) years, the inductee will have to be re-nominated.
9. Prior publicity concerning nominees is not appropriate. The Selection Committee shall release to the press pertinent information concerning the inductees.

ARTICLE VIII: INDUCTION CEREMONY

The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony shall be held each year in conjunction with the Alumni Weekend. Induction will take place at a school assembly on Friday. Additional recognition will occur at halftime of the football game. Inductees will be notified by May 15 if selected for the current year’s class. Other weekend ceremonies include a post-induction reception following the assembly.

ARTICLE IX: HONOR

The athlete, coach, and supporter must have conducted himself/herself in such a way as to reflect honor on the school and must have exhibited those qualities of character and standards of conduct consistent with their status as a role model in the community. Stratford Academy reserves the right to remove any individual from the Hall of Fame for personal conduct which reflects discredit upon the school.