Chapter Excellence Awards Application

 General Instructions 

• Review sample application and sample PowerPoint presentation. (To view PPT, click on Slide Show tab, then From Beginning.) Thanks to AORN of Metro Detroit, 2011 Chapter of the Year, for providing these award-winning examples. 
• Review application instructions for required items prior to completion.
• Decide the content support: additional essay or PowerPoint presentation
  NOTE: Do not add music to PowerPoint presentation
• Review submission instructions and restrictions for electronic formats; submissions not adhering to these guidelines will be disqualified.
• All chapters must complete Sections A/B of the application. (See below for downloading of application page.) Please refer to AORN's updated Chapter Accountability Standards and Sample Financial Statement for questions related to required information in these sections. 
• All chapters must select two (2) of four (4) measurable goals under Section C: Presentation Content. (See below for options and downloading of application pages.)
• In addition to Section C, chapters must select one (1) of three (3) additional measurable goals for their submission. (See below for options and downloading of application pages.)

All chapters must complete the essay portions of Section C. Content support such as the additional essay or PowerPoint presentation must reflect the essay portions of the application. For example, photos of the chapter helping at a local food bank would support Option 2: Community Involvement.

If submitting a PowerPoint presentation, slides must be limited to six (6) per measurable goal. The last one (1) or two (2) slides must contain an overall summary of the presentation relating to content submitted under Section C and should follow order of measurable goal options, i.e. Option 1, Option 3, Option C. (Suggestion: Provide summary or key points in a numbered or bulleted format.)

Instructions for Completing Application 

1. Download Sections A/B and save to your computer. Type in gray-shaded areas as required or copy and paste from a Word document.
2. Download your two (2) selected content options under Section C and save to your computer. Type in gray-shaded areas as required or copy and paste from a Word document. Statement area is pre-formatted with 1.5 line spacing.
3. Download your one (1) selected additional content option and save to your computer. Type in gray-shaded areas as required or copy and paste from a Word document .Statement area is pre-formatted with 1.5 line spacing.

Sections A/B 

• Maximum time limit on digital PowerPoint presentation is five (5) minutes.
• Do not create DVD menus. Headquarters must remove the menus in order to have the presentation play on a looping video at Congress.

Don't get carried away with graphics and fancy fonts in any PowerPoint presentations - keep it simple! Select from font styles that are easily readable such as Arial, Calibri, or Tahoma. Check out this helpful website; it contains ideas and tips for creating PowerPoint presentations. Remember...the content must support the essay portions of the application.

Submission Instructions 

Two options are available for submitting your application.
1. USPS/UPS/FedEx
Mail one (1) hard copy of Sections A/B, and three (3) total essays under Section C options, along with the additional essay (if applicable) or two (2) CDs of the PowerPoint presentation to:

AORN
Attn: Awards Committee
2170 S. Parker Rd Ste 400
Denver, CO 80231-5711 

Deadline: Submission must be POSTMARKED by November 2, 2012. 

2. Electronic
E-mail Sections A/B, and three (3) total essays under Section C options, along with the additional essay (if applicable) or PowerPoint presentation to: AORN Chapter Awards 

Deadline: Submission must be RECEIVED no later than 11:59pm on November 2, 2012.

Please contact the Awards Committee staff liaison with any questions regarding the application process.