Sir, honours and awards serve good purpose. In addition to providing a means to recognise excellence, commitment and exceptional service, honours and awards raise awareness, and demonstrate that outstanding contributions and commitment are valued. This call for action is to stimulate nominations for the 2018/19 round of the BDA's Honours and Awards.

Over and above President of the Association – the highest honour which can be bestowed on a member, the Association awards Honorary Membership, Fellowship, Life Membership, Distinguished Member status, the John Tomes Medal, entry to the Roll of Distinction, Certificates of Merit for services to the Association or dental profession and, as of 2017/2018, the Joy Harrild Award for Young Dentists. Details of these Honours and Awards – the oldest and most prestigious professional awards and honours in UK dentistry, may be found on the BDA website: https://www.bda.org/about-the-bda/association-honours-and-awards, together with the lists of past recipients.

As with any system for honours and awards, the standing and recognition of the system is dependent on the quality and inclusivity of the nominations. Historically, the BDA has been pleased to receive timely, high quality nominations for Association Honours and Awards, with the nominees coming from all sectors of dentistry, and from all parts of the UK. The Association's Honours and Awards Committee would, however, welcome more nominations, especially from Sections and Branches of the Association which only occasionally nominate a member, or have made no nominations in recent years. Guidance on how to go about making a nomination for an Association Honour or Award is provided on the BDA website, together with the nomination form. Senior officers of the Association are always pleased to discuss possible nominations of individuals considered to have 'gone the extra mile', serving the Association or the profession 'above and beyond all reasonable expectation'. Alternatively, please contact me: nairn.wilson@btinternet.com.

The deadline for the submission of nominations for the next round of Association Honours and Awards (2018/19) is 31 May 2018 (Joy Harrild Award, 30 April 2018).

Individuals must be in it (nominated) to win it (be recognised)! Individuals are unable to nominate themselves; so, it is down to others to take action. And the time to act is now.

Excellence, commitment and exceptional service should be recognised and celebrated.