Awards & Scholarships

Golden Light Award

Honoring Professional Excellence

"OGR members are caring men and women who do their jobs because they care about people when they are at their most fragile. To be singled out by my colleagues as an example of the good is very humbling to me.
I just do what the rest of my colleagues do."

~ Harold Lake, 2007 Golden Light Award Honoree

The Golden Light Award is OGR's most prestigious award honoring professional excellence. As an OGR member, you have opportunity to nominate a fellow member who has distinguished himself or herself in the funeral profession through OGR involvement, community service or volunteer activities that demonstrate "service measured not by gold, but by the Golden Rule."

Eligibility
Anyone affiliated with an OGR member firm is eligible for the Golden Light Award, including owners or employees. Such individuals will have demonstrated a commitment to the funeral profession through:

• Service to OGR as a committee member, Regional Chairperson and/or Board member;
• Community service activities;
• Contributions to the funeral profession;
• Development of programs within OGR or the funeral profession and community that serve as examples of "service measured not by gold, but by the Golden Rule";
• Or other instances of exemplary work within the profession.

The Golden Light recipient is recognized at a special ceremony at the Annual Conference Banquet.

Entries for the 2008 Golden Light Award are being accepted through Dec. 31, 2008. To nominate your candidate, please complete the Golden Light Award Entry Form.

For information, contact Karen Gentles, director of membership. Gentles can also be reached at (800) 637-8030.

Golden Light Award Recipients

2007 Golden Light Award Recipient



Harold Lake
Rindt-Erdman Funeral Home
Arkansas City, Kan.

Harold Lake is well-known for his leadership and service to his client families, to his community and to his OGR colleagues. He consistently offers friendship to all.

"OGR members are caring men and women who do their jobs because they care about people when they are at their most fragile. To be singled out by my colleagues as an example of the good is very humbling to me. I just do what the rest of my colleagues do. I do appreciate this Golden Light Award "

Lake's involvement in OGR includes serving as Regional Chairperson for 2007-2008, on the Board of Directors from 2002 to 2005 and on various standing and ad hoc committees. He was instrumental in researching and launching OGR's Compassionate Care aftercare program.

Lake has a distinguished record of community activity, as well. He is past president of the Arkansas City Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce. For six years, Lake has chaired the Arkansas City Day Care Canter. Currently, Lake sits on the board of Hospice, Inc. and is president of the Arkansas City Community Health Foundation as well as the Memorial Lawn Cemetery board. He is a member of the Arkansas City Habitat for Humanity board. Lake's funeral home also sponsors a little league football team.

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2006 Golden Light Award Recipient
Michael G. Butler
Livingston-Butler-Volland Funeral Home & Cremation Center
Hastings, Neb.

2005 Golden Light Award Recipient
Thomas P. Lynch
Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors
Milford, Mich.

2004 Golden Light Award Recipient
Billy K. Wages
Wages & Sons Funeral Home
Stone Mountain, Ga.

2003 Golden Light Award Recipient
Bonnie Helweg-Campbell
Helweg Funeral Service, Inc.
Jenkintown, Pa.

2002 Golden Light Award Recipient
Glenn P. Taylor
Glenn Funeral Home & Crematory
Owensboro, Ky.

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Golden Rule Awards

Applauding funeral home achievement/supplier commitment

"By participating in this new program, members enable OGR to acknowledge and honor their firm’s professionalism and supplier commitment, setting an example of service ‘by the Golden Rule’ for others to follow. I encourage members to ‘Go for the Gold’ and enter by the Dec. 31, 2008 deadline!"

~ Guy Linnemann, CFSP, OGR president

OGR's new Golden Rule Awards program, being introduced in 2008, recognizes member funeral homes for achievements in three categories — advocacy, community service and innovation, as well as one Supplier of the Year.

You may qualify for a Golden Rule Award if your firm has:
• been active in local community service initiatives;
• taken innovative steps to transform your funeral home’s service options or operations; or
• advocated effectively for change at the local, state/provincial or federal level by getting involved in legislative issues.

• You may also have developed a relationship with a particular Golden Services Group supplier that has benefited your funeral home and your families.

Calling for Entries!
We encourage you to “Go for the Gold” and enter the 2008 Golden Rule Awards by the Dec. 31, 2008, postmark deadline. See Categories & Criteria, Submission Guidelines, and entry form below.

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Categories & Criteria

Advocacy Golden Rule Award
Quality OGR firms care about the future of funeral service and understand the importance of advocacy efforts that protect both the public and the profession. Funeral homes applying for the Advocacy award will have demonstrated one or more of the following:

• Served on local, state/provincial, national and/or international funeral service policy and/or association boards;
• Testified before legislative bodies and/or met with congressional or state/provincial representatives;
• Helped to pass state or provincial laws that favored funeral service; or
• Written/published articles, spoken in public on behalf of the funeral profession, or conducted governmental relations that promoted funeral service.

Community Service Golden Rule Award
Great funeral firms extend service well beyond what is required in day-to-day operations. OGR members frequently involve themselves in their respective communities by giving their time, talents and resources. Funeral homes applying for the Community Service award will have:

• Become involved/volunteered in civic organizations, churches, school districts, service groups or government entities, resulting in a specific service to your community; or
• Sponsored/organized a community event, fund-raiser, campaign, charity event or other pursuit that benefitted a segment of the community or the population as a whole.

Innovation Golden Rule Award
Investments in personnel and the creative use of personalization and technology constitute the hallmark of today’s modern Golden Rule firm. OGR’s membership is well-known for its innovators. In fact, many firms are seen as clear leaders in areas of personalization and the use of modern technology, both of which add value for client families. Funeral homes applying for the Innovation award will have:

• Introduced unique, promotable, funeral service enhancements or service options;
• Developed novel, effective marketing techniques or merchandising approaches;
• Devised new ways to utilize their funeral home facility; or
• Incorporated new technologies that reduce costs, enhance operations, train staff, serve families or communicate their services.

Supplier of the Year Award
Members often develop valuable relationships with Golden Services Group suppliers, enhancing the funeral home’s ability to serve families and maximize their operations, while strengthening the supplier’s commitment to the association. Members nominating a Supplier of the Year will show how the company has demonstrated exceptional service to your funeral home above and beyond expectations by:

• Providing accessibility and/or outstanding customer service;
• Addressing problems or concerns with a product or service; or
• Providing staff training, professional development and/or advisory support.

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Submission Guidelines

• All member firms are eligible to submit their funeral home for consideration of the Advocacy, Community Service and/or Innovation award.
• All member firms are eligible to submit the name of a GSG supplier for consideration of the Supplier of the Year Award.
• Entries should cite a specific activity, service or objective achieved during the 2008 calendar year.
• Support materials should show evidence of the activity or service, such as press clippings; letters of thanks; testimonials; photos; research/reports; or municipal, state/provincial or federal proclamations or citations.
• Entries in multiple categories will be accepted from the same firm.
• Awards in the same category will not be granted to the same funeral home or supplier more than once every three years (e.g., The winner of a 2008 award may enter in the same category again in 2011).
• One winner in each category will be named annually. Winners will receive an engraved trophy and a press release, be recognized at the 2009 Annual Conference, and be acknowledged in The Independent® and on the OGR web site.
• If appropriate, a second- and third-place entry may be cited for Special Recognition in the funeral home award categories. These entries will receive a certificate and press release and be acknowledged in The Independent® and on the OGR web site.
• Remaining entries will be cited for Honorable Mention and will receive a press release noting their participation.
• Judging in the Advocacy, Community Service and Innovation categories will be made in late-January by the Communications Committee.
• Judging for the Supplier of the Year award will be made in late-January by the Products and Services Committee.
  
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Download entry form

Deadline: Send your completed entry form, answer page and support documentation to OGR postmarked by Dec. 31, 2008.

For questions about the Golden Rule Awards, contact Janet Protzel, director of communications, (800) 637-8030, x108.

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Exemplary Service Awards

Honoring outstanding service

The Exemplary Service Awards recognize those funeral homes who have displayed outstanding professionalism and exemplary service. The criteria for receiving an Exemplary Service Award are comments from families gathered through the Family Contact Program, a family evaluation of the service received from members. Comments that represent a family’s satisfaction and indicate that the funeral home performed in an exemplary manner are chosen for this award.

Each year, the collection of family comments are reviewed by the regional chairpersons who choose the top three instances of member firms providing service above and beyond what is typically expected. Those firms are honored as Gold, Silver and Bronze Exemplary Service Award winners. The awards are conferred at a special awards ceremony at the Annual Conference.

2007 Award Recipients

Gold Exemplary Award
Lew Hall
Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home
Lakeland, Florida

Silver Exemplary Award
Stephen L. Pierce
Muehlebach Funeral Home
Kansas City, Missouri












Bronze Exemplary Award
W. Peter (Pete) Templeton and Staff
Templeton Funeral Homes
Paris, Illinois

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2006 Award Recipients

Gold Award
Charles A. Castiglia
Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home, Inc.
Hamburg, New York

Silver Exemplary Award
John B. Christian
Cassaday-Turkle-Christian Funeral Home, Inc.
Alliance, Ohio

Bronze Exemplary Award
Kent Christiansen
Myers Mortuary
Layton, Utah

2005 Award Recipients

Gold Award
Paul Kroeger
Kroeger Funeral Home, Inc.
Logansport, Indiana

Silver Award
Richard K. Stevens
Windsor Locks Funeral Home
Windsor Locks, Connecticut

Bronze Award
Brent Erickson
Erickson Funeral Home
Darlington, Wisconsin


2004 Award Recipients

Gold Award
J. Tolleison Morriss, VI
J. T. Morriss & Son Inc
Petersburg, Virginia

Silver Award
Jerry B. Patton
Patton Funeral Home
Brownsville, Kentucky

Bronze Award
Rocky Bumpers
Bumpers Funeral Home
Butler, Alabama

Bronze Award
William C. Wappner
Wappner Funeral Directors
Mansfield, Ohio

2003 Award Recipients

Gold Award
Robert H. Smith
R. Rayden Smith Funeral Home
Hampton, Virginia

Silver Award
Ned Brinsfield, Jr.
Brinsfield Funeral Home
Leonardtown, Maryland

Bronze Award
Jerry Millsap
Lescher-Millsap Funeral Home
Muskogee, Oklahoma

2002 Award Recipients

Gold Award
Greg Houston
Price Funeral Home, Inc
Manassas, Virginia

Silver Award
Phillip Munden, Jr.
Munden Funeral Home & Crematory
Morehead City, North Carolina

Bronze Award
R. Clayton Krueger
Krueger Funeral Home, Ltd
Blue Island, Illinois

Bronze Award
Ross W. Trader
Trader Funeral Home, Inc
Dover, Delaware

2001 Award Recipients

Gold Award
Jeff P. Hartsell
Hartsell Funeral Home
Albermarle, North Carolina

Silver Award
William Brock, Jr.
Vander-Plaat Funeral Home of Wyckoff
Wyckoff, New Jersey

Bronze Award
Linda C. Olthof
Olthof Funeral Home
Elmira, NY

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Scholarships

OGR offers two scholarship programs to eligible mortuary science students: the Awards of Excellence Scholarship and the Koven L. Brown Scholarship Program.

Awards of Excellence Scholarship Program
The OGR Awards of Excellence Scholarship Program funds tuition and expenses to mortuary science students. Scholarship winners are selected by a committee of OGR members on the basis of community activities, honors received, grades and commitment to the pursuit of excellence in funeral service. The objective of the program is to support outstanding mortuary science students who are about to enter the funeral service profession and to increase visibility of OGR and Golden Rule funeral homes among bright employment candidates.

Applicant Requirements
To apply for an OGR Awards of Excellence Scholarship, the applicant must:

• Be currently enrolled in an accredited mortuary science school
• Graduate after January 31, 2008
• Submit proof of a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Complete and submit an application form by Oct. 19

Application Form
Applications for the 2007 Awards of Excellence Scholarships are closed for 2007. Check back in August 2008 for information on the 2008 application process.

2007 Awards of Excellence Scholarship Winners
The following students were awarded the 2007 Awards of Excellence Scholarships and will be recognized at OGR's Annual Conference in Chicago:

• Gold Award - Tawanda D. Burgess - Fayetteville Tech Community College, Fayetteville, NC
• Silver Award - Jennifer L. Bennink - Worsham College of Mortuary Science, Wheeling, IL
• Bronze Award - Cherelia D. James - Gupton-Jones College, Decatur, GA

Koven L. Brown Scholarship Program
The Koven L. Brown Scholarship Program was made possible by OGR member Koven L. Brown based on his desire to assist mortuary science students with demonstrated financial need. Applications for the Koven L. Brown Scholarship are closed for 2007. Check back in November 2008 for information on the 2008 application process.

2006 Koven L. Brown Scholarship Program Scholarship Recipient
Tracy L. Spiess - Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan

Contributions
The Awards of Excellence Scholarship Program is funded solely by contributions from members and supporters of OGR. Contributions may be sent to OGR. Contact OGR's director of education/meetings by e-mail or by calling (800) 637-8030.

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