In 2012, the Monika W. Andrews Creative Volunteer Leadership Award was established as a memorial by three municipalities “to encourage, recognize, and reward outstanding creative leadership by residents of the Towns of Sweden (including Brockport) and Clarkson who have served as volunteer leaders in improving the lives of their fellow citizens and the greater Brockport community.” During the February 2 Brockport Village Board meeting, the third annual award was presented to Norm Frisch. Mary Edwards and Sue Savard each received a Certificate of Merit. All three received a certificate and cash award.
The Selection Committee consists of a representative of each municipality participating: Kermit Mercer (chair) for the Town of Clarkson, Robert Westbrook for the Town of Sweden, and Linda Ketchum representing the Village of Brockport.
Norm Frisch
With dedication to the wider Brockport community, graphic designer Norm Frisch has contributed his expert skills through several media. Located around Brockport are eight interpretive panels with his layout of photos, maps, and facts etched in metal depicting Brockport’s history. The brochures for the dedication of the eight panels were also Norm’s contribution.
The panels are produced by the Brockport Community Museum on whose board Norm serves. He also created the museum’s web site with graphics and information (www.brockportcommunitymuseum.org).
For the Sweden Bicentennial Committee he designed brochures for the Sweden home tours and barn tours, plus promotional materials for other Bicentennial events. For the Village of Brockport he created the brochure about the “Low Bridge High Water Festival.” He helped Village Clerk Leslie Morelli format the annual village events schedule in poster form on the web and in print. Norm designed the advertising and brochure for the Village Old Home Weekend 2013 and 2014. For Walk! Bike! Brockport!, he created the group’s brochure and Sweden’s Community Walking Park Trail brochure.
Norm is also a former member of the Emily L. Knapp Museum Board of Trustees and a current volunteer who provided scanning and photography services for the museum’s renovation.
The Selection Committee’s unanimous vote for Norm Frisch included the statement:
“Over a period of many years Norm Frisch has exemplified the spirit of the Monica Andrews Creative Volunteer Award by accepting and completing an enormous number of projects as creative consultant and as working manager. It is evident to the Selection Committee…that our three communities are fortunate to have Norm Frisch who brought us creativity, art, leadership and noble humility.”
Sue Savard
Sue Savard led a team of volunteers in organizing the Emily L. Knapp Museum, reviving the collection over 18 months into a showcase of Brockport’s historic treasures. On a research visit to the museum at 49 State Street, she found the collection in disarray. With approval of the museum board, “Sue and her volunteers set off to transform the museum,” said Ann Frey, one of the volunteers. “To that end, material now fills eight filing cabinets, and is accessible. Closets were converted to mini-libraries with 1,500 catalogued books and shelves holding identifiable archival materials. Rooms have been refurbished and displays have been rearranged in an appealing way. Volunteers worked to build display racks, wash curtains, identify pieces of the collection, and clean rooms.” At home Sue typed labels for files and pictures and transcribed four long diaries written in script.
Volunteer Marjorie Lewis praises Sue’s leadership in allowing volunteers to use their individual strengths to choose their tasks and help solve problems. And, she said, “Sue fostered comradery with lunches for us and with a sense of humor as we worked.”
Sue held a grand open house for the refurbished museum on Old Home Week on July 5. She had local residents reenact Brockport’s historical citizens and she baked cookies with recipes from the archives. (Go to www.knappmuseum.wordpress.com, a web site created by volunteer Sarah Cedeno. At the end is a link to a Westside News feature article on the museum.)
Mary Edwards
Mary Edwards is recognized for “outstanding leadership and tireless efforts in opening the doors of the Clarkson School House to the Brockport Hill School 4th and 5th graders for the last two years,” as described in the nomination letter by Jackie Smith, a board member of the Clarkson Historical Society (CHS). Mary worked with the Brockport Hill School teachers in setting up field trips to transport students from their modern day classrooms to the historic Clarkson Academy classroom, returning to the early school days in the two-story Greek revival Academy building built in 1853. She brought CHS volunteers and teachers together to develop a curriculum of the period.
Mary’s same leadership and energy were demonstrated in reaching the community’s students and teachers to raise their awareness of the importance of cursive writing. Deeply committed to the benefits of cursive writing which some say is disappearing from modern school curricula, Mary organized and coordinated the Summer Cursive Writing Camp and the Sunday Cursive Writing Workshops this past fall at the Schoolhouse. In January she also initiated a handwriting contest in area schools as part of the “Campaign for Cursive” worldwide movement promoting cursive writing instruction in public schools. There was wide interest with 70 entries from various school districts. Nine participants received awards at the Clarkson Academy.
Mary Edwards is president of the Clarkson Historical Society. Her term in office and her leadership extend back to part of the 2003 – 2013 decade when the Clarkson Academy was being refurbished from near-ruin to a restored historic gem on the National Register of Historic Places.
(See the feature article in www.westsidenewsny.com “Cursive writing revisits historic Clarkson Academy in Summer School Camp,” Aug. 3, 2014. On home page, click on features, archives August, 2014, p. 9. Also, see “Area school handwriting contest winners honored at Clarkson Academy,” Feb. 2, 2015. On home page, click on features.
