Listing of Awards

INTERNATIONAL LILAC SOCIETY AWARDS

Every year the ILS gives out awards at our annual convention.

Honor and Achievement:
Highest award given by the Society, given only for outstanding work, dedication and service to promoting the lilac or the Society. To be considered for the award the individuals contributions must be truly outstanding and of benefit to the whole Society. It is awarded only to individuals and not to institutions, given only once to an individual and need not be presented annually.

Directors’ Award:
Awarded by the Society only to those engaged in the improvement of the lilac through hybridization, scientific selection or selective research to improve the quality of the flower of the plant. It is intended as an award for outstanding work with the lilac. It is to be considered as the highest scientific horticultural award given by the Society.

President’s Award:
Awarded to the arboretum, public or private park or garden for outstanding collections and public display of the lilacs, work with promoting the growing and landscape uses of the lilac, outstanding landscaping with lilacs or major research with lilacs. It is an institutional or park-garden award. Its purpose is to encourage the planting of lilacs for public display and education. It is not intended for strictly private gardens (no matter how great their excellence).

Arch McKean Award:
For publicizing the lilac and promoting the International Lilac Society. This award need not be given each year.

Award of Merit:
Given to an individual or institution, public or private, for outstanding contributions in promoting, growing, researching or working with the lilac or the Society. It is intended to be given regionally as an “International Recognition for work over and above the average”- for outstanding promotion, for public education, for scientific research or for horticultural excellence. A recipient may receive this award only once for the same work (but more than once for several contributions of equal merit).

Distinguished Recognition Award:
Given at the discretion of the Society to recognize an outstanding act or contribution to the International Lilac Society.

Thank you to Myrna Walberg for compiling this information for our website.