Offering honorary membership of ESPID reflects the gratitude of the Society for the professional contribution that a member has made to the Society and/or to the paediatric infectious diseases speciality.
The criteria for honorary membership are that the member
Proposals for honorary membership can be made to the Board (via the Secretary) by any ESPID member at any time. The Board will review a list of its older members on an annual basis, giving consideration to any such proposals received. The decision to offer honorary membership to one or more members can be made by the Board at any Board meeting. The general membership of ESPID will be notified of all such decisions at the subsequent AGM.
The president, or a member who knows them well, will give a short speech about each new honorary member at the ESPID dinner at the next annual meeting after the decision is taken to offer this status. New honorary members are encouraged to briefly accept the offer and express appropriate thanks but are not expected to make a speech or presentation. New honorary members will be invited to attend the dinner at the society's expense and will be offered registration at that annual meeting (although not offered travel or accommodation expenses). If the new honorary member is unable to attend the meeting and wishes instead to do so the following year, the process and initiation of the status can be deferred by 12 months. Alternatively, the speech and award can be made in absentia.
The list of honorary members and the year that their honorary membership began will be published and regularly updated on the ESPID website in the members’ area.