The Life Membership award is designed to recognise a significant contribution of service for and on behalf of NZALT and its members, and represents a significant accolade from the part of the NZALT to the recipient.  If awards are to be made, they will usually be made biennially, in a conference year, so that there is a suitable national occasion to recognise the achievement.

In 2024, NZALT will celebrate its 50th anniversary, and this will present a timely occasion to honour several people with Life Membership of the Association. With that in mind, the Executive has revisited and revised the criteria for Life Membership, ensuring that the award continues to represent a significant accolade and that it takes account of service that has benefitted the membership. It has also decided to extend the number of life members at any one time from 15 to 20.

The NZALT may award a Life Membership of the Association to any member or past member who is considered to have made an especially valuable contribution to the work of NZALT and who satisfies one of the following criteria:

• They are a member who has served the Association in a significant way for at least fifteen years.
• They are a member who has given outstanding service to the Association and/or to the wider languages community in ways that have clearly benefitted members of the Association.

Any three members of the Association may nominate a member or past member for consideration for a Life Membership, that is, there must be one nominator and two seconders.

Details of the reasons for nomination, which should be attached to the official nomination form, should be received by the Secretary before the first Executive meeting of a conference year (usually late February or March).  The nomination will be considered by a sub-committee, consisting of the President and two further judges, who will make recommendations to the full Executive.  Their recommendations will be based on the fit of the nominee to the criteria.

If the Executive approves the award of Life Membership to the person nominated, it shall recommend such an award to be made in a conference year (and, exceptionally, in a non-conference year).  The Life Membership shall be ratified by a majority vote of members attending the Annual General Meeting.

For nominations please fill in this form here.

Current Life Members of the NZALT are:

• David Bancroft
• Mary Boekman
• Dennis Cunningham
• Judy Gibb
• Jeanne Gilbert
• Judith Lafdal
• Jim Madden
• Peter Morrow
• Rolf Panny
• Anne Pentecost
• Jan Robertson
• Robyn Skrzybska
• Gail Spence