SPECIAL ANNUAL AWARDS

The Kiteflier of the Year will be a person who, during their lifetime, will have shown friendly, loving, fair, and even-handed concern for:

• People in general, but kitefliers in particular.
• Kiteflying in general, but for craftsmanship and technical developments in particular.
• Communication in general, but for leading and participating in kite events in particular.

It is the American Kitefliers Association’s opinion that these criteria best exemplify the character of Steve Edeiken. The Selection Committee will weigh their choice 25% to nominee’s activities during the latest twelve months and 75% to past activities.

The committee shall consist of seven members:

1. Erin Edeiken
2. The current and two most recent past presidents of the AKA
3. The three most recent past recipients of the award.

The current President of the AKA will chair the Committee. Under no circumstances may any individual occupy more than one position or cast more than one vote on this committee.

Substitutions will take place as follows:

1. If Erin Edeiken cannot or chooses not to participate in a given year, the president will appoint a well-respected substitute from the ranks of the membership.
2. If a past president is unavailable, ineligible, or is the current president, the next preceding past president will substitute.
3. If a past recipient is unavailable, ineligible, or already occupying a presidential seat on the committee, the next preceding past recipient will substitute.
4. If a vacancy still exists, the President shall appoint a well-respected substitute from the membership ranks.

An invitation to nominate will be announced to the membership at large. The chair will designate a schedule for nominations and committee review to allow selection and an announcement during the annual convention.

Nominations will be accepted from members of the AKA and must be seconded and signed by (2) other AKA members. Members may submit or second only one nomination in any given year. Nominations shall be in writing and include specific examples of the nominee’s kiting activities.

Each committee member shall rank the nominations in his/her preference (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) and return his/her ranking to the chairperson no later than one week before the first day of the convention. The chairperson shall total the place-finish numbers of the nominees. The selectee will be the nominee with the lowest number. In the event of a tie, the chairperson shall cast a tie-breaking vote. This award doesn’t need to be conferred every year if, in the committee’s judgment, no person nominated meets the standards for this award. 

The details of voting and the results thereof will be shared with the committee members before inscribing the permanent and traveling trophies. The committee will not disclose the name of the selectee until the proper time. The details of voting will not be disseminated beyond the members of the committee. The final selection must be communicated to those with an organizational need to know no later than three weeks before the convention’s first day.

At the proper time during the AKA national convention awards banquet, the chairperson or their designate will announce the nominees and the selectee’s names.

The Kite Artist of the Year recognizes an artist s body of original work or their commitment to kites as an art and their ability to inspire others in recognizing the uniqueness of kites as art. The Artist of the Year demonstrates a willingness to teach, explore, and innovate to promote kites within the AKA membership or the broader community. The recipient also shows a clear generosity of spirit and willingness to share their energies in promoting kites as an art form. The recipient must be a member of the AKA.

The AKA believes the above criteria best exemplifies the character of Lee Toy.

The selection committee shall consist of seven members who shall all be AKA members:

1. Sunny Toy or another member of the Toy family
2. The two most recent past recipients of the Lee Toy Memorial award
3. The current and most recent past president of the AKA.
4. Two current members of AKA s Kite Art Committee.

The committee will be chaired by the current president of the AKA. No person may occupy more than one position or cast more than one vote on the committee.

Substitutions will be made as follows:

1. If Sunny Toy or a member of the Toy family is unavailable, they may appoint a substitute for that year.
2. If the past president is unavailable, the next preceding past president will substitute.
3. If a past recipient is unavailable, ineligible or already occupying another seat on the committee, the next preceding past recipient will substitute.
4. The chair of the Kite Art Committee shall appoint the two committee members.
5. If a vacancy still exists, the AKA president shall appoint a knowledgeable substitute.

An invitation to nominate award recipients will be announced to the membership at large. A schedule for close of nominations and selection committee review will be designated by the committee chair to ensure timely selection and announcement at the annual convention.

Nominations will be accepted from AKA members and must be seconded and signed by at least two other AKA members. Members may submit or second only one nomination in any given year. 

Nominations shall be in writing and include specific examples of how the nominee’s kite activities fit the award criteria.

Each member of the selection committee shall independently rank the nominations by listing their preferences (i.e. 1st, 2nd , 3rd, etc.) and returning their ranking to the chairperson within the time deadline designated by the chair.

The chairperson shall total the place finish numbers of the nominees. The award recipient will be the person with the lowest number. The chairperson shall cast a tie-breaking vote if necessary.

It is not necessary that this award be conferred every year if, in the judgment of the committee, no person nominated meets the criteria for the award. The details and results of the voting will be shared with members of the committee as soon as those votes are tallied and prior to an inscription on the award. The committee members may not disclose the names of the selected award recipient nor details regarding the voting. The final selection must be communicated to those with an organizational need to know, no later than three weeks before the first day of the convention.

At the appropriate time during the AKA convention awards banquet, the chairperson or designate shall announce the nominees’ names and the person selected.

Effective 2008:

The recipient will receive a traveling award to be held by the recipient for one year and returned for the following convention. The award will be inscribed with the name of each past recipient. Each recipient will receive a plaque that will remain with them.