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The Medal
A Purple Heart is a heart-shaped medal within a gold border, 1 3⁄8 inches (35 mm) wide, containing a profile of General George Washington...... Above the heart appears a shield of the Washington coat of arms (a white shield with two red bars and three red stars in chief) between sprays of green leaves. The reverse consists of a raised bronze heart with the words FOR MILITARY MERIT below the coat of arms and leaves. The ribbon is 1 and 3⁄8 inches (35 mm) wide and consists of the following stripes: 1⁄8 inch (3 mm) white 67101; 1 1⁄8 inches (29 mm) purple 67115; and 1⁄8 inch (3 mm) white 67101. As with other combat medals, multiple awards are denoted by award stars for the Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, or oak leaf clusters for the Army and Air Force.

Intrinsically, the Purple Heart is the world's costliest military decoration - nineteen separate operations are required to make it from the rough heart stamped from bronze to the finished medal, plated with gold and enameled in various colors, suspended from a purple and white ribbon.


History
The original Purple Heart, designated as the Badge of Military Merit, was established by George Washington—then the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army—by order from his Newburgh, New York headquarters on 7 August 1782.

General Washington is often pictured as a cold, stern soldier, a proud aristocrat, a martinet. Perhaps he was all of these at times. Yet we know he showed sympathy and concern for his troops, and was not too proud to pray, humbly on his knees, for his beloved country and for the men who served it, and him, so bravely and loyalty. His keen appreciation of the importance of the common soldier in any campaign impelled him to recognize outstanding valor and merit by granting a commission or an advance in rank for the person concerned. In the summer of 1782 he was ordered by the Continental Congress to cease doing so - there were no funds to pay the soldiers, much less the officers!

Deprived of his usual means of reward, he must have searched for a substitute. Shortly after receiving the "stop" order from Congress, he wrote his memorable General Orders of August 7, 1782, which read in part, the phrase: "Let it be known that he who wears the military order of the purple heart has given of his blood in the defense of his homeland and shall forever be revered by his fellow countrymen."

The Badge of Military Merit was only awarded to three Revolutionary War soldiers and fell into disuse following the War of Independence. Although never abolished, the award of the badge was not proposed again officially until after World War I.
On 10 October 1927, Army Chief of Staff General Charles Pelot Summerall directed that a draft bill be sent to Congress "to revive the Badge of Military Merit". The bill was withdrawn and action on the case ceased on 3 January 1928, but the office of the Adjutant General was instructed to file all materials collected for possible future use.

A number of private interests sought to have the medal reinstituted in the Army. One of these was the board of directors of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum in Ticonderoga, New York.

On 7 January 1931, Summerall’s successor, General Douglas MacArthur, confidentially reopened work on a new design, involving the Washington Commission of Fine Arts. This new design was issued on the bicentennial of George Washington's birth.

Elizabeth Will, an Army heraldic specialist in the Office of the Quartermaster General, was named to redesign the newly revived medal, which became known as the Purple Heart. Using general specifications provided to her, Will created the design sketch for the present medal of the Purple Heart. Her obituary, in the 8 February 1975 edition of the Washington Post newspaper, reflects her many contributions to military heraldry.

The Commission of Fine Arts solicited plaster models from three leading sculptors for the medal, selecting that of John R. Sinnock of the Philadelphia Mint in May 1931. By Executive Order of the President of the United States, the Purple Heart was revived on the 200th Anniversary of George Washington's birth, out of respect to his memory and military achievements, by War Department General Orders No. 3, dated 22 February 1932.

The criteria was announced in War Department circular dated 22 February 1932 and authorized award to soldiers, upon their request, who had been awarded the Meritorious Service Citation Certificate, Army Wound Ribbon, or were authorized to wear Wound Chevrons subsequent to 5 April 1917, the day before the United States entered World War I. The first Purple Heart was awarded to MacArthur.

During the early period of American involvement in World War II (7 December 1941-22 September 1943), the Purple Heart was awarded both for wounds received in action against the enemy and for meritorious performance of duty. With the establishment of the Legion of Merit, by an Act of Congress, the practice of awarding the Purple Heart for meritorious service was discontinued.

By Executive Order 9277, dated 3 December 1942, the decoration was extended to be applicable to all services and the order required that regulations of the Services be uniform in application as far as practicable. This executive order also authorized award only for wounds received.

Executive Order 11016, dated 25 April 1962, included provisions for posthumous award of the Purple Heart.

Executive Order 12464, dated 23 February 1984, authorized award of the Purple Heart as a result of terrorist attacks or while serving as part of a peacekeeping force subsequent to 28 March 1973.

The Senate approved an amendment to the 1985 Defense Authorization Bill on 13 June 1985 which changed the precedent from immediately above the Good Conduct Medal to immediately above the Meritorious Service Medals. Public Law 99-145 authorized the award for wounds received as a result of friendly fire. Public Law 104-106 expanded the eligibility date, authorizing award of the Purple Heart to a former prisoner of war who was wounded before 25 April 1962.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998 (Public Law 105-85) changed the criteria to delete authorization for award of the Purple Heart Medal to any civilian national of the United States while serving under competent authority in any capacity with the Armed Forces. This change was effective 18 May 1998.

"Military Order of the Purple Heart,"
An organization now known as the "Military Order of the Purple Heart," was formed in 1932 for the protection and mutual interest of all who have received the decoration. Composed exclusively of Purple Heart recipients, it is the only strictly "combat" organization in existence.

Funds for welfare, rehabilitation and/or service work carried on by the organization are derived almost entirely from the annual distribution of its official flower, The Purple Heart Viola. These are assembled by disabled and needy veterans, many of whom receive little or no compensation from other sources. Thus your contribution for a Viola serves a two-fold purpose - it helps the veteran who assembled it, and enables the organization to do many things in behalf of hospitalized and needy veterans and their families.

The Purple Heart Viola on your lapel is evidence that YOU have not forgotten the price of liberty paid in the past and still being paid by those who have borne the brunt of battle in defense of America.

Close relatives of Purple Heart recipients are eligible to belong to the Ladies Auxiliary of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, which does important work nationally and locally in Veterans' Hospitals. Further information about the Order and its auxiliary may be obtained from the National Headquarters as listed below.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
Thank You to Wikipedia and The Military Order of the Purple Heart for providing the content of this page. For more detailed information please visit http://en.wikipedia.org
]]> Famous Awards http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=33 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:31:00 -0700 http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=39 null

Frazier-Ali World Heavyweight Championship Belt

Today a Championship Belt is used primarily...... in combat sports such as boxing, mixed martial arts and professional wrestling to signify the champions of the promotion or company, much like the Vince Lombardi Trophy or The Stanley Cup. This was not always the case. The history of this famous award started with boxing, much like the "Rocky" raw fisted struggle of human achievement and triumph.

History of the Belt
When was the tradition of awarding "Title Belts" started? Thomas "Tom" Cribb (the "Black Diamond") was one of England's most celebrated boxing champions in the early 1800’s. He made "milling on the retreat" acceptable as a mode of fighting. Upon his retirement in 1822, he was awarded a lion-skin championship belt, the first unofficial "title belt". After retirement, Cribb maintained "The Union Arms" on Panton Street in Picadilly, London for many years, until he lost it in 1839. Cribb was inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991.

Prize belt presented to John L. Sullivan, bare-knuckle boxing champion, in 1887
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When the modern authorities talk of the heavyweight championship of the world, they are probably referring to the championship belt presented to Sullivan in Boston on August 8, 1887. The belt was inscribed Presented to the Champion of Champions, John L. Sullivan, by the Citizens of the United States. Its centerpiece featured the flags of the US, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The "Boston Bully," Sullivan was the most famous sports figure of his day. To honor their hometown hero, Boston fans raised $10,000 for this elaborate trophy. Encrusted with 350 diamonds (now lost) and decorated with Sullivan's portrait and crossed Irish and American flags, the gold-plated belt has this inscription: "Presented to the champion of champions by the people of the United States." In 1983 the Smithsonian acquired Sullivan's belt for its sports history collection. It is impossible to say who the "first" heavyweight champion was, since the sport of boxing goes back as far as recorded history and there have always been large fighters. Even in the bare-knuckle era, "champions" were plentiful.

A competing “officially recognized” Championship belt in boxing had its origins in London back in 1909 with the “Lonsdale Belt”. The belt is named after Lord Lonsdale who was patron of the National Sporting Club. The Earl of Lonsdale was a keen boxing fan who supported boxing for many years. The Lonsdale Belt was a boxing prize given by Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale. It was originally presented to the champion in each British weight division and the holder could keep the belt if it was won and then defended two times. The belt was first won by Freddie Welsh in 1909 for winning the British lightweight title. Heavyweight Henry Cooper was the first person to win three Lonsdale Belts outright in his seventeen year professional career.

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Lonsdale Belt

The belt is still won today and awarded by the British Boxing Board of Control although to keep it you must win and defend it three times. The belt is crafted from gold and porcelain and is therefore very expensive to produce.

The current Championship Belts awarded for boxing has its roots from The Ring (Ring Magazine -founded 1922) who began awarding championship belts in 1922. The first Ring belt was awarded to heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey, the second to flyweight champion Pancho Villa. The magazine stopped giving belts to world champions in the 1990s, but began again in 2002 when it launched its new championship policy intended to reward fighters who, by satisfying rigid criteria, can justify a claim as the true and only world champion in a given weight class. No other regularly-awarded belt (awarded to a champion upon becoming champion) prior to this one.

Champion Belt presenting organizations
In boxing, the individual organizations such as the World Boxing Council, The World Boxing Association, the International Boxing Federation and the World Boxing Organization each have their own unique championship belt that they award to the champions of each weight class. Boxers, especially the World Champions, strive to win the belt of all 4 organizations to unify their weight divisions.

Champions maintain permanent possession of these belts even upon losing their title, with a new belt made when a new champion is crowned.

Unlike Professional Boxing, Professional Wrestling has numerous World Champions and even more regionalized and specialized Championship Belts. The generally recognized World Championship Belts are those of World Wrestling Entertainment and The National Wrestling Alliance. The National Wrestling Alliance recognizes numerous regional Championship Belts such as The NWA North American Championship and The NWA British Commonwealth Championship. World Wrestling Entertainment currently has 3 Main Champions. The WWE Championship is the main championship belt of its RAW brand, the World Heavyweight Championship is the main championship belt of the SmackDown! brand,and the ECW Championship is the main championship of the ECW brand. The RAW and Smackdown! brands also have their own separate tag team Championship Belts and various lesser belts, but the ECW brand has one title.

Designs
Generally, boxing has many fewer uniquely designed belts than wrestling. The 4 major boxing governing bodies generally use the same belt design for all their champions, whereas wrestling companies use different styles for each Championship. The WWE has had 11 different belts to represent their World Title, The National Wrestling Alliance has stayed with the same design for over 30 years, sans the period between 1986-1993 when the "Big Gold" belt was the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Title Belt. Beltmakers often create belts that not only set the Championships apart from the others, but become huge collector items as well.

These custom belts are generally made of Leather over-sized belts, with cast metal ornate belt buckles and or medallions. These belts are accented by numerous costume and real jewelry components to add to the presentation. The variations over the years are countless, with each being uniquely designed and manufactured.

Special thanks to wikopedia.com for contributing information.

]]> Famous Awards http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=39 Thu, 3 Apr 2008 09:27:00 -0700 http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=36 Did you know...

... in ancient Greece, the first "Trophies" consisted of captured arms and standards hung upon a tree or stake in the semblance of a man and was inscribed with details of the battle along with a dedication to a god or gods. After a naval victory, the "trophy", composed of whole ships or their beaks, was laid out on the nearest beach. To destroy a trophy was regarded as a sacrilege since, as an object dedicated to a god, it must be left to decay naturally. (for more see posting on History of the word Trophy in Recognition: Info & Fun Facts)...
.... that 10 entertainers have scored the showbiz "grand slam" of winning famous awards by winning the Oscar, Tony, Grammy and Emmy? Can you name the 10 entertainers who achieved such a distinction? They are Mel Brooks, John Gielgud, Whoopi Goldberg, Marvin Hamlisch, Helen Hayes, Audrey Hepburn, Rita Moreno, Mike Nichols, Richard Rogers, and musical orchestrator Jonathan Tunick. (for more see posting on the Oscar, Tony, Grammy, and Emmy in Famous Awards)

... which of the four National Medal of Honor was the first to be created by the armed forces? Was it the Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard? The Navy medal was the first to be struck, followed quickly by the Army version of this award. There are three different types of Medals of Honor today. The original simple star shape established in 1861 which the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard have retained; a wreath version designed in 1904 for the Army; and an altered wreath version for the Air Force, designed in 1963 and adopted in 1965. (for more see posting on The Medal of Honor in Famous Awards - The Medal of Honor)

... what the oldest sporting trophy is that was first contested in 1851 was? The America’s Cup, a Silver ewer (pitcher), presented for Yacht Racing. (for more see posting on The America’s Cup in Famous Awards - The America’s Cup)


... that The Claret Jug, or to use its proper name, The Golf Champion Trophy, presented to each year’s winner of The Open Championship was not the original prize for this championship? When the Championship began at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland in 1860, the winner was presented with the Challenge Belt, made of rich morocco leather, embellished with a silver buckle and emblems. It wasn't until 1872 that the “Jug” replaced the Champion's Belt. (for more see posting on The Claret Jug in Famous Awards - The Claret Jug)

... that the most Super Bowl rings won to date is Seven, won by Neal Dahlen. Mr. Dahlen won five with the 49ers (Staff and Player Personnel) and two with the Denver Broncos (General Manager). The second most is Six, won by Conditioning coach Mike Woicik. Mike won three with the Dallas Cowboys and three with the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick currently has five and with the next win allowing him to join this elite group.

]]> Famous Awards http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=36 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 06:19:00 -0800 http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=40
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And why is a Grammy called a ''grammy''? Because the trophy is ...... a gilded likeness of a very old-fashioned record player called a gramophone (see history of “real” gramophone below).

The Recording Academy honors excellence in the recording arts and sciences. It is truly a peer honor, awarded by and to artists and technical professionals for artistic or technical achievement, not sales or chart positions. In addition to the GRAMMY Awards, The Recording Academy presents other notable honors. These awards recognize contributions and activities of significance to the recording field that fall outside the framework of the GRAMMY Awards categories, and include the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Trustees Award, the Technical GRAMMY Award, the GRAMMY Legend Award and GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Award. The awards ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and some of the more prominent Grammy Awards are presented in a widely-viewed televised ceremony every February. The Grammys are considered the highest music honor, the U.S. record industry's equivalent to the Academy Awards / Oscars. Prior to the first live Grammys telecast in 1971, a series of taped annual specials in the 1960s called The Best on Record were broadcast.

The GRAMMY Award Trophy
The actual Grammy trophy is manufactured exclusively in Ridgeway, CO. The trophies are all hand made and assembled. In 1990, the old smaller gramophone, which had existed since 1958, had to be revamped because the metals were too soft and there were many problems with the trophy breaking. The tone arm on the original Grammy award had a long tradition of breaking, either in the shipping or even by holding it the wrong way. So the new design required the tone arm to be “beefed up”, while keeping it streamline. The current trophy was made bigger and grander. The academy requested that the new Grammy be about 30 percent larger than the original award.

The Gramophone cabinet (below tone arm) was redesigned entirely out of sheet brass cut out on a band saw. A master mold maker made the molds, which are sand cast from bronze, for the first updated Grammy. The mold for the cabinet is a six-piece mold and the tone arm is a five-piece mold. Molds for casting are made, so the awards can be reproduced in quantity. The Grammy is made of 4 major components: The Base; The Cabinet; The Tone Arm; And The Bell. The Bell is manufactured separately in a Metal Spinning plant in California. The Grammy is assembled in pieces and finally finished off in gold plating. The initial molds used in 1990 are being used today and if treated right they should last another 20 years.

The GRAMMY is cast in a metal allow. Originally the Grammy’s were cast in lead. Lead was used in the 1950’s in all trophies because it was easy to cast and because it was easy to polish and finish. The problem with lead is that it is soft and breaks easily. An alloy of zinc and aluminum was decided upon, producing a custom alloy that the manufacturer calls "Gramium". After being filed, ground and polished they are electroplated first in copper, then nickel plated, and finally they are plated in 24K gold. The old Grammy award sat on a walnut base. The updated new Grammy is placed upon a black lacquer solid wood base.

Like most of the famous awards in my blog, every one who sees one, wants to hold it! While gold will not tarnish it can become dull after being handled a lot. The gold can actually be rubbed of if it is rubbed too much. So, the manufacturer does not recommend frequent cleaning. The best method of cleaning a Grammy, as recommended by the manufacturer, is to use mild dish soap with a soft cotton cloth which will clean off finger prints. Rinse in clear warm water, then wipe it dry and you will bring your Grammy back the luster of brand new. Oh, and before I forget - ALWAYS hold your GRAMMY by the tone arm and BE CAREFUL not to get the felt bottom wet, it could get ugly !

The trophies used for the broadcast are called "stunt" Grammys. The actual awards are kept at the manufacturers until after the winners are announced. At that time the manufacturer engraves the awards with the winner’s names and personally, drives them across country to personally deliver them to the academy.

Grammy Award Winner Trivia:
Who has won the Most Grammys in a lifetime? The record for the most Grammy Awards in a lifetime is held by Sir Georg Solti, a Hungarian-British conductor who conducted the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for twenty-two years. He personally won 31 Grammys[2] and is listed for 38 Grammys (6 went to the engineer and 1 to a soloist); he was nominated an additional 74 times before his death in 1997.

What band has received the Most Grammy Awards won by a band? As of 2006, U2 has won more Grammy Awards than any other band with a total of 22 awards.

What solo artist has won the Most Grammy Awards as a male solo artist? Stevie Wonder has won more Grammy Awards than any other artist in popular music with a total of 28[5] This does not include a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, which he has also received. Wonder is the only artist to have won Album of the Year awards for three consecutive albums.

What solo female artist has won the Most Grammy Awards as a female solo artist? Alison Krauss, as a solo artist, collaborator, producer and with Union Station has won 20 Grammy Awards, the most ever by a female singer.

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Edison cylinder phonograph ca. 1899

The History of the “real” Gramophone:
A device utilizing a vibrating pen to graphically represent sound on discs of paper, without the idea of playing it back in any manner, was described by Charles Cros of France in 1877, but never built. In 1877, Thomas Edison independently built the first working phonograph, a tinfoil cylinder machine, intending to use it as a voice recording medium, typically for office dictation. The phonograph cylinder dominated the recorded sound market beginning in the 1880s. Lateral-cut disc records were invented by Emile Berliner in 1888 and were used exclusively in toys until 1894, when Berliner began marketing disc records under the Berliner Gramophone label. The Edison "Blue Amberol" cylinder was introduced in 1912, with a longer playing time of around 4 minutes (at 160 rpm) and a more resilient playing surface than its wax predecessor, but the format was doomed due to the difficulty of reproducing recordings. By November 1918 the patents for the manufacture of lateral-cut disc records expired, opening the field for countless companies to produce them, causing disc records to overtake cylinders in popularity. Disc records would dominate the market until they were supplanted by the Compact Disc, starting from the 1980s. Production of Amberol cylinders ceased in the late 1920s.

A gramophone record (also phonograph record, or simply record) is an analogue sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed modulated spiral groove starting near the periphery and ending near the center of the disc. Gramophone records were the primary medium used for commercial music reproduction for most of the 20th century. They replaced the phonograph cylinder as the most popular recording medium in the 1900s, and although they were supplanted in popularity in the late 1980s by digital media, they continue to be manufactured and sold as of 2008. Gramophone records remain the medium of choice for some audiophiles, and specialist areas such as electronica.

Special thanks for contributing information from the following:
http://www.grammy.com/
www.wikipedia.com
http://www.billignsartworks.com/index.php
]]> Famous Awards http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=40 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 17:35:14 -0800 http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=37 “all I want is a ring” before I retire. The ring they speak of is the Super Bowl Championship Ring that is awarded to the individuals from the team that wins the National Football League’s Super Bowl. The rings are awarded to the players, coaches and team personnel affiliated with the winning team of the NFL’s BIG GAME.

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These rings are typically made of yellow or white gold with diamonds. They usually include....
...the team name, team logo, and Super Bowl number (usually indicated in Roman numerals). Most of the rings also have larger diamonds or diamonds made into the shape of the trophy, that represent the number of Super Bowls that franchise has won (thus, Pittsburgh's 2005 ring has five trophies, representing the five Super Bowls they have won). null

The NFL pays up to $5,000.00 per ring, with up to 150 rings per team. If the rings are over the $5,000 limit, the team owners must make up the difference.

Recent rings have been appraised in excess of $20,000 but manufacturers keep this information confidential. Each year a number of manufacturers submit proposed ring designs to the winning teams management with an estimated cost. From these submissions the team selects the ring that will become that year’s symbol of athletic excellence in American football.

The most Super Bowl rings won to date is Seven, won by Neal Dahlen. Mr. Dahlen won five with the 49ers (Staff and Player Personnel) and two with the Denver Broncos (General Manager). The second most is Six, won by Conditioning coach Mike Woicik. Mike won three with the Dallas Cowboys and three with the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick currently has five and with the next win allowing him to join this elite group.

A number of better known players and coaches currently hold five rings. This list includes: Dan Rooney, Dick Hoak, Joe Greene, Charles Haley, Chuck Noll, Bill Belichick, Romeo Crennel, George Seifert, and Pepper Johnson. Each have five Super Bowl Rings. Rooney won each as an executive with the Pittsburgh Steelers, for which Hoak was running backs coach for all five championships. Also for the Steelers, defensive tackle Greene won four as a player and one as the Steelers' special assistant for player personnel

Twenty-two players have won four rings, among them Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mel Blount, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Rocky Bleier, Donnie Shell, and Mike Webster, each won four Super Bowl rings with the Steelers. Joe Montana, Keena Turner, Jesse Sapolu, Eric Wright, and Ronnie Lott each won four Super Bowl rings with the 49ers. Kicker Adam Vinatieri won three with the Patriots and one with the Indianapolis Colts. Ted Hendricks won three with the Raiders and one with the Colts. Bill Romanowski won two with the 49ers and two with the Denver Broncos. Coach Charlie Weis won one with the Giants and three with the Patriots. Matt Millen has the most rings from different teams, two with the Oakland Raiders, one with the 49ers, and one with the Washington Redskins. These numbers will obviously change with time

To view designs from all of the past Super Bowl rings please visit the following link http://www.sportspool.com/football/super_bowl/rings.php

Special thanks to Wikipedia.com for information contributed to this posting.

]]> Famous Awards http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=37 Tue, 5 Feb 2008 07:18:00 -0800 http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=16 It started in 1966 on a cocktail napkin--a humble beginning for the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy, one of the world's most prestigious sports awards. The scene was a luncheon attended by both Pete Rozelle, then-commissioner of the National Football League, and a vice president of a prominent Jeweler in New York, N.Y.

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The jeweler sketched it extremely quickly. "And that sketch became an icon of modern-day sports--the symbol for what no one knew at the time would be one of today's most popular sporting events."

The first Super Bowl, called the AFL/NFL World Championship Game, was played in January following the 1966 football season. At that time, the game was a contest between the champions of the National Football League and the American Football League. Around the third championship game, the media started calling it the Super Bowl, a title coined by Lamar Hunt, owner of the Kansas City Chiefs and founder of the AFL. He thought of the name after seeing his daughter playing with a toy rubber ball called a superball.
After Super Bowl IV, the two leagues merged into one under the NFL name, with teams divided into two conferences: the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The Super Bowl is now a match between the two conference champions.

Test of Time
The actual design of the Super Bowl trophy was nearly identical to the first sketch. And since the first one was made in 1966, that design hasn't changed one iota. "That's one of the secrets of the trophy's success and durability". "It's always been the same, which makes it instantly recognizable."
It was dubbed the Vince Lombardi Trophy in 1970, just before Super Bowl V. Lombardi--who died of cancer on Sept. 3, 1970, at the age of 57--was a well respected coach who had led the Green Bay Packers to victory in the first two Super Bowls.

The trophy is a perfect blend of modern and traditional. Made entirely of sterling silver, it depicts a regulation football atop what resembles an elongated kicking tee--a plinth with three tapered, concave sides. "It's a traditional football, modernized by the sculpted triangular base". At least 72 hours of labor are required each year to manufacture the trophy. "It's done entirely by hand". "It's hand spun, hand assembled, hand hammered into the base, hand engraved and hand chased."

Because the trophy uses a heavy gauge of silver that is difficult to bend and shape, the manufacturing process demands great expertise. First a spinner places onto a lathe a wooden chuck carved into the shape of half a football. A thick sheet of silver is placed on the chuck. With forming tools, it's spun until it assumes the shape of the chuck. After both halves are formed, they are soldered together to form the ball. "They are joined so perfectly that there's no evidence of a seam." Then a silversmith hand chases the seams and laces onto the ball so that it resembles an actual football. The base is formed from sheet stock, which is hand hammered and soldered. The football is attached by a silver rod that comes up through the base and is secured by silver nuts and bolts. "It has to be sturdy enough to hold up under handling by those 'little' football players." During the manufacturing process, the trophy must be annealed five or six times because the repeated hammering hardens the surface. The annealing loosens the bonding of the molecules in the silver, allowing it to be shaped.

After the trophy is complete, the NFL symbol and the Super Bowl number are hand engraved into a sheet stock of silver, which is applied to the base. When finished, the Lombardi stands 20-3/4 inches tall and weighs about seven pounds. And while it's officially valued at $10,000 (1998), it's a priceless symbol of hard-earned victory for the players and their fans. "The trophies are a great source of pride here," says Ann Dabeck, administrative assistant for the Green Bay Packers, who won trophies from the first two Super Bowls, as well as the 1996 championship.

Taking It Home
Green Bay is one of only 12 teams in the NFL--out of a total of 30--that has earned the title of Super Bowl champion. Of those 12, eight are multiple winners. The Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers tie for the most wins with five apiece. Immediately following a Super Bowl victory, the NFL Commissioner presents the winning team with the trophy. Sometimes it is slightly damaged in the champagne celebration. "We always have an extra in case a catastrophe occurs, but so far nothing major has ever happened." The trophy is then returned to the manufacturer for any repairs and the engraving of the team names and the final score onto the base. Then it goes back to the team for permanent possession.

The teams are free to display the trophies where they want, so they end up in a variety of places. Until recently, Green Bay's trophy from Super Bowl I was on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Now the Hall of Fame has a copy of the trophy, while all three of the Packer's awards are housed behind glass in the entrance of its administrative offices, next to its pro shop. The number of fans who come to see the trophies increased greatly after the team's 1996 win, Dabeck says.

The Dallas Cowboys' five Lombardis are on public display only once a year at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas. The rest of the year they are kept in the office of Jerry Jones, the team's owner. The 49ers display their five awards in the lobby of the team's administrative offices in Santa Clara, Calif. The team's marketing department occasionally takes the trophies on "field trips" such as luncheons and other promotional events.
Only one championship team doesn't have its original trophy. The Baltimore Colts (who moved to Indianapolis in 1984) had to order a copy of the Lombardi from Tiffany's after Carroll Rosenbloom--who owned the team when it won Super Bowl V--took the trophy with him when he traded the Colts for the Los Angeles Rams. Although the Colts are now in Indianapolis, the team's copy of the trophy is still on display in Baltimore.

Sweet Victory
In addition to the trophy, the individual players on the championship team receive custom-designed rings and a cash award, which currently is $48,000, says Pete Fierle, information services manager for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Each player on the losing team receives $29,000--quite a hike from Super Bowl I in which players from the victorious Green Bay Packers each got $15,000, while the losing Kansas City Chiefs received $7,000 apiece.
But for most players, the monetary awards that accompany a Super Bowl victory are secondary to the thrill of achieving the title of world champion. And after 32 years, the Vince Lombardi Trophy still stands as a sterling testimony to that accomplishment. "It's a wonderful iconographic symbol of sports in modern times."

© 1998, Awards and Recognition Association

A Lombardi Trophy fun fact from Steve Sabol, President of NFL films: Sabol's memory from the first Super Bowl was that League officials wanted to take the winning trophy to New York to be engraved, but Vince Lombardi, the winning coach of the Green Bay Packers, insisted that he was taking it back to Green Bay to show his "stockholders". Mr. Sabol said "after he showed it to the stockholders, the Packers sent the trophy to New York to be engraved, but sent it in a regular cardboard box, and it was destroyed." The manufacturer of the trophy had to remake the first Super Bowl trophy ever won, and "the League was mad at the Packers". A custom carrying and shipping case was designed and now in use to prevent this mishap from occuring in the future.

]]> General http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=16 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:55:00 -0800 http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=35
Manufacturing the Globes
The Golden Globe statue is produced using a combination of metals. The globe is made from one mold through a hot metal casting process. The globe is then plated with 24-karat gold. The 24-karat Golden Globe is ...
null...encircled with a strip of motion picture film. The award stands about 10 inches high, with the actual globe measuring 4 inches. The yellowish, fabricated faux-marble base takes up the largest portion of the overall award height, at 6 inches high. The monetary value of the trophy is a few hundred dollars, while the sentimental and promotional value can not be measured! Because the Golden Globe winners remain a secret, all the engraving takes place after the awards are announced. A couple of hundred Golden Globe statuettes are produced every three years-creating a three-year supply. Today, the Golden Globes recognize achievements in 25 categories; 14 in motion pictures and 11 in television.

The Golden Globe award has remained virtually unchanged since its debut in 1945. Only the base has been modified a number of years ago. The base was enlarged to its current size to give the statue more balance and height.

For the Greater Good
The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and TV programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. The ceremony has been run as a fundraiser since 1944 by the HFPA.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s annual Golden Globe Awards have enabled the non-profit organization to donate more than $7.7 million in the past thirteen years to entertainment-related charities, as well as funding scholarships and other programs for future film and television professionals. In the year 2007 the donation was more than 1.2 million dollars, the largest tally ever distributed in the organization's history. Due to this year’s strike and subsequent loss of TV revenues, the donation for 2008 will unfortunately be much less.

The History of the Award
The Golden Globes, one of the motion picture entertainment industry's most prestigious awards were once handed out on a piece of paper. The first Golden Globe awards were not golden globes at all-they were scrolls, and they were presented in just five categories: Best Motion Picture, Best Motion Picture Actress, Best Motion Picture Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor. In an informal ceremony held at the production company 20th Century Fox, the best movie award went to "The Song of Bernadette." This was in 1944, a year after, a group of foreign correspondents decided to create a non-profit organization comprised solely of foreign press representatives. They called themselves the Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association (HFCA).

In 1945 the members of the new group held a contest to find the best design for an award trophy that would symbolize the goals of the organization and that could be used to officially recognize the outstanding achievements of industry entertainers. The members chose a creation by Marina Cisternas, the association's president from 1945 to 1946, which became the iconic Golden Globe design of today. The current and final design was and is a “Golden Globe” encircled with a Strip of Motion Picture Film.

The Globes could have been called the “Henrietta’s”?
Some philosophical disagreements among members of the HFCA resulted in a 1950 split into two different entities. The original group continued to present its Golden Globes, while the separate Foreign Press Association of Hollywood created its own award called the Henrietta, named for the group's president, Henry Gris.

In 1951, the association doubled the number of film categories by dividing them into drama and comedy/musical. The following year added the Cecil B. DeMille Award to the list to recognize notable contributions to the entertainment field. DeMille himself, a prominent U.S. producer and director, was the award's first recipient.

In 1955 the two groups were reunited as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), and the Golden Globe awards prevailed over the lesser-known Henrietta’s. It wasn't until 1961 that the television award recipients also included specific actors and actresses.

The HFPA set the Globes apart from the Academy Awards, which first presented its awards in 1927, in two ways: First, the HFPA distinguishes between drama and comedy/musical; and second, it bestows awards for television as well as film. Traditionally a number of the Best Motion Picture Golden Globe winners have gone on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actresses. Thus, the Globes have evolved into somewhat of an indicator for the Oscar winners. In the late 1980s, the Golden Globe Awards Ceremony began being televised, thus adding to its popularity and clout.

The Golden Globe's similar British equivalent, considered equal in prestige, is the BAFTA.

The Broadcast Presentation
As representatives of the world press, the group’s members felt it was incumbent upon them to give their audience their judgments as to Hollywood’s finest productions. The organization’s first awards presentation for distinguished achievements in the film industry took place in early 1944 with an informal ceremony at 20th Century Fox. There, Jennifer Jones was awarded Best Actress honors for “The Song of Bernadette,” which also won for Best Film, while Paul Lukas took home Best Actor laurels for “Watch on the Rhine.” Awards were presented in the form of scrolls.

The group’s first special event was a luncheon in December 1947, at which a meritorious plaque was awarded to Henry M. Warner, president of Warner Bros., in recognition of his humanitarian work as the principal sponsor of the “Friendship Train,” which left Hollywood with food, clothing and medical supplies for the needy of Europe.

In conjunction with the Golden Globes presentation, the Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association held its first gala social event in 1945 with a formal banquet at the Beverly Hills Hotel. “Going My Way” won for Best Picture, while Ingrid Bergman and Alexander Knox were named Best Actress and Best Actor for their performances in “The Bells of St. Mary” and “President Wilson,” respectively.

The awards at the ceremony had typically been presented by journalists who were part of the association. However at the 1958 Golden Globes which was the first year of local telecast, in an impromptu action, “The Rat Pack” (aka Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr.) took to the stage, allegedly taking over the presenting with whiskey and cigarettes in hand. The action was met with great delight of the audience. The next year the association asked them to present the awards. The celebrity presentation tradition exists to this day.

The broadcast of the Golden Globe Awards generally ranks as the third most-watched awards show each year, behind only the Oscars and the Grammy’s. The Golden Globes has grown to one of the highest honors for actors and actresses.

Voting for the Globes
The Golden Globes are awarded early in the year, based on votes from 86 mostly part-time journalists living in Hollywood and affiliated with media outside of the United States. The journalists cover approximately 200 print, radio and television outlets in more than 50 countries.

Some critics of the association argue that some members possess questionable credentials and that technically their work could be anything from a long, analytical article to a short blurb written from the transcript of a celebrity interview. Other people have accused association members of receiving substantial gifts and incentives in exchange for voting for the gift-giver's choice for winner. Perhaps the most extreme example took place when the 1982 Golden Globe for Newcomer of the Year went to Pia Zadora. This came after members of the HFPA were treated to food and drinks at a Las Vegas show starring Zadora and paid for by her husband.

Each year HFPA members interview more than 250 actors, directors, writers and producers, as well as reporting from film sets and seeing more than 300 films. Members also attend film festivals in other countries in order to seek out interesting and innovative foreign language films and establish cultural bonds with directors, actors, jurors and fellow journalists around the world.
Membership meetings are held monthly and the officers and directors are elected annually. A maximum of five journalists are admitted to the organization each year. All members are accredited by the Motion Picture Association of America.
Despite any faultfinders, the Golden Globe Awards have staked out a significant place for themselves in the hearts and minds of millions of fans and industry insiders across the globe.

Unlike the Academy Awards, for which the eligibility period begins January 1, the eligibility period for the Golden Globe Awards begins October 1.

For more information please visit http://www.goldenglobes.org/

]]> Famous Awards http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=35 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 08:18:50 -0800 http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=34
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The trophy is a 13-1/2 inches high, 14 inches long detailed bronze statue, weighing a hefty 25 pounds, ......depicting a sidestepping, and straight arming football player making his way downfield to a mythical touchdown!

History of the Heisman
The idea of an award to honor and recognize the most outstanding college football player was originally conceived by members of the Downtown Athletic Club of New York City. Renowned for its devotion to sports, members of the Downtown Athletic Club, appointed a Club Trophy Committee, led by John W. Heisman who was the first Athletic Director of the Downtown Athletic Club, and charged them with conducting the first award presentation at the conclusion of the 1935 football season.

The Design of the Heisman Trophy
The trophy committee of the DAC after considering a traditional cup or bowl, selected a well-known sculptor and National Academy Prize Winner, Frank Eliscu, to design a replica in bronze of a muscular football player driving for yardage. Mr. Eliscu selected Ed Smith, a leading player on the 1934 New York University football team, as his model for the award. A rough clay model was formed by Eliscu of Smith. It was approved by the DAC Committee and sent uptown to Jim Crowley (one of the legendary Four Horseman of Notre Dame), then Head Football Coach at Fordham, for his inspection. He showed the replica to his players who took various positions on the field to illustrate and verify the side step, the forward drive and the strong arm thrust of the right arm. Sculptor Eliscu closely observed these action sequences and modified his clay prototype to correspond. The result was a truly lifelike simulation of player action. It was then converted into a plaster cast, a step preliminary to ultimate production in bronze.

The final inspection of the cast was made after a dinner at the McAlpin Hotel on November 16, 1935, attended by Coach Elmer Layden and the entire Notre Dame football team (they had just played a memorable 6-6 tie with Army before 78,114 fans). The members of the Fighting Irish squad were impressed by Eliscu's model. The 1935 Notre Dame team put its seal of approval on this new trophy. It was now ready for its final stage, bronze casting. The trophy was a classic sculpture, an artistic as well as athletic triumph.

The first award of the “DAC Trophy” was made on December 9, 1935 to Jay Berwanger, a triple threat cyclone in Chicago's backfield. It was not named the Heisman till the following year. Jay Berwanger, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles but declined to sign for them. He never played professional football for any team.

The naming of the DAC Trophy as the Heisman
Following John W. Heisman's death in 1936, the DAC Trophy was renamed the Heisman Memorial Trophy as a tribute to the memory of the distinguished American athlete and inventive football genius. In 1968, the Heisman Trophy Committee voted to award two trophies each year - one to the winner and one to the college or university he represents.

The Heisman’s Namesake - John W. Heisman, An Innovator of the Game
As the tradition of the Heisman Memorial Trophy grows with each passing year, the life of the man memorialized by the award fades into the annals of history. No one more thoroughly studied the dynamics of football, nor witnessed more closely the game's evolution, nor personally knew more immortals of the gridiron, nor effected more change in the game's development, the awards namesake -John W. Heisman.

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John Heisman

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, October 23, 1869, John William Heisman grew up on the oil fields of northwest Pennsylvania, in the town of Titusville. John Heisman's first football games were a hodgepodge of soccer/rugby. In 1887, at age 17, he left Titusville for Brown University where he played a form of club football with his class mates. After two years, in the fall of 1889, he transferred to Penn to pursue his law degree. Though outsized at 5'8" and 158lbs, he played varsity football for three years as guard, center, tackle, and, at times, end.

Debilitated after a flash of lightening nearly cost him his eyesight, Heisman took his final exams orally and graduated with his law degree in the spring of 1892. Immediately after college, he got his first coaching job at Oberlin College leading the team to win all of its seven games in only the second year of the football program. Heisman's career as a coach was launched.

His career developed as Coach with stints at Auburn, Clemson, University of Pennsylvania, Washington and Jefferson and Rice. His coaching career ultimately spanned more than three decades (1892-1927). His most impressive coaching reign was with Georgia Tech (1904-1919) where his Golden Tornado was a scoring powerhouse with an astounding 33 straight wins.
Coach Heisman left Georgia Tech after the 1919 season to return as head coach at his alma mater U. of Penn. After three years he bought out his contract and spent one year at Washington & Jefferson, before moving west to Texas and Rice Institute. In 1927, at age 62, John W. Heisman retired from coaching the game he loved and developed.

In retirement in New York, John Heisman found more time to write as well as serve in advisory positions. His articles were published in magazines such as American Liberty and Colliers Magazine. He also served as football editor for the professional publication Sporting Goods Journal. This prodigious outpouring did not go unnoticed. On May 23, 1930, John W. Heisman was named the first Athletic Director of the Downtown Athletic Club of New York City. Serving in this capacity, Heisman organized and founded the Touchdown Club of New York, and later the National Football Coaches Association.

At the insistence of the DAC officers he organized and set into motion the structure and voting system to determine the best collegiate football player in the country. Though Heisman initially opposed pointing out an individual over a team, he ultimately felt it a consummate team accomplishment to have such recognition. In doing so the first Downtown Athletic Club Award was given in 1935 to Chicago's Jay Berwanger. On October 3, 1936, before the second award could go out, John W. Heisman succumbed to pneumonia. The officers of the DAC unanimously voted to rename the DAC Award, the Heisman Memorial Trophy that year.

The Forward Pass - Heisman’s greatest accomplishment
In his coaching career, Heisman changed the face of the game that became America's passion. What he considered his greatest contribution, the forward pass, became legalized in 1906, after three years of writing and pestering Walter Camp and the rules committee. Much of the official rule book in the day adopted Heisman's suggestions word for word.

Men who respected and called him friend included: coaches Robert C Zuppke of Illinois, Fielding Yost of Michigan, Amos A Stagg of Chicago, Dr. J. W. Wilce of the Ohio State University, D.X. Bible of Texas A&M, legendary sports writer Grantland Rice, golf's first Grand Slam winner Robert Jones Jr. and former team mate and Honorable Mayor of Philadelphia Harry A Mackey. As did his life touch many, the spirit of his character continues to inspire the best in those who would receive his Memorial.

Selection
The prestige in the award stems from a number of factors. Though balloting is open for all football players in all divisions of college football, the winners usually represent Division I FCS schools. The closest that a player outside of the modern Division I FCS came to winning the Heisman is third place. Steve McNair, from Division I FBS Alcorn State, finished third in the voting in 1994. Gordie Lockbaum, from Division I FBS Holy Cross, finished third in the voting in 1987. Archie Griffin of Ohio State is the only player to receive the award twice, winning it as a junior in 1974 and a senior in 1975. (Although Chicago is now a Division III school and Yale and Princeton are now Division I FBS, all three schools were considered major programs at the time their players won the award.) In addition to incredible personal statistics, team achievements play a heavy role in the voting—a typical Heisman winner represents a team that had an outstanding season and was most likely in contention for the national championship at some point in that season.

Balloting
Balloting for the Heisman is selective. The fifty states of the U.S. are split into six regions, and six regional representatives are selected to appoint voters in their states (the regions include the Far West, the Mid Atlantic, Mid West, North East, South, and South West). Each region has 145 media votes, for a total of 870 votes. In addition, all previous Heisman winners may vote, and one final vote is counted through public balloting. The Heisman ballots contain a 3-2-1 point system, in which each ballot ranks the voter's top three players and awards them three points for a first-place vote, two points for a second-place vote, and one point for a third-place vote. The points are tabulated, and the player with the highest total of points across all ballots wins the Heisman Trophy.
Special thanks and acknowledgement for the material contained in this blog to the book, Call Me Coach; www.Wikopedia.com and www.Heisman.com.
]]> Famous Awards http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=34 Sat, 8 Dec 2007 09:05:00 -0800 http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=32 The Power Of Recognition
A company that creates an environment that motivates people, and where positive behavior is rewarded, will attract... ... the best talent, maintain strong morale, retain key employees and ultimately stay ahead of the competition.

This same environment, rich in motivation and recognition, will also achieve positive results on the ball field, in the classroom and even around the dinner table. The key to this basic premise is RECOGNITION – Making Someone Proud. If you reward good behavior, it will be repeated. This principle has been demonstrated over and over again, in both laboratory settings and in the real world. What is the reward? RECOGNITION – Making Someone Proud. Studies have shown that if you recognize and appreciate your co-workers, good things will happen. Stress, absenteeism, turnover will decrease, while morale, productivity, competitiveness will increase. Likewise, in the classroom, positively reinforcing behavior through recognition, will lead to increased attentiveness, improved test scores and most importantly, a genuine interest in learning.

Despite popular belief, money isn’t the best way to recognize superior performance. In fact, research shows us that the number one reason people leave jobs is “limited recognition and praise.” Issues such as compensation were all deemed less important than recognition. Clearly, people value respect, appreciation and recognition just as much as — and often more than — monetary rewards. The money will be spent and long forgotten, while an award will live on as a reminder of the achievement for years to come.
An added benefit of recognition is that it affects more than just the recipient. When a coach recognizes a player for improving their play, not only does the player feel proud about the recognition but the coach also celebrates in the joy of accomplishment and feeling of pride. When a manager recognizes a co-worker, the co-worker is proud, but so is the manager to have that person on their team. Recognition as it is given or received is an act of empowerment. Others on the team or in the room are also inspired, and they strive to be recognized and to recognize others.

How do you recognize your team members, your co-workers, your students or family members? Start small. Recognize individual achievement whenever you can. Or, you may choose to implement a more formal recognition program. The program may be tailored to suit any goal, from increasing points scored to improving corporate sales to bringing up the class grade point average. It’s a fairly simple process, and it doesn’t have to involve spending a lot of money — remember, it’s the recognition itself that’s so important.
That’s the foundation for successful motivation. By Making Someone Proud, you can appreciate the work people perform, respect them for it and recognize their accomplishments.

Appreciation and recognition are powerful motivators leading to an increase in performance, productivity, morale, employee retention and overall satisfaction. Appreciation and Recognition are two of the top principles people value in their jobs.

Creating Your Own Recognition Program
A recognition program is the best way for any company to provide employees with these good feelings. How you design and implement the program will determine its success. It must be carefully planned, consistent, and meaningful to both employees and managers. Remember, your program's ultimate goal is to motivate those involved to reach higher levels of achievement, as well as provide for lots of recognition among peers.

Step 1: Goals
First, determine the goals of your program. Ask yourself what it is you wish to accomplish. It may be sales, cost reduction, customer satisfaction, or promoting a new product. Ask for input from those around you. Make your goal simple and specific.

Step 2: Target
As you discuss your objectives, it should become clear exactly whom the program should target (warehouse personnel, salespeople, etc.); you may need overlapping programs for the different groups. Make sure your objectives are realistic and attainable. Colleagues must feel they can reach the targets you put before them, and their results will be evaluated fairly.

Step 3: Recognition & Awards
Now that you have carefully selected your goals for the recognition program, and you understand who will be participating, determine how and what kind of awards you will hand out. Will you give an award to just the top person, or will there be second and third place? You may want to consider "interim awards" to maintain inspiration for programs that run for long periods: every 100 days without an accident on the way to 1 year for example.
When selecting an award, keep in mind the power of personalization. Whether it's a crystal bowl, a marble obelisk, a plaque, certificate or a small medal, it's important to have the person's name inscribed. It makes the award "feel official," the emotion to it last longer; it's permanent recognition. Personalization gives the recipient an opportunity to show it off, whether it's displayed on a desk, mantel or hung on the wall. Furthermore, every time the individual sees the award, with the company logo, their name and the recognition of achievement etched into the award, it will reinforce the relationship and commitment to the organization, themselves and their peers.

Step 4: Communicate
Once the parameters of the recognition program is mapped out, conduct a meeting with all involved to make sure they understand the program completely. Answer questions, and don't be afraid to make modifications in the plan upon hearing from those involved. This will further the feeling that everybody is "in" on the plan. When the program has been formalized, post it in a conspicuous place.

Step 5: Promotion
Once the plan in place, promote it. Send reminders to participants, being sure to rally them to the cause, not threaten them with extinction if the goals are not met. At the end of the program, but before the awards are distributed, send congratulatory notes to all participants, celebrating their success. Make sure the letters are personal, with messages from top management recognizing their effort and contributions to the company.

Step 6: Distribution of Awards
When the awards are finally distributed, do it as lavishly as your possible. Treat your ceremony like a night at the “Oscars.” Whether you host a banquet in a rented hall or bring in donuts and coffee, the fanfare involved will make the awards more meaningful. This positive feeling will extend from the actual award recipients to their peers and even to upper management.

Step 7: Evaluate
Evaluate the program's results. Conduct a survey or hold meetings with all involved, focusing on the program itself, the goals, even the awards and "ceremony." Inquire if there were any snags along the way, and how they can be ironed out. Ask if the program reached the ultimate goals, met all expectations, and if there were any unexpected benefits. Sit down and analyze the feedback. And don't forget, get the next recognition program rolling. You can never have too many happy co-workers!

]]> Employee Recognition http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=32 Thu, 22 Nov 2007 08:40:00 -0800 http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=29 null

The Trophy
The Award crystal is composed of two solid Steuben Crystal prismatic forms, that stands 14 inches tall. The crystal is held in a base of black anodized aluminum, with the award recipient’s name engraved on the base. A 22-karat gold-plated medallion is captured in the front section of the crystal. The medal bears the inscription “Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award” and “The Quest For Excellence” surrounding the Baldrige “Ribbon with Star” Logo on one side and the “Presidential Seal” on the other side.The award crystal cannot be reproduced in any form or size. Award recipients may reproduce the Baldrige Award trademark and Baldrige Award medallion for use on mementos. However, replicas and printed reproductions of the medallion cannot include the Presidential seal, which is on the reverse side of the medallion. Copies of the medallion may be produced with plain reverse side, a duplicate of the front side, or name or trademark of the award recipient along with the year the award was won.

Why was the award established?
In the early and mid-1980s, many industry and government leaders saw that a renewed emphasis on quality was no longer an option for American companies but a necessity for doing business in an ever expanding, and more demanding, competitive world market. But many American businesses either did not believe quality mattered for them or did not know where to begin. The Baldrige Award was envisioned as a standard of excellence that would help U.S. organizations achieve world-class quality.

Named after Malcolm Baldrige, the 26th Secretary of Commerce, the Baldrige Award was established by Congress in 1987 to enhance the competitiveness and performance of U.S. businesses. Originally, three types of organizations were eligible: manufacturers, service companies and small businesses. This was expanded in 1999 to include education and health care organizations, and again in 2007 to include nonprofit organizations (including charities, trade and professional associations, and government agencies). The award promotes excellence in organizational performance, recognizes the achievements and results of U.S. organizations, and publicizes successful performance strategies. The award is not given for specific products or services. Since 1988, 72 organizations have received Baldrige Awards.

The Baldrige program is managed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in conjunction with the private sector. As a nonregulatory agency of the Commerce Department, NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.

Public Law 100-107
The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award was created by Public Law 100-107, signed into law on August 20, 1987. The Award Program, responsive to the purposes of Public Law 100-107, led to the creation of a new public-private partnership. Principal support for the program comes from the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, established in 1988.

The Findings and Purposes Section of Public Law 100-107 states that:"
1. the leadership of the United States in product and process quality has been challenged strongly (and sometimes successfully) by foreign competition, and our Nation's productivity growth has improved less than our competitors' over the last two decades.
2. American business and industry are beginning to understand that poor quality costs companies as much as 20 percent of sales revenues nationally and that improved quality of goods and services goes hand in hand with improved productivity, lower costs, and increased profitability.
3. strategic planning for quality and quality improvement programs, through a commitment to excellence in manufacturing and services, are becoming more and more essential to the well-being of our Nation's economy and our ability to compete effectively in the global marketplace.
4. improved management understanding of the factory floor, worker involvement in quality, and greater emphasis on statistical process control can lead to dramatic improvements in the cost and quality of manufactured products.
5. the concept of quality improvement is directly applicable to small companies as well as large, to service industries as well as manufacturing, and to the public sector as well as private enterprise.
6. in order to be successful, quality improvement programs must be management-led and customer-oriented, and this may require fundamental changes in the way companies and agencies do business.
7. several major industrial nations have successfully coupled rigorous private-sector quality audits with national awards giving special recognition to those enterprises the audits identify as the very best; and
8. a national quality award program of this kind in the United States would help improve quality and productivity by:
a. helping to stimulate American companies to improve quality and productivity for the pride of recognition while obtaining a competitive edge through increased profits;
b. recognizing the achievements of those companies that improve the quality of their goods and services and providing an example to others;
c. establishing guidelines and criteria that can be used by business, industrial, governmental, and other organizations in evaluating their own quality improvement efforts; and
d. providing specific guidance for other American organizations that wish to learn how to manage for high quality by making available detailed information on how winning organizations were able to change their cultures and achieve eminence."

The 2007 Baldrige Award recipients—listed with their category—are:
• PRO-TEC Coating Co., Leipsic, Ohio (small business)
• Mercy Health System, Janesville, Wisc. (health care)
• Sharp HealthCare, San Diego, Calif. (health care)
• City of Coral Springs, Coral Springs, Fla. (nonprofit)
• U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC), Picatinny Arsenal, N.J. (nonprofit)
“I am pleased to join President Bush in congratulating the five outstanding organizations that have been named to receive this year’s Baldrige Award,” said Secretary Gutierrez. “The organizations we recognize today have given us superb examples of innovation, excellence and world-class performance. They serve as role models for organizations of all kinds striving to improve effectiveness and increase value to their customers.”
With these new recipients, the program celebrates its 20th anniversary. Along with recognizing the achievements of the award recipients, a key measure of the Baldrige National Quality Program’s impact has been the widespread use of its Criteria for Performance Excellence, the guide designed to help organizations of all types improve their operations. Since 1987, about 10 million copies of the Baldrige criteria have been distributed. Downloads currently number about 1 million annually. Additionally, more than 40 U.S. states and more than 45 countries worldwide have implemented programs based on the Baldrige criteria.
The 2007 Baldrige Award recipients were selected from a field of 84 applicants. All of the applicants were evaluated rigorously by an independent board of examiners in seven areas: leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results. The evaluation process for the 2007 Baldrige Award recipients included about 1,000 hours of review and an on-site visit by teams of examiners to clarify questions and verify information in the applications.
The 2007 Baldrige Award recipients are expected to be presented with their awards in a ceremony in Washington, D.C., early next year.
]]> Famous Awards http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=29 Thu, 22 Nov 2007 06:46:45 -0800 http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=31
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The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Generally presented to its recipient by the President of the United States of America in the name of Congress, it is often called the Congressional Medal of Honor.

The Navy medal was the first to be struck, followed quickly by the Army version of this award. There are three different types of Medals of Honor today as seen directly below: the original simple star shape established in 1861 which the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard have retained; a wreath version designed in 1904 for the Army; and an altered wreath version for the Air Force, designed in 1963 and adopted in 1965.
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NAVY MEDAL OF HONOR (1862)
The Navy's Medal of Honor was the first approved and the first designed. The initial work was done by the Philadelphia Mint at the request of Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles. The Mint submitted several designs for consideration, and the one prepared by the Philadelphia firm of William Wilson & Sons was the design selected.
The selected Medal of Honor design consisted of an INVERTED, 5-pointed STAR. On each of the five points was a cluster of LAUREL leaves to represent victory, mixed with a cluster of OAK to represent strength. Surrounding the encircled insignia were 34 stars, equal to the number of stars in the U.S. Flag at the time in 1862....one star for each state of the Union including the 11 Confederate states. The stars are also symbolic of the "heavens and the divine goal which man has aspired to since time immemorial" according to Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Congress back in 1777.
Inside the circle of 34 stars were engraved two images. To the right is the image of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and war. On her helmet is perched an owl, representing WISDOM. In keeping with the Roman tradition, her left hand holds a bundle of rods and an ax blade, symbolic of authority. The shield in her right hand is the shield of the Union of our states (similar to the shield on our seal and other important emblems.)
Recoiling from Minerva is a man clutching snakes in his hands. He represented DISCORD and the insignia came to be known as "Minerva Repulsing Discord". Taken in the context of the Civil War soldiers and sailors struggling to overcome the discord of the states and preserve the Union, the design was as fitting as it was symbolic.

The ribbon that held the medal was originally a blue bar on top and 13 red and white stripes running vertically. The 13 represents the original 13 colonies. The color white represents purity and innocence, red represents hardiness, valor and blood, and blue signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice. The stripes also represent the rays of the sun.
For all practical intents and purposes, the Navy Medal of Honor remains the same today as it did when it was born. The only change has been in the attachment that connects it to the ribbon, and the ribbon itself. Originally the Navy Medal of Honor was suspended from its red, white and blue ribbon by an anchor wrapped with a length of rope. The reverse side of the Medal was inscribed with the words "Personal Valor" above an open area in which the recipient's name could be engraved.

ARMY MEDAL OF HONOR (1862)
Struck from the same die as the Navy Medal of Honor, the original Army Medal differed only in the emblem that attached it to the same red, white and blue ribbon as the Navy. Replacing the anchor was an eagle perched on crossed cannon and clutching a saber in its talons. Replacing the words "Personal Valor" on the back of the Medal were the words "The Congress To" with an area to engrave the recipient's name.

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ARMY MEDAL OF HONOR (1896)
The first change in the Medal of Honor occurred in 1896 and dealt ONLY with the ARMY Medal of Honor. The change resulted after Congress authorized the wearing of a rosette or ribbon in lieu of the Medal in 1895. Following this step, Congress provided for replacement ribbons to recipients whose ribbons had deteriorated with age. In an effort to distinguish the Medal of Honor from awards being produced and distributed by various veterans organizations, the new suspension ribbon was introduced.

The change in the design of the ribbon was not enough distinction for the Medal of Honor for many recipients including Civil War hero Brigadier General George Gillespie. With the full support of Secretary of War Elihu Root at the turn of the century, the idea of a redesigned Army Medal of Honor gained momentum. One of the leaders in the effort was Horace Porter who had just received the Medal of Honor (July 8, 1902) for his own heroism during the Civil War. The U.S. Ambassador to France, Porter had a new design prepared by the Paris firm of Messrs. Arthur, Bertrand, and Berenger. He shared this design with Secretary Root, then sought the approval of the officers of the Medal of Honor Legion. On April 23, 1904 Congress authorized the new design for the Army Medal of Honor.
To protect the new design from being copied as had been the earlier Medal, General Gillespie sought and obtained a patent in November, 1904. The following month he transferred the patent to Secretary of War William Taft.

Gillespie MEDAL OF HONOR (1904)
The new Army Medal kept the star but modified the face of the Medal. The words "United States of America" replaced the ring of 34 stars and "Minerva Repelling Discord" was changed to display a simple profile of the helmeted Goddess of War. The oak clusters remained in the points of the star, now in a dark enameled green. The laurel clusters were moved to a wreath where they too were enameled in green, in the shape of an open wreath. The eagle that had once perched on cannon, saber in its talons, now perched on a bar bearing the words "VALOR" and the shafts of arrows.
The ribbon likewise was changed from its red, white and blue to a single light blue color on which was embroidered thirteen stars. The reverse of the Medal continued to bear the words "The Congress To", but these words were now printed on the back side of the "VALOR" bar, the full back of the Medal itself unadorned to provide for information on the recipient. The 13 is once again the original 13 colonies.

NAVY MEDAL OF HONOR (1913)
Since its birth the Navy's Medal of Honor, presented also to members of the Marine Corps and Coast Guard, has not changed. In 1913 the anchor that connected it to the suspension ribbon was changed slightly when the rope was removed. At the time of that change the ribbon too changed to the same blue silk ribbon bearing 13 stars that was used with the Army Medal of Honor.

Since the Navy awarded Medals of Honor for both COMBAT and NON-COMBAT heroism, in 1919 the Department of the Navy decided to distinguish between the two acts by presenting a different Medal of Honor for each. The Original Medal would be presented for COMBAT heroism and the new MALTESE CROSS would signify NON-COMBAT heroism meriting the Medal of Honor. Designed by New York's TIFFANY & COMPANY, it became known as the "Tiffany Cross".

TIFFANY CROSS (1919)
The blue silk ribbon of the Maltese Cross hung below a bar bearing the old English spelling for valor, "VALOUR". The Medal itself featured the American eagle in the center of the award and surrounded by a six sided border over the top of which was printed "UNITED STATES NAVY" AND "1917 - 1918". An anchor protruded outward from each of the cross's four arms and the back of the medal bore the words "Awarded To" with a place for the recipient's personal information.
The "Tiffany Cross" was not a popular award and is the rarest of all Medals of Honor in existence. In 1942 it was dropped from the Medal of Honor profile and the Navy returned to its original Medal of Honor as the only design awarded.

Though it was not uncommon for Medals of Honor to continue to be pinned to a soldier's tunic during World War II, the practice of draping it around a recipient's neck became increasingly used. For this purpose the modern Medal of Honor was suspended from an 8-sided "pad" bearing 13 white stars, to which the blue silk neck ribbon was attached.
The Medal of Honor is the only United States Military Award that is worn around the neck rather than pinned to the uniform.

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AIR FORCE MEDAL OF HONOR (1965)
Authorized in 1956, the Air Force unveiled its own design for the Medal of Honor in 1965. About 50% larger than the other services' Medals of Honor, it retained the laurel wreath and oak leaves of the Army Medal which had previously been presented to members of the Army Air Service and Air Corps. It also retained the bar bearing the word "VALOR". Inside the circle of stars the helmeted profile of Minerva from the Army's medal is replaced by the head of the Statue of Liberty. Replacing the Army's eagle is the Air Force Coat of Arms.

RIBBON AND ROSETTE
On May 2, 1895 Congress authorized "a rosette or knot to be worn in lieu of the medal and a ribbon to be worn with the medal." Today's Medal of Honor Ribbon is blue with FIVE stars, 2 at the top and 3 at the bottom. (One of the most common mistakes people make when displaying Medal of Honor graphics is to display the ribbon up-side down.)
The six-sided blue silk rosette bears 13 stars and is worn on civilian attire. Medal of Honor recipients also wear the Medal itself around the neck of civilian attire for special occasions.

NOTES:
When the patent on the Medal of Honor first obtained by General Gillespie expired in 1918 Congress intervened to protect the Medal's integrity. In 1923 legislation was enacted to prohibit the unauthorized manufacture of medals awarded by the military services. Additional legislation since then has taken steps to further protect the awards presented to our military heroes, and the Medal of Honor in particular.
As long as our Nation has veterans of military service there will be "war stories" and embellished tales of battlefield heroics. Such is the nature of military men. Sadly, some have stooped to the lowest levels by claiming or displaying medals they are not authorized. Misrepresentation of ones' self as a Medal of Honor recipient is a CRIME punishable by imprisonment.

The Medal's History
On December 9, 1861 Iowa Senator James W. Grimes introduced S. No. 82 in the United States Senate, a bill designed to "promote the efficiency of the Navy" by authorizing the production and distribution of "medals of honor". On December 21st the bill was passed, authorizing 200 such medals be produced "which shall be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen and marines as shall distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other seamanlike qualities during the present war (Civil War)." President Lincoln signed the bill and the (Navy) Medal of Honor was born.
Two months later on February 17, 1862 Massachusetts Senator Henry Wilson introduced a similar bill, this one to authorize "the President to distribute medals to privates in the Army of the United States who shall distinguish themselves in battle." Over the following months wording changed slightly as the bill made its way through Congress. When President Abraham Lincoln signed S.J.R. No. 82 on July 12, 1862, the Army Medal of Honor was born. It read in part:
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to cause two thousand "medals of honor" to be prepared with suitable emblematic devices, and to direct that the same be presented, in the name of the Congress, to such non--commissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action, and other soldier-like qualities, during the present insurrection (Civil War)."
With this simple and rather obscure act Congress created a unique award that would achieve prominence in American history like few others. The table below will acquaint you with a chronological time line of key events in the history of the Medal of Honor.

3 MAR 1847: Congress authorizes a "certificate of merit" be presented by the President when a "private soldier distinguishes himself in the service", along with additional pay of $2 per month.

13 FEB 1861: Army Assistant Surgeon Bernard J.D. Irwin rescues the 60 soldiers of 2d Lt. George Bascom's unit at Apache Pass, AZ. Though the Medal of Honor had not yet been proposed in Congress (and actually wouldn't even be presented to Irwin until 1894, it was the First heroic act for which the Medal of Honor would be awarded.

1876: Due to the large number of men submitted for Medals of Honor after the Battle of the Little Big Horn, a review board of officers was assembled to consider the requests. The number was pared down to 24 men, and a "new standard" was applied that "the conduct which deserves such recognition should not be the simple discharge of duty, but such acts beyond this that if omitted or refused to be done, should not justly subject the person to censure as a shortcoming or failure."

10 NOV 1896: For the first time a change is made in the DESIGN of the Medal of Honor. The change is only in the suspension ribbon and affects only the Army's Medal of Honor.

1 FEB 1898: The Army issues proper instruction for display of the Medal of Honor suspended from a ribbon hung around the neck of the recipient. (For the next half century Army Medals of Honor were sometimes displayed in this fashion, at other times pinned to the tunic of a soldier's uniform.)

23 APR 1904: Congress authorizes a distinctive new design for the Army Medal of Honor, the brainchild of General George Gillespie who had received the Medal of Honor during the Civil War. The new "Gillespie Medal" retains the star shape but surrounds it with a green laurel. The Medal is suspended from a newly designed blue ribbon bearing 13 stars from a bar on which is printed the word "VALOR". Upon authorizing the new Medal of Honor design, Congress requires Medal recipients to return their original Medals to be replaced with the new.

27 FEB 1907: Recipients of the earlier designs for the Medal of Honor have shown reluctance to return their "old" medals for the new "Gillespie" medals because of the sentimental value their original award holds for them. In response Congress authorizes them to be issued the new design without turning in their original Medals and instructs that those who had previously turned in their Medals have them returned to them. The legislation specifies, however, that both Medals (original and Gillespie) can not be worn at the same time.

17 APR 1917: The last Medals of Honor awarded for Civil War action are presented to Henry Lewis and Henry Peters, bringing to a close the controversial and divisive scramble of Civil War vets for the coveted award, and opening the way for new legislative protections.

9 JUL 1918: The Medal of Honor was born in 1862, but it was the act of 9 July 1918 that defined the future of the award, while further eliminated the Certificate of Merit while establishing the new "Pyramid of Honor" providing for lesser awards (The Distinguished Service Cross, The Distinguished Service Medal, and the Silver Star). A key difference between the levels of awards was spelled out, "That the President is authorized to present, in the name of the Congress, a medal of honor only to each person who, while an officer or enlisted man of the Army, shall hereafter, in action involving actual conflict with an enemy, distinguish himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty." The lesser awards were authorized for presentation by the President, "BUT NOT IN THE NAME OF CONGRESS."
The act of July 9th further established time limits to avoid problems like those encountered with Civil War veterans seeking the award. Recommendations for Medals of Honor had to be made within 2 years of the act of heroism for which it was to be awarded, and the Medal was to be presented within 3 years.
The act of July 9th was further clarified in September, then again in February 1919, to stipulate that no person could receive more than ONE Medal of Honor. Previously there had been 19 DOUBLE AWARDS of the Medal, but hereafter, while there were provisions for second and consecutive awards of lesser medals to be made and noted with appropriate ribbon devices, no more than ONE Medal of Honor could be awarded.

7 Aug 1942: The TIFFANY CROSS established for non-combat naval heroism in 1942 had proven unpopular, perhaps because it so closely resembled the German Iron Cross. It was also poorly regulated and documented. The Act of August 7th restored the earlier provisions of the Navy Medal of Honor for non-combat heroism and eliminated the Tiffany Cross and the two-medal system.

1946: The CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR SOCIETY is formed.

5 AUG 1950: The United States Air Force was born on July 26, 1947 when President Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947. On this date in 1950 Louis Sebille became the first flier of the now separate AIR FORCE to earn the Medal of Honor. In all, FOUR Air Force officers received Medals of Honor for action in Korea...all of them posthumous awards. (These four men, as had members of the earlier Air Service and Army Air Corps, were awarded Army Medals of Honor.

10 AUG 1956: Legislation is authorized providing members of the United States Air Force with their own, distinctive design for an Air Force Medal of Honor separate from that of the Navy and Army.

5 AUG 1958: The Medal of Honor Society is absorbed into the Congressionally Chartered CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA under Title 38, USC.

25 JUL 1963: Congress amended Titles 10 and 14 of the US Code establishing criteria and guidelines for award of the Medal of Honor:
...It would be awarded for action against an enemy of the United States,
...while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or
...while serving with friendly forces (such as was the case with the UN forces in Korea) in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

1965: The AIR FORCE introduces the design for their distinctive Air Force Medal of Honor, similar in design to that of the Army Medal of Honor only larger and displaying the head of the Statue of Liberty and other design changes. Each branch of service, Army, Navy/Marines/Coast Guard, and Air Force now has its own medal design. All three branches display the Medal suspended below a neck ribbon.

13 JAN 1997: As had been the case for Black American soldiers during World War I, racial prejudice had prevented the award of the Medal of Honor to any Black soldiers during World War II. After a comprehensive review of military awards to that war's Black heroes, President Clinton presented Medals of Honor to the families of 6 deceased Black World War II heroes and one living hero, Vernon Baker.

31 May 2007: MUSEUM RE-OPENED AFTER EXTENSIVE RENOVATIONS. After being closed since August 21st, 2006, the CMOHS Museum re-opened to the public during Memorial Day Weekend 2007.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
Thank You to Doug Sterner and his HomeofHeroes website for providing most of the content of this page. For more detailed information please visit http://www.cmohs.org/

]]> Famous Awards http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=31 Tue, 23 Oct 2007 08:08:00 -0700 http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=30

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... October 22, 2007. President Bush presented the Medal to his parents. Murphy was killed by enemy forces during a reconnaissance mission, Operation Redwing, June 28, 2005. Murphy lead a four-man team tasked with finding a key Taliban leader in the mountainous terrain near Asadabad, Afghanistan, when they came under fire from a much larger enemy force with superior tactical position. Mortally wounded while exposing himself to enemy fire, Murphy knowingly left his position of cover to get a clear signal in order to communicate with his headquarters. While being shot at repeatedly, Murphy calmly provided his unit’s location and requested immediate support for his element. He returned to his cover position to continue the fight until finally succumbing to his wounds.
]]> Everyday Greatness http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=30 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:05:00 -0700 http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=17 null

Even at the first modern Olympiad in 1896, organizers realized the power of a beautiful medal. The first-place winners were given silver medals instead of gold, but they didn't mind--after all, the winners of the second Olympic Games were given pieces of modern art as their prize! That ended quickly at the next Games when the medal presentation was revived, and since then the Olympic medals have been a symbol of international dedication and sportsmanship - on and off the field.
It is impossible to say how many medals have been given out over the years, says Barbara Gresham, senior media coordinator at the U.S. Olympic Committee, because the way the medals are distributed has changed. For instance, today swimmers participating in preliminary qualifying rounds of medal-winning relay teams are awarded a medal even if they don't swim in the final event. Similarly, the entire basketball team now gets medals, whereas only players who actually saw court time in the medal-winning game used to receive them.

The host country is responsible for the design and production of the athlete's medals. As the next host city prepares to host the Games, American firms are gearing up to present their designs to the organizing committee, which generally holds a contest to find the best and most creative medal design.

A Pressured Situation
It is a long and very detailed process. The manufacturer begins the actual production in January and delivers the medals in May. Sent in the shipment were 604 gold, 604 silver and 630 bronze medals.

The production process begins with a three-dimensional clay model of both the front and back of the medal. The front of each medal was the same, but the backs were customized with a pictogram depicting each sport's athlete in action. Thirty-one different models had to be made for the backsides. "It was modeled three times the actual size." "You can get it a little more accurate when you pantograph it down (that way)."

Plaster-rubber molds were then made with an epoxy that is easily pantographed. To make the dies, the mold was taken to the pantograph machine, where the design was reduced to actual size - 70 millimeters in diameter (2 3/4 inch) and 5 millimeters thick (3/8 inch - and traced into steel. The resulting steel hubs are actually positive replications of the models. The die is then made from the hubs.

To make the medals, the front and back dies are stamped together. "They're not struck so much as they are squeezed." The dies come together under 1,000 tons per inch of pressure. "It's an incredible amount of power; each piece had to be resqueezed three times to get the detail up into the die." To ensure a perfect match with the die before being resqueezed, each medal was individually placed and checked by hand as it lay in the die.

Making the gold medal was harder than the others. There are very strict guidelines for the materials used; the gold medal must be made out of sterling silver and contain at a minimum 6 grams of pure gold. One of the most difficult things to do technically was the gold medal. It's a sandwich of gold with sterling (inside). It had to be centered (and struck) at a specific temperature so the metals would bond. Just gold plating the silver wouldn't have been enough gold. It has to be clad and then gold plated because of the silver (edges).

Each medal was engraved on the edge with the event name. Medals were then polished and drilled for ribbon holes. The ribbon holder was soldered in place, the embroidered ribbon attached and then the medals were placed into special presentation cases.

The Gold (and Silver and Bronze) Standard
The International Olympic Committee has strict guidelines on the production of the Olympic medals. According to the U.S. Olympic Committee's Gresham, the medals must be at least 60 millimeters in diameter and 3 millimeters thick. The silver in both the gold and silver medals must be at least 925-1000 grade, the gold medal must have at least 6 grams of pure gold and the bronze medal must be pure bronze.

All medal designs must be approved by the games' organizing committee, the country's Olympic committee, and finally the International Olympic Committee's Executive Board. Although the Winter Games haven't had a consistent standard design on either the front or the back, "The summer medals' design has been basically the same since 1928 on the front," says Gresham. "The organizing committee can add a personal design on the rear." This unique design element usually reflects the character of the city and country where the Games are being held.

The main figure is Lady Victory holding a wreath over her head and carrying palm leaves. The ancient Olympic stadium in Greece is in the background with a horse-drawn chariot in front of it. The front is finished with the image of a Grecian urn and the official Olympic rings. The date and place of the games also appears on the front.

For the Atlanta games the focus of the medals' rear was a quilt of leaves to symbolize both the host city of Atlanta and the spirit of the Olympic games. Quilt-making is a long-time Southern tradition and quilts are a symbol of unity, a marriage of nations and cultures blended together, a continuing theme of the Olympics. The leaves woven into the quilt both reflect Atlanta - known as the City of Trees - and Olympic history - in the past, a crown of olive leaves went to the victors. The pictograms of athletes on the back were designed to look like ancient Greek urn paintings.

The Post-Medal Life
The manufacturer also made 60,000 commemorative solid bronze medals, which were given to all participating athletes, sponsors, officials and others involved in creating the 1996 Summer Games. There were 271 medal events in Atlanta, in contrast to the recent 1998 Nagano Winter Games, in which there were only 68. The U.S. Olympics Committee restricts American athletes from using their medals in advertising; the designers and manufacturers of the medals are similarly restrained.

The medals for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games won't be identical to Atlanta's striking medals, but one similarity is sure to occur: The medals will bring the same feelings of joy, amazement and pride to the medal-winning athletes and their countries.
© 1998, Awards and Recognition Association
]]> Famous Awards http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=17 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 20:08:00 -0700 http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=28
A good reward should... ... link personal contribution to the company progress in a way that is SMART:

Sincere.
Above all else, a good reward should reflect a genuine expression of appreciation. Token acknowledgements leave something to be desired.

Meaningful.
To endure a motivating influence, rewards should be aligned with the values, goals, and priorities that matter the most.

Adaptable.
The diverse workplace demands alternatives. Consider creative options to keep your program fresh. No single reward format works for everyone all the time.

Relevant.
Some personal dimension is essential to a good reward. No matter how formal or informal, expensive or affordable, the relevance of any recognition will be improved with a personal touch--it's a little thing that makes a big difference.

Timely.
It is important that rewards respond to the behavior they are intending to reinforce. Don't let too much time pass or the reward will be devalued and credibility eroded.

Finally, when announcing and presenting awards, take the time and effort to do it right. Doing so will enhance the credibility of the process, make an impression and unlock the emotional commitments that should continue to pay dividends long after the occasion has passed.

Tangible rewards come in all shapes and sizes. Whether the cost is high or insignificant, the reward should be memorable and perceived as valuable to the recipient. Money is nice, but it tends to be spent quickly and then forgotten. I believe that the best rewards are those that have a symbolic significance that fits within an organization's culture.

For instance, Trinity Services, a non-for-profit agency serving people with disabilities, has introduced a frog mascot, Lillie Leapit, into its culture which encourages employees to "leap ahead." A variety of rewards, low in cost, but sporting a leaping frog, have been given for specific performances.

"The employees have come to relate more enthusiastically to the frog logo than to the agency logo of three diamonds. Each time they see or use the item, it reminds them once again that they successfully took another giant leap." Debbie Gustafson, Directory Employee Services, Trinity Services, Inc.

Rewards are most motivating when they are
Immediate,
Frequent,
Based on clearly communicated criteria,
Directly reinforcing of desired behavior or performance,
Special,
Valued by the recipient, and
Provided by someone of significance to the recipient.

In practice, rewards tend to be:
Late or overlooked altogether,
Infrequent,
Arbitrary or Inconsistent,
Provided to everyone who happens to be present,
Routine and Ordinary,
Not valued by the recipient or valued primarily by the provider, and
Provided impersonally or without a presentation at all.

"The difference between theory and practice determines the effectiveness of the reward." Bob Nelson, president of Nelson Motivation, Inc., is the author of "1001 Ways to Reward Employees" and "1001 Ways to Energize Employees."

by Jim Brintnall, Brand Strategy & Product Development at Successories, Inc.,
Debbie Gustafson, Trinity Services, Inc.,
Bob Nelson, Nelson Motivation, Inc.
"Recognition News", Volume 2, Issue 2


]]> Employee Recognition http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=28 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:27:00 -0700 http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=27 null

The Claret Jug, or to use its proper name, The Golf Champion Trophy, is presented to each year’s winner of The Open Championship. Yet it was not the original prize. When the Championship began at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland in 1860, the winner was presented with ...... the Challenge Belt, made of rich morocco leather, embellished with a silver buckle and emblems. It wasn't until 1872 that the “Jug” replaced the Champion's Belt.
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Like other iconic awards, like Lord Stanley’s Cup or the Green Jacket, the Claret Jug has long held a mystical and celebratory quality. In designing the Claret Jug, it was well, just that – a claret jug. Claret is a dry red wine produced in the famous French winemaking region of Bordeaux. The British Open Trophy, made of Sterling Silver and standing 52cm (approximately 20 inches) including its base, was designed with a handle that resembles a bass clef and with insides hollowed out to hold the exact contents of a bottle of wine. It was made in Edinburgh in 1872 by Mackay Cunningham & Company. There are now three tiers beneath the cup, engraved with the names of over 130 plus champions. Every year, the winner's name is engraved on the Claret Jug before it is presented to him. The television coverage now shows the engraver poised to start work, with the commentators speculating about when he will be sure enough of the outcome, to begin hand engraving the next name.

Held upside down, the Open’s Claret Jug delivers a perfect poor. This style of silver jug was used to serve claret at 19th Century gatherings. The Golf Champion’s Trophy has held cheap beer, expensive Champagne and iced tea brewed by Justin Leonard’s mother. Tiger Woods, winner of a few “Jugs”, has taken the trophy down from the mantle at times and filled it with various libations. “Honestly, because of the consumption, I really can’t remember,” Woods said of what he put in it.

The original claret jug is kept under lock and key in a display cabinet in the R&A clubhouse, alongside the original first prize, The Challenge Belt, which was donated to the club in 1908 by the grandchildren of Tom Morris Senior. There are in fact four copies of the original claret jug, one in the Museum of Golf at St Andrews, another in the World Golf Hall of Fame in St Augustine, Florida. A third travels the world to exhibitions and the champion is allowed to take a fourth home for a year. He is given a replica to keep which is curiously only two-thirds the size of the original. Since the 1980s all those champion jug-hugging moments photographed for the world on the 18th green are with a replica. The trophy is returned each year for presentation to the new champion, but many winners privately commission copies of the ancient jug for their personal collections. This tournament is golf's oldest major championship and, given its history, it holds a lot of prestige for its victors.

The Beginning
The impetus to provide the Challenge Belt had come from the Earl of Eglinton and derived from his keen interest in medieval pageantry. He was pre-eminent in encouraging sport throughout the social spectrum and was a leading light in setting up The Open Championship. The Earl donated many trophies for competition, including a gold belt for competition among the Irvine Archers. The original Challenge Belt was purchased by the members of Prestwick Golf Club.

According to the first rule of the new golf competition: “The party winning the belt shall always leave the belt with the treasurer of the club until he produces a guarantee to the satisfaction of the above committee that the belt shall be safely kept and laid on the table at the next meeting to compete for it until it becomes the property of the winner by being won three times in succession.”

In 1870, just 10 years after The Open Championship began, Tom Morris Junior won for the third consecutive time and became the owner of the belt. The future direction of the Championship was discussed at Prestwick Golf Club’s Spring Meeting in April 1871, during which a key proposal was put forward by Gilbert Mitchell Innes: “In contemplation of St Andrews, Musselburgh and other clubs joining in the purchase of a Belt to be played for over four or more greens it is not expedient for the club to provide a Belt to be played for solely at Prestwick.”

The motion was passed, but no final decisions were reached about venues or the involvement of other clubs, with the result that The Open Championship was not played in 1871. Moves to revive the competition resumed the following year. The minutes of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, dated May 1, state that the green committee had been “empowered to enter into communication with other clubs with a view to effecting a revival of the Championship Belt, and they were authorized to contribute a sum not exceeding £15 from the funds of the club”.

To replace the original Challenge Belt, the three original clubs (Prestwick, with the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers), finally agreed on September 11, 1872, to pay £10 each to provide a new trophy instead of another belt, which was a silver claret jug, and to jointly host the Open Championship. But that was only two days before eight players contested the Open. There was obviously no time to commission a new trophy and the winner was presented with what appears to be a standard, shop-bought medal (pre-dating Spike’s Trophies by 57 years). It was the first time that a medal had been presented. The famous claret jug trophy was hallmarked 1873. Its proper name was to be The Golf Champion Trophy. It was presented to the winner that year and every year for almost half a century. The first Open Champion to receive the new trophy was the 1873 winner, Tom Kidd, but Tom Morris Junior’s name was the first to be engraved on it as the 1872 winner.

In 1920 all responsibility for The Open Championship was handed over to The Royal and Ancient Golf Club. The tradition continued until three months after Bobby Jones won the championship at St Andrews in 1927. At that time the Championship Committee of the R&A decided that "in future the original Open Championship Cup be retained in possession of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club and that a duplicate be obtained for presentation to the winners". The cost of this duplicate was stated to be about £40.

In 1928, Walter Hagen won the third of his four Open titles and accepted the replica Claret Jug, having already been presented with the original in 1922 and 1924. During the half-century in which the original Claret Jug was used, twenty-eight different players held it aloft, including Harry Vardon on a record six occasions.

In 1990 a further replica was made for display in the new British Golf Museum at St Andrews and in 2000 a third was made for use in traveling exhibitions, and a fourth was created in 2003 for the same purpose.

Memorable moment: In 1999, Paul Lawrie completed the greatest comeback in Open history, starting the final round 10 strokes off the lead while being assisted by Jean Van de Velde's unforgettable triple bogey on the 18th hole.

]]> Famous Awards http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=27 Sun, 22 Jul 2007 12:04:00 -0700 http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=23
To solve this issue, ... ...we took a different tact by introducing the “Catch Someone Doing Something Good Award”. This award has become the most prestigious award within the company. The recipient is nominated by their piers and/or supervisors, without the employees knowledge, for extraordinary deeds done during the course of the work day. These deeds are documented and submitted to the President for review. Once a month, or whenever the deed warrants recognition, the person is selected for special recognition. Once someone is selected, we find out something particular that that person has wanted, that they may not normally purchase for themselves or could afford. The item to present is found by asking spouses, co-workers or friends. Once the item is selected, it is purchased and presented. The presentation is in the middle of the work day. The staff is called into a central work area, where the shocked and surprised recipient is thanked in public for “doing something right”. The award could be an ipod, a favorite (and expensive) baseball bat, a gift certificate to a favorite store or an etched piece of crystal documenting the achievement. The unexpected recognition, more times than not has brought tears to the recipient

One of the best kept secrets today is the power of recognizing employees. To be the most effective, the recognition or thank you should come as soon as possible after the achievement or desired activity. You also need to be specific about what you are praising the person for and why. Recognition and praising that are too broad tend to seem insincere. But saying “Thank you for the exceptional initiative you have shown in developing new business” or “Thank you for turning a potentially embarrassing and disappointing situation with a customer around with your willingness to help” specifically says what and why an employee’s effort was of value. Try “Recognizing the Everyday Greatness” around you - it will be appreciated and worth the effort.
]]> Employee Recognition http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=23 Sat, 14 Jul 2007 17:56:00 -0700 http://gospikes.com/blog/index.php?itemid=26
Wimbledon.. the champions' Rosewater Dish. For Federer it was five in a row, for Venus her fourth in eight years.

When it comes to eminence and esteem, it doesn't get any classier than the Wimbledon Championships for the sport of tennis. Players from all over the world compete in the only grass court Grand Slam, for the rights to hold the silver gilt trophy and the sterling silver salver. Since it started in 1877, The Championships, Wimbledon, commonly referred to as simply Wimbledon, is the oldest major championship in the sport of tennis and is widely considered to be the most prestigious.

The Gentlemen's Singles champion receives a silver gilt cup 18.5 inches (about 47 cm) in height and 7.5 inches (about 19 cm) in diameter. The Cup has a classical style with two handles and a raised foot. The lid is formed with a pineapple on top and a head covered with a winged helmet beneath each handle. There are two decorative borders with floral work and oval styled moldings on the bowl of the Cup and on the handles. Since 1949, all champions have received a miniature replica of the trophy (height 8 ½-inches) to take with them. The trophy has been awarded since 1887 and bears the inscription: "The All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Champion of the World."

The Ladies' Singles champion receives a sterling silver salver commonly known as the "Venus Rosewater Dish", or simply the "Rosewater Dish". The salver, which is 18.75 inches (about 48 cm) in diameter, is decorated with figures from mythology. The original 50 guineas ( somewhere close to $150) trophy was made in 1864 by Messrs. Elkington and Co. Ltd of Birmingham and is a copy of an electrotype by Caspar Enderlein from the pewter original in the Louvre. There is a central design surrounded by four reserves, spread out to the rim. The remainder of the tray's surface is decorated with gilt renaissance designs and foliate motifs in relief against a rigid silver ground. The theme of the decoration is mythological. The central figure of Temperance, seated on a chest with a lamp in her right hand and a jug in her left, with various attributes such as a sickle, fork and caduceus around her. The four reserves on the sides of the dish each contain a classical god, together with elements. The reserves around the rim show Minerva presiding over the seven Liberal Arts: Astrology, Geometry, Arithmetic, Music, Rhetoric, Dialectic and Grammar, each with relevant attribute. The rim of the tray has an oval molding, much like The Cup. And again, beginning in 1949 all champions has received a miniature replica of the trophy (diameter 8 inches) for their personal collection.

The winners of the Gentlemen's Doubles, Ladies' Doubles, and Mixed Doubles events receive silver cups. The runner-up in each event receives an inscribed silver plate. The trophies are usually presented by the President of the All England Club, The Duke of Kent, and by his wife, the Duchess of Kent.

At Wimbledon, more prize money was traditionally awarded in the Gentlemen's events than in the Ladies' events. However, as of 2007 prize money is equal at all levels (in part in response to a powerful protest by tennis player Venus Williams).[4] This makes Wimbledon policy identical to that of the Australian Open, US Open, and most recently the French Open.

Held annually between late June and the beginning of July[2] for two weeks (usually ending, at the latest, on the second Sunday of July) at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, England, the tournament is the third Grand Slam event played each year, preceded by the Australian Open and the French Open, and followed by the U.S. Open. The tournament duration is subject to extensions for rain.