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2005 Distinguished Service Award
Ready With a Helping Hand
By Paul Ramsdell, PNGA Media
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| Margaret Maves |
The Distinguished Service Awards presented each year by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association are all about volunteerism.
The same thing can be said about the recipients for 2005 - Margaret Maves of Portland and Sylvia Mellish of Richmond, B.C.
"Those two we call on so much," said John Bodenhamer, the executive director of the PNGA."It goes without saying, too, that both of them are
just always more than willing to do the thankless jobs at our championships."
The two women, who will be honored at the PNGA's annual meeting April 16 at Royal Oaks Country Club in Vancouver, Wash., readily agreed.
"I would do anything that the PNGA would ask, at anytime," Maves said. "I do scoreboards, I do media relations."
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| Sylvia Mellish |
The list of contributions for Mellish is quite long as well.
"I just enjoy doing it, and helping out, that's what my friends tell me," she said. "I'm always into something it seems."
Helping out on the administrative side of conducting the various PNGA championships is where these two have contributed mightily.
Both have been the chairperson of the PNGA's Women's Division at one point, and have served on the PNGA Board of Directors.
Mellish has been the tournament chairperson for numerous PNGA championships at her home club, Quilchena Golf & Country Club.
Maves was the same when the PNGA Men's Amateur was at Portland Golf Club in 1990, sharing duties were her late husband, Norm Maves.
"Even to this day, there's never been an event that I've been involved in where ever base was covered as well," Bodenhamer said of that event,
which was the first time Margaret was involved with the PNGA, but definitely not the last.
"I believe so strongly in volunteers," she said. "I've been one all my life. Anytime I'm asked for any help, why I'm so pleased I'll work my
head off.
"It's a pride thing," she added. "If somebody thinks I can do a good job, that's what I want to do."
That's been the case with Maves for more than 30 years as the media room coordinator for the LPGA Tour's Safeway Classic in Portland. Her
expertise and efforts in that role has led her to be asked to assist with media relations at numerous Solheim Cups and one Ryder Cup.
"I know I'll stand up and cry my eyes out when it happens," she said of receiving the award. "It's fun getting the honor. I'm truly
humbled."
There's one thing both Distinguished Service Award winners have in common this year that might not be so evident.
"I want to call Sylvia up to stand beside me and I want somebody to play, 'The Maple Leaf Forever,' because we're both Canadian," Maves said.
Her co-honoree will be more than willing to oblige.
"I think it is really exciting to not only be getting this honor, but to be getting it at the same time as Margaret Maves, who I just adore.
She is a great lady," Mellish said.
Improving international relations is something Mellish has done throughout her involvement with the PNGA.
"She would always see that their junior team members, their three or four top girl golfers, would always be in the PNGA Junior Girls, every
single year, religiously," Bodenhamer said. "At her own personal expense."
It's something she says she enjoys immensely.
"I can't say enough about the PNGA. I just feel they are such an organized group and everything runs really, really well, and I love doing
these tournaments with them. It's great," Mellish said.
Still, despite all her work with the association for the past 15 years, she was surprised by the honor.
"Surprised?" she said. "I just about fell over."
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