Honors

The guild has numerous insignia and badges of merit. Members of the guild can acquire a lapel pin, which can be worn at events: it’s a bronze pin known as a "Pränikkä," featuring the guild’s official logo. Distinguished guild members can be awarded a silver, gold, or ProTiK badge of merit. Up to ten members can be inducted as honorary members at a time. Over the years, the guild has also bestowed various titles of honor.

The guild annually recognizes distinguished members with badges of merit. Tietokilta has three types of badges: the silver badge of merit, the golden badge of merit, and ProTiK. The criteria for awarding these badges are described in the guild’s Acknowledgement Guideline, and the detailed usage guidelines are outlined in the Insignia Guideline.

The most prestigious of these, the ProTiK badge, is a metal pin designed by Teppo Veijonen, featuring black and gold colors. The ProTiK badge is worn on a black ribbon, while other badges are worn on the lapel of a suit or formal attire.

Guild members who have been awarded these badges can be found here:

The Pränikkä is an insignia shaped like the guild’s logo, which can be worn with a suit or tuxedo at academic events (e.g., guild anniversary celebrations). There are actually three versions of the Pränikkä: the bronze Pränikkä can be purchased by any guild member, the silver Pränikkä is only for the guild’s founding members, and the gold Pränikkä is reserved for current or former members of the guild’s board, current or former committee chairpersons, and current or former overseers (Oltermanni).

You can purchase the Pränikkä from the guild room, for example, from a board member. The detailed guidelines for its use are described in the guild’s Insignia Regulations.

According to the fifth section of the guild’s rules, “a person who has significantly contributed to the guild’s activities or otherwise substantially promoted its goals can be invited as an honorary member by a three-fourths (3/​4) majority vote of the guild meeting.” In practice, honorary members are individuals who are not regular guild members, such as a professor who has contributed significantly to the guild’s well-being. There can be no more than ten honorary members at a time. Honorary members are not required to pay membership fees. Honorary membership is defined in sections 5§ and 7§ of the guild’s rules.

The guild currently has four honorary members: 

Teemupekka Virtanen and Ari Mujunen were awarded the title and diploma of "Golden Throat" in Muistinnollaus in the year 1990.