Distinguished Membership may be conferred only on Members by a majority vote of the F.D.I.A.I. Board of Directors in recognition of the Member’s superior efforts in the furtherance of the aims and purposes of the F.D.I.A.I. A Distinguished Member retains all the rights, privileges, and obligations of the class of membership he or she held prior to being designated as a Distinguished Member.

(a.) Application. Application for Distinguished member status shall be made to the Secretary/Treasurer of the Association on the designated form. In addition to the completed application form, copies of supporting documentation shall be provided by the applicant (e.g. copies of articles, conference registrations, etc.). It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to gather all such documentation pertaining to their application. Upon confirmation by the Secretary/Treasurer (or a committee designated by the President) that the applicant meets the established criteria, the application shall be forwarded to the Board of Directors for consideration. Upon affirmative vote of the Board of Directors the designation of “Distinguished Member” shall be conferred. A certificate will be issued by the Secretary/Treasurer to the recipient in recognition of their attainment.

(b.) Eligibility. Any eligible member who accrues ten (10) points in the manner outlined below and who has not been censured or otherwise disciplined during the period of membership is eligible to apply. Accrual of points is retroactive at full rate.

(A) Publication. Publication Points (Minimum of 4 points, Maximum of 6 points)

1. Articles/Technical Notes published, authored/co-authored in the Official FDIAI Publication 1 point

(B.) Participation. Association Participation Points (Minimum of 4 points, Maximum of 6 points)

1. Attendance at F.D.I.A.I. Educational Conference attendance 1 point (maximum 2 points)
2. Officer/ Past President /Board of Directors Member/Committee Member 1 point (max 2 points)
3. Presentation of a lecture or workshop at a F.D.I.A.I. Educational Conference 1 point (max 4 points)
4. Philanthropy. Association Participation Points (maximum of 2 points)
   Recognition level support of the Rinehart Foundation.$250.00 Amount can be cumulative.
5. Association Recognition. Recipient of an F.D.I.A.I recognition award (maximum of 4 points) Sustained Achievement Award 1 point Good of the Association Award 1 point Outstanding Forensic Science Award 1 point