Don & Joan Squire Award for Voluntary Services to Musicology in Australia
Grants, Bursaries & Prizes
Preamble
In 2008, through the generosity of one its members, the MSA established a perpetual annual award to be known as the Don & Joan Squire Award for Voluntary Services to Musicology in Australia. The Award acknowledges exceptional voluntary service and honours the donor’s parents and their voluntary, unpaid activities in both music and other fields. The Award seeks to encourage a culture of volunteering within the MSA and to enhance the standing of the MSA in the music research community. It is the request of the donor that, during her lifetime, she be notified annually at least seven days in advance of the name of the awardee, the date, time and place of the Award ceremony, the citation to be read at the ceremony, and whether the awardee will be present to accept the Award.
The Award
The Award shall be a cash prize of $500 during the first five years. It is the donor’s wish that the value of the Award be adjusted regularly to ensure that the value of the Award is maintained in the long term. The initial donation is to be deposited in the Musicological Society of Australia Gift Fund and managed according to the rules applying to that fund by the committee appointed expressly for that purpose. A record of the transactions relating to the Award is to be kept, including details of the amount and proportion of interest that is returned to the capital fund each year. For the purposes of the Award, Musicology is broadly defined to include the scholarly study of any and all music.
Eligibility
Any person who has made a significant, voluntary contribution to the musicological community is eligible to be nominated for the Award except 1) any person who, at the time of the call for nominations, is a member of the MSA National Committee or any of the MSA Chapter Committees, or 2) a nominee for any position on the MSA National Committee. Nominees need not be members of the MSA.
Nominations and Call for nominations
Nominations are to be made by Chapter committees of the MSA. Nominations must be submitted to the Awards Chair under the signature of the President of the Chapter and be seconded by another two members of the committee. Each Chapter may nominate one person annually. The nomination must include 1) the name, address, telephone and e-mail address of the nominee, 2) justification of the nomination (not exceeding two pages), 3) the consent of the nominee. The call for nominations should be made at least three calendar months prior to the commencement of the MSA National Conference. A record of annual nominations is to be preserved in the MSA archives.
Closing date for nominations
Nominations must be received two calendar months prior to the commencement of the MSA National Conference. Late nominations will not be accepted. If a National Conference is not held in any year, the National Committee may decide whether or not to administer the Award in that year.
Judging
A recommendation for the Award is to be made to the National Committee by a subcommittee appointed for the purpose of making the Award. The Award Subcommittee will have a chair and at least three other members of the National Committee. After the closing date for nominations, the National Secretary is to forward the nominations to the Chair of the Award Subcommittee for deliberation. Upon receiving the recommendation of the subcommittee, the National Secretary will circulate the recommendation to all members of the National Committee for approval. The recommended nominee must gain the approval of two thirds of the members of the National Committee in order to qualify for the Award. This process must be concluded at least one calendar month prior to the commencement of the National Conference. The National Committee may elect not to make an award in any year if none of the nominees is deemed suitable or if no nominations are received. In this case two Awards of the full value may be awarded in a subsequent year.
Announcing and presenting the Award
The winner should be advised confidentially as soon as a decision has been reached, at least one month prior to the commencement of the National Conference.
An announcement of the winner of the Award, including a prepared citation, is to be made in an appropriate ceremony at the National Conference during a plenary assembly of the MSA membership. Every effort should be made to ensure that the Award winner is present. A cheque to the value of the Award together with a letter of congratulations from the MSA President is to be presented to the winner at the ceremony or forwarded within seven days of the announcement if the awardee is unable to be present.
Amendments to the Award
Any amendments to the Award proposed by the National Committee should ensure that the spirit and aims of the Award are maintained and must be approved at an Annual General Meeting of the MSA under the same rules applying to amendments of the constitution.
Dissolution of the MSA
In the event of the dissolution of the MSA, all assets pertaining to this Award are to be disposed of in accordance with article XIII of the MSA constitution. Any organisation of similar purpose that might succeed the MSA should seek to use the money for the purposes outlined herein.
