Regulations for the award of the Long Service Award for Foresters and Woodmen

The Society has a Long Service Medal for woodland employees of RFS members who have worked for 30 years or more for the same employer or on the same estate.  In-service training is included. Presentation of an RFS Long Service Award is an excellent way of rewarding people for their dedication to the management of woodlands that many people take for granted.

Successful candidate receive a bronze medal engraved with their name and the number of years’ completed service.  Bars can subsequently be added for each 10 years additional service.  Medal holders receive an inscribed certificate commemorating the award.

Eligibility for the award

Any member of the Society can propose candidates for this award.

In order to be eligible for this award, a candidate must:

1. 1. Be an employee of a member of the Royal Forestry Society or a contractor working regularly for a member
   2. Be a bona fide forester, woodman, forestry contractor or otherwise working hands-on in woodland management, employed in the woodlands of such a member. That might include coppice workers, charcoal burners, specialist timber drivers, mobile sawmillers, arborists and rangers.
   3. Have been employed or contracted for thirty or more years by the same employer and/or on the same property.

All employers applying for this medal for their employees must be RFS members. In the case of an Estate, the membership must be in the name of the Owner or Estate itself, not the agent or head forester.

Application and approval process

Application forms for this award are available to download below or from the Head Office of the Royal Forestry Society.

Allowance should be made in the application for the fact that the medals take approximately 4-6 weeks to prepare.

All applications must be approved by the Society’s Chief Executive.

In cases where the decision to approve or turn down an application is judged not straightforward, the application will be referred by the Chief Executive to the Board of Trustees for consideration within the scope and intent of these regulations. If for any reason the Board of Trustees decides not to approve the application, its decision is final and there is no obligation to state the reasons for it being turned down. The Board of Trustees meeting minutes will document the discussion underlying such decisions.

The decision to approve or refuse an application will be reported to the next meeting of the Council (April or November).

The medal will be free of charge, but employers are able to make a voluntary donation or financial contribution towards the cost of the award.

Presentation of the award

This RFS award will be presented by the President or, if that is not possible, by another honorary officer of the RFS, the Local Divisional Chairman or a person of similar standing within the Society to the recipient at an appropriate public occasion such as our Whole Society Meeting, a Divisional Meeting or a local land-based event as specified and agreed in the application. It should not be presented at a private function except under agreed exceptional circumstances

Bars may be added subsequently for each 10 year’s additional service. The procedure for applying for and awarding those is the same as for the medal. Where the award is made in an intermediate year (e.g. 46 years’ service), the award will be for the actual number of completed years of service.