Since 2002 it has been a tradition in the 501st Legion to induct notable personalities and talented people with Honorary titles to recognize their achievements and make them a part of the 501st Legion family.

Honorary Memberships were designed to recognize any person directly involved in the licensed production of the Star Wars saga. This includes actors, voice talent, writers, artists, directors, production staff, Lucasfilm employees, and any other talented personnel working on Star Wars as an industry.

Honorary Friendships are designed to recognize any person celebrating or promoting the Star Wars saga, supporting the 501st Legion in particular, or in general serving as an inspiration for Star Wars fans everywhere.

Initial Procedures:

• Any member of the 501st Legion can nominate a personality for Honorary Member or Honorary Friend. To do so, contact Legion Founder Albin Johnson at: albinj@sc.rr.com. Please stipulate who you are nominating and what basis you feel this person deserves to be recognized.
• You will be approved based on the validity of the nomination and the demonstrated plan for making the presentation. Do not ask for a nomination if you do not have a plan for how to make a presentation.
• Order your plaque from Damien Metz by emailing him at: ghost@lvdi.net. Costs vary based on production time and delivery.
• Nominations are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Once you have nominated a celebrity and have been approved, you are charged with ordering the plaque and making the presentation happen. It is important that you only nominate a celebrity if and when you have a specific time and place in mind to do the presentation - do NOT nominate someone and sit on the nomination while others have a chance to make it happen. If you do not make good on the presentation within three months of the request or the intended date (whichever comes last), the celebrity becomes available to any other 501st member requesting a chance and demonstrating a plan to do so. Even if you have paid for the plaque and your time has elapsed, you are required to mail the plaque at your expense to the next member who can make the presentation. Remember the important thing here is the celebrity and the Legion becoming partners - not personal gain.

Here are some guidelines for the proper presentation of an award:

• Clear it with his/her manager or the event coordinator first to make sure it's okay. Even if you know you'll see him/her it's good to give notice.
• Make sure you can present the award in a venue that's suitable. Catching a person on their way to another engagement or in the middle of a stairwell is awkward - try to have a place and time set up so it's not only comfortable but you can take your time and the person feels truly honored by the gesture.
• Take lots of pictures, and do so with as many costumed members of the 501st on the scene as possible to make for a better photo op for our archives and the website. Take the photos with a hi-res setting and a good back-drop for the best effect. Submit all photos to Albin Johnson and to Dean Plantamura. Dean's address is tusken@multiplehat.com
• In addition to the plaque, it's always good to have swag on hand to present the celebrity - 501st shirts, caps, keychains, lanyards, patches, etc have been done in the past. It's wise to contact our Legion Celebrity Liaison, Matt Paisley, to see if this person is listed in the Celebrity database with preferences for gifts. You can contact Matt at: redeyee@bellsouth.net
• Take your time and let the celebrity know who we are, why we do what we do, and how we can be of service to him/her in the future. Rushing through a presentation just to nab a picture and say it's done isn't enough - we want to make an impression on the celebrity and let them know we are here for them. If possible, do it over a dinner where you can get to know him/her and start the relationship right.

These are just a few of the pointers to consider. Nominating and inducting a celebrity for an Honorary title is an honor in itself and should be taken seriously but with a sense of fun. Good luck with your presentation and thank you for making someone a part of the 501st family.