The Fellowship and Fellows of the Society
The Fellowship is composed of all our member base, excluding supporters and extended member base.
To become a Fellow one must be sponsored by an existing Fellow in good standing. The sponsored individual’s case is presented to the Council to be reviewed and put to the entire Fellowship for a vote. A majority vote is needed to be admitted as a Fellow.
Being a full Fellow is considered a great honor and privilege and there are many designations of Fellows which are explained below:
Fellow
A Fellow is a member of the Fellowship and is accorded all the rights and privileges therein. The term Fellow is used in a gender neutral context as Fellowship status is open to both men and women.
Fellows have voting rights and are able to be appointed to the councils of the Society.
Honorary Fellow
An Honorary Fellow is an individual who is considered a member of the Fellowship but is not accorded all the rights and privileges as a Fellow. Namely, they do not have voting rights and are not eligible for a seat on the council.
Honorary Fellowship is often awarded posthumously or as an extended honor whether officially accepted or not by the individual. Of course anyone offered Honorary Fellow status that turns it down or officially refuses the honor will not be recognized as such according to their wishes.
Nobel Fellow
A Nobel Fellow is a member of the Fellowship who is also a member of the lesser nobility (Knights Bachelors, Members of the British Orders, Etc…) Other than the title, there are no additional rights or privileges awarded.
Royal Fellow
A Royal Fellow is a member of the Fellowship who is also a peer of the realm. While this is the highest honor and title awarded there are no additional rights or privileges. Royal Fellows contribute a great deal with their considerable influence and standing and are usually always appointed as council members.
Some additional terms that are worth defining are the following:
Supporter
A supporter is anyone who supports the Society in any way. We have many people who graciously donate their time, money and resources which contribute to the Societies operations and continued success.
Supporters may or may not be members in some capacity; however, supporters have been known to be offered membership as well as offers to participate in Society activities.
Extended Member Base
Our Extended Member Base are people who participate and support through our local chapter groups. They are allowed certain member rights such as the right to participate in Expeditions and other events; however, they have no voting right and are not allows to bear the official Fellow emblem.