Hall of Fame Bylaws

I. Purpose

In order to preserve our athletic history, the New Canaan High School Athletic Hall of Fame was founded in 1996. The Athletic Hall of Fame is organized for the purpose of recognizing the rich tradition of athletic success at New Canaan High School (“NCHS”). It serves as a means of honoring and recognizing the athletes, coaches, administrators, and supporters who made significant contributions to the Rams’ tradition of excellence. The Athletic Hall of Fame honors the contributions and accomplishments of these individuals who are worthy of recognition as examples for others to emulate. Induction ceremonies are held bi-annually.

II. Selection Committee

The Hall of Fame Selection Committee shall include the following members and shall consist of no more than nine (9) members.

Permanent Members:

Selection committee members who have a vast knowledge of the history of NCHS Athletics.
There are three (3) permanent members: President and Vice President of the Hall of Fame Committee and the NCHS Athletic Director.

Standing Members:

There are two (2) standing members: the President or Past President and the Communications Chair of the NC Rams All Sports Booster Club. In the case that one of these persons is unable to sit on the committee, the Treasurer will be asked to stand-in.
One of the standing members shall serve as a Secretary in order to record minutes of the meetings

At-large Members:

Two to four (2-4) Hall of Fame members, representing a cross-section of sports and decades.
At-large members shall be appointed by the permanent and standing members for one voting term. At-large members may be asked to serve on the committee for more than one voting term.
While there is no explicit qualification for at-large committee members, care shall be exercised to select members who have knowledge of the athletic history of NCHS and are representative of the various periods of that history.
Members of the committee must abstain from voting if a member of his/her immediate family or relative is proposed.

Committee Guidelines:

The committee will be responsible for the selection of Hall of Fame inductees that it deems suitable for consideration.
The committee will meet every other year to vote on candidates for the Hall of Fame.
The number of inductees may vary, but the committee will strive for six (6) to eight (8) inductees.
A minimum positive vote of 75% of members is required for induction.
All meetings and discussions of the committee are confidential. No information shall be shared with others.

III. Nomination

Nominations may be made by anyone including the selection committee; however, self-nominations or unsigned/anonymous nominations will not be accepted.
Application for nominations will be available on the NC Rams website for a publicized period of time every other year.
Nominations must be received by a specified deadline to be considered for the current induction class.
The selection committee shall have the discretion to narrow the field of nominees.
Nomination forms will be kept by the NC Rams All Sports Booster Club and reviewed bi-annually if a candidate is not inducted into a current class.

IV. Eligibility/Criteria

Athletes, coaches, administrators, and supporters, living or deceased, shall be eligible for induction subject to the criteria below. All nominees must represent the New Canaan High School tradition of excellence and the values of NCHS Athletics.

Athletes:

Eligible 10 years after graduation from NCHS (i.e.; 2008 grad for 2018 induction)
The selection committee will have discretion in unique, special circumstances.
Must have lettered in one or more varsity sports.
Must have exhibited athletic ability, sportsmanship, character, leadership, contribution to the team and the games he/she participated in. A similar standard of ethics shall have characterized the years following their time at high school, to the best of the committee’s knowledge.
Must have been awarded All-Conference, All-State, All-New England, any individual or team championship, any record or winning streak, the league leader in the recognized statistical category, college scholarship, etc. Achievements should be on record and verified by copies of news clippings, yearbooks, certificates of awards, etc. All-star teams, tournaments, and awards were less common in earlier eras, and documentation of achievements might not exist, especially for older nominees. This should be taken into consideration.
The committee may also consider post-graduate activities, including college and professional experience.

Coaches:

Any coach with 10+ years of coaching experience at NCHS is eligible. (The committee may make exceptions as to years of experience in unique, special circumstances.)
The nominee must be inactive.
Accomplishments (individual or teams) must have merited league and/or statewide recognition, as well as made significant contributions to the athletic program.
Coaching ability, loyalty, leadership, character, athletic expertise, and significant contribution to their teams and to the sports they coached must have been demonstrated.
The same ethical and life standards expected of his/her athletes shall also characterize the life of the coach.

Administrators/Staff/Volunteers/Supporters:

Exceptional leadership, character, loyalty to NCHS, and the passion for and support for the success of NCHS athletics are paramount.
The nominee must be inactive.

New Canaan High School reserves the right to remove any individual from the Hall of Fame for personal conduct, which reflects discredit upon the school.

V. Voting Procedures

The Selection Committee shall review all candidates based on information available at the time of the meeting.
After an open discussion about candidates, the committee shall select a slate of inductees to vote upon. To be listed on the slate of final nominees, the nominee must receive 75% approval from all voting members.
From the slate, the committee will aim to select a diverse cross-section of graduation year/age, sport, and gender in a given induction class.
The recommended induction class size should be between six (6) and eight (8).
The Committee will vote on the slate in order to choose the final inductees. The individual inductee must receive at least 75% approval from all voting members.
The voting procedure and details must be kept confidential.
Hall of Fame selections will be announced after the individuals have been notified and their acceptance of the induction and participation in the ceremony are verified.
If an inductee or their family is not able to participate in the ceremony, the inductee will be deferred for consideration in the next class.

VII. Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

An Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will occur every two years.
The NCHS Athletic Director will oversee the planning of the ceremony along with designated members of the NC Rams All Sports Booster Club.
Each inductee must attend the Hall of Fame ceremony. In the case of an emergency or other hardship, which precludes the inductee or representative from attendance, the Hall of Fame Committee has discretion regarding induction.
If the inductee is deceased, a representative must attend the ceremony.
New members are deemed guests of honor at the induction ceremony.
New members are presented with a Hall of Fame plaque and their names and pictures will be displayed on the NCHS Hall of Fame Wall, which is permanently displayed at New Canaan High School.

VIII. Bylaws

The Committee reserves the right to amend the bylaws if needed.

Adopted April 7, 2022