Seven years ago, Canada joined the United States in honoring its masters track legends: It created a Masters Athletics Hall of Fame. But organizers of that inaugural class “ran out of steam,” and only now is the process back on track. (The idea is to add inductees every year, after all.) Diane Palmason, herself an eventual Hall of Famer, has issued a call for nominations for the next class in Canada. Diane writes: “You can nominate someone who may be unknown to us now, but deserving of recognition; or you can add to the information we have on some potential nominees we can no longer trace.” (Click here for a PDF nomination form.) Now we know of three nations with Halls of Fame (the third being Australia, as I described recently.) Let’s hear of others!

Diane writes:

In the years since the first international Masters 40+ athletics meet took place in Toronto in 1975, the list of Canadian athletes – men and women in all age categories – who have excelled on the national and international scene in all of the track and field events  has grown exponentially.

 In 2002, a subcommittee of the Canadian Masters Athletics Association (CMAA) executive decided that it was high time that these exceptional athletes were recognized and applauded for their efforts by being inducted into a Canadian Masters Athletics Hall of Fame.  The results of the committee’s work can be read on the CMAA website. 

Just click on the Hall of Fame tab and you’ll be able to review the terms of reference for nomination to the Hall.  You’ll also learn the names of the first “class” of inductees: five athletes who were active during the 1970s; and one individual and a group of 15 recognized for their contributions as administrators or executives.
 
This was a great start!  Unfortunately, it took so much time and energy to get the Hall of Fame set up and operational that the original group “ran out of steam”.  Other matters became more pressing, and the nomination and confirmation process ground to a halt.
 
Until now.  At its December 2008 meeting, the CMAA Board accepted an offer from some members to get the Hall of Fame back on track (and field, of course).  A committee  was formed, made up of Roger Davies, John Hawkins, Carol Lafayette-Boyd, Harold Morioka, Emil Muller, Diane Palmason, Helly Visser and Sherry Watts.
 
With such a long list of talented athletes to consider, it might appear that our task is a simple one.  However, if you’ll take another look at the terms of reference, you’ll realize that there are challenges.  One of the original committee’s concerns was to ensure that the athletes who were competing in the 70s and 80s not be forgotten, especially if they are no longer competing or, indeed, are no longer with us.  The present committee added a new concern.  A number of our potential nominees in the older age categories did not start competing until the 90s and later.  Nevertheless, the time to honour them is now.
 
So our committee’s task is to present to the executive the names of athletes and administrators or officials in two categories:  those who began their participation in Masters athletics in the 70s and 80s and are now retired or over 75; and those now in the 80+ category, whether retired or still competing.  We’ve been working on this, and now have data on at least 12 athletes in the first category, and 10 in the second category.
 
We welcome your input to our efforts.  You can nominate someone who may be unknown to us now, but deserving of recognition; or you can add to the information we have on some potential nominees we can no longer trace.    Attached is the nomination form that we are using.
 
You may send a nomination by email to dpalmason@msn.com;
or
by regular mail to me at
#12 – 3216 Back Road,
Comox, BC, V9M 4E 2
 
Diane Palmason
Chair, Hall of Fame Committee, CMAA
 
Below are lists of the names of potential nominees to our Hall of Fame in three categories:
 
A: Athletes whose participation in masters athletics began in the 70s and early 80s, and who are now retired or 75 years of age or older;
 
B: Athletes who have been active in masters athletics for five years or more and are now 80 years old or more; and
 
C: Individuals (usually masters athletes as well) who have held administrative, coaching, officiating or other leadership roles in masters athletics.
 
The first column gives the athletes name; the second tells whether or not we need further information to complete this person’s nomination; and the third indicates whether we have a contact for that person. 

A “yes” in the second column indicates that we are asking for your help in gathering more data, from specifics of their exact date of birth to where they are now living or, if deceased, the date of their death. 

A “yes” in the third column signals that we are looking for contact information, either for the person themselves or for family members or friends.
 
List A:
 
Athlete Name                                         Data needed                            Contact needed
 
Duncan, Percy                                                 Yes                                          Yes
Egerton, Stan                                                  Yes                                          Yes
Granstrom, Ivy (deceased)                             Yes                                          Yes
Hall, Cliff                                                        Yes                                          Yes
Horne, Jean                                                     No                                           No
Kazdan, Judith  (deceased)                            Yes       &
nbsp;                                  Yes
Marvin, Lenore                                               Yes                                          Yes
Roos, Jaan                                                       Yes                                          Yes
Ruth, Roger                                                    Yes                                          Yes
Sheridan, Whitey (deceased)                          Yes but we have contact         No
Whitlock, Ed                                                   No                                           No
 
 
List B:
 
Fee, Earl                                                          No                                           No
Kotelko, Olga                                                 No                                           No
McHugh, Betty Jean                                       Yes                                          Yes
Montgomery, Lenore                                      Yes                                          Yes
Robson, Les                                                    No                                           No
Tarrant, Maurice                                              Yes                                          No
Thompson, Harry                                            No                                           No
West, Howard                                                 No                                           No
 
 
List C
 
Oxley, Brian                                                    Yes                                          No
Richardson, Ken (deceased)                           Yes                         
                 No