OCA Member Awards
OCA award winners are selected by the Awards Committee, comprising OCA member volunteers and chaired by a member of the OCA Board of Directors.
Selection committee members consider all nominations received by the submission deadline; however, self-nominations are ineligible. Both nominator and nominee must be members in good standing of the OCA at the time of selection; additional requirements may apply. Nominations can be made for more than one award. Awards are not necessarily presented every year.
Eligibility: Any member in good standing of the Ontario Chiropractic Association for the past seven years is eligible.
Chiropractor of the Year is the OCA's most prestigious award. For more than 60 years this award has been presented annually to honour the significant contribution and personal sacrifice of an association member for the advancement of the profession. Those who are nominated and those who are selected are truly the giants of the profession.
The OCA Community Service Award is presented each year to a member who is recognized by his or her peers for contributions to the community. That contribution may have, in part, been through work in the profession but it is primarily intended to honour volunteer work and community involvement unrelated to chiropractic.
Professional Services Awards — These awards are presented in recognition of a member's meritorious and successful service to the profession in either of the following areas:
- Research in Chiropractic — advancing the understanding of chiropractic through study, research or scientific enquiry.
- Public Relations — public education and promotion of chiropractic that benefits the profession as a whole.
Dr. Lloyd W. Taylor Award for Political Action — In 2009 the Professional Services Award for Political Action was renamed the Dr. Lloyd W. Taylor Award for Political Action. This award is presented for advocacy, lobbying or political activism that raises the profile and understanding of chiropractic in the political arena.
The Heart & Hands Award — First presented in 2004, the Heart and Hands Award was created to honour the memory of OCA board member Dr. Michael Brickman. Nominees for this special award embody a generous and giving spirit (the heart) and a remarkable passion and dedication to the precepts of chiropractic (the hands). Because of the special nature of this award, the selection committee will consider ALL award nominations for this award (including Chiropractor of the Year), not just those specifically nominated for this award.
OCA Society and Community Outreach Awards
Annually, the OCA acknowledges societies and community outreach groups established through OCA’s community outreach program that have advanced the profile and increased awareness of chiropractic within their communities. There are two award categories.
Eligibility: Any OCA society or community outreach group is eligible for self-nomination. Community outreach groups are eligible for the all awards except Society of the Year. Society and community outreach group members who complete the nomination materials or who are specifically referenced must be OCA members in good standing for that year. For Society Leaders and Community Outreach Awards at least two members of the society/community outreach group must have been involved in one of the specified areas.
Nominations: All societies and community outreach groups are invited to submit a nomination by completing a nomination form and supplying supporting materials (such as newspaper clippings, promotional materials, minutes, program samples, awards or accolades received, etc.) that will help the Awards Committee in making its selection. Nominations without supporting materials may not be considered.
Society of the Year is the OCA’s most prestigious group award, recognizing one OCA society for their contributions to the profession. The successful society will not only be active in their community but also display good membership involvement and support. The number of members a society has is not important. It is what those members have accomplished that counts. Innovative programming, team spirit, determination to make a difference, demonstrated enthusiasm, commitment and the ability to create excitement are some of the attributes upon which nominations will be judged.
Society Leaders and Community Leaders Awards recognize the focused activity of a society or community outreach group in one of these areas:
- Field Research — Advancing the understanding of chiropractic through the support of study, research or scientific enquiry.
- Public and Community Relations — Public education and promotion of chiropractic that benefits the profession as a whole including advocacy and awareness activities that raise the profile and understanding of chiropractic.
While the Society of the Year Award recognizes breadth of activity and accomplishment, the Society Leaders and Community Leaders Awards recognizes depth of activity and accomplishment in either of the above areas.