The Posthumous LCA is intended to honor those who were deserving of and likely to receive the Lifetime Contribution Award (LCA) but who passed on before they could be honored. This award is given to honor the work done by such persons and to hold them up as exemplars of the attributes CDSS values. It is not intended as an annual award; there is no obligation to give the recognition every year, and no more than one will be given in a calendar year.

Criteria for the Posthumous LCA are:

• Candidate has been deceased for at least one but not more than four years
• The candidate led the way in preserving, promoting, and/or creating within the living traditions that CDSS stewards.
• The candidate’s contribution benefited people across a broad geographical area.
• The candidate’s contribution impacted more than one generation.
• The candidate worked in conjunction with CDSS, CDSS affiliates, or complementary organizations.
  

A significant contribution may consist of:

• Increasing the quality of what we do by inspiration, instruction or excellent example
• Bringing what we do to new communities
• Expanding the repertoire of country dance, music and/or song, whether through scholarship or by original composition
• Working behind the scenes, enabling others to make any of the contributions listed above (i.e., music or dance event organizing, sound production or programming)