Awards

Member Awards

 

Jack London Service Award

The purpose of the Jack London Service Award is to honor a branch member whose service to California Writers Club and/or a branch has been exemplary. Each branch may select one award recipient biannually in odd-numbered years. The award is presented at the July annual California Writers Club meeting of statewide representatives.

 

2013 Recipient – Violet Carr Moore 

On July 21, Violet Carr Moore  received the 2013 Jack London Service Award for her outstanding service to the CWC Tri-Valley Branch.

Violet Carr Moore is the author of In the Right Place and Moments of Meditation. She has had many of her short stories and poems published in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Christmas Miracles, the annual Las Positas College Anthologies and affiliated Bay Area News Groups, printed and online editions. Violet has been a National Novel in a Month (NaNoWriMo) winner for five continuous years. Two creative nonfiction short stories have been published in Tapestries anthology and three in Voices of the Valley: First Press (December 2011), a CWC Tri-Valley Writers anthology.

Violet is a featured devotional, inspirational and Bible study writer for More to Life Ladies Ministries. She is a frequent speaker at churches and senior centers. She is co-owner of Carr Twins & Co., independent publisher, and past President of California Writers Club Tri-Valley Branch. She is a member of Voices of the Valley anthology 2013 committee. She has spent countless hours volunteering her time managing the Tri-Valley Writers website. Now she looks for other ways to volunteer.

2011 Recipient – Lani Longshore

It is with much appreciation and our sincere thanks that the CWC Tri-Valley Branch recognizes Lani Longshore for her outstanding service to the branch and presents her with the Jack London Award for exemplary service.

Lani, a founding member of the CWC Tri-Valley Branch, has been a vibrant and vital part of the branch since its charter in 2006. She has continuously been on the board, first serving as secretary and then as treasurer, even though she’s the first to admit that she hates to balance her checkbook. The following year she was a dynamic president who brought humor and snippets about writing to every meeting. Lani has chaired the anthology committee and maintained the website. Her endless enthusiasm for the branch and its members is like an everlasting beacon of light.

In her personal life, Lani has been a quilter for over twenty years. She writes quilting musical comedy, sings and dances as part of the two-person Broken Dishes Repertory Theater, and is writing a science fiction novel, Death by Chenille, about quilters saving the world. Her endless desire to share her quilting knowledge with others takes her to the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin twice a month to teach quilting to inmates. When she isn’t writing or quilting, you can find Lani practicing karate. Watch out, she’s a third-degree black belt!

 

2009 Recipient – Kathy Urban

On November 8, 2009, the CWC Tri-Valley Branch honored Kathy Urban with the Jack London Service Award. Kathy has been a pillar of the Tri-Valley Branch since its beginning. She was the first newsletter editor, second president, and first representative to the Central Board. After the untimely death of founding president Sue Tasker, Kathy not only shouldered the burden of leading the branch, but also of helping the club to grieve and recover. Kathy was the prime mover in establishing the Sue Tasker Memorial Service Award to recognize a member for significant service to the Tri-Valley Branch.

Kathy has also been instrumental in bringing structure and unity to the branch. She developed a survey to get feedback from branch members. She has been an ardent supporter of regular public readings of club members’ work writings, our Literary Evening. She co-chaired the anthology committee, one of her passions from the inception of the Tri-Valley branch. She was instrumental in the redesign of Tri-Valley Writers website. Kathy was editor of Write around the Valley, the branch newsletter, for two years and served three years as branch treasurer.

CWC Central Board has benefited from her organizational skills since 2008 when she was elected Central Board treasurer. In addition, as CWC NorCal representative for the Tri-Valley Branch, she helped to establish a speaker list shared with Northern California branches.

Kathy writes for a variety of markets but most enjoys writing for children. Her recent and forthcoming publications include articles, features, crafts, and poems in Highlights for Children, Humpty Dumpty’s Magazine, Spider, Babybug, and Fandangle Magazine. She has been a correspondent for two local newspapers, the Danville Times and the Pleasanton Times. She did extensive editorial work on the 2001 award-winning California Fresh Harvest cookbook and has written numerous articles about the Philippines for Inklings Magazine.

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Sue Tasker Memorial Service Award

The CWC Tri-Valley Branch created the Sue Tasker Memorial Service Award in 2008 to honor the memory of Sue Tasker, the founding president and volunteer extraordinaire. Sue has been described by members as “doing the work of three people.” She displayed an endless passion and drive for the Tri-Valley Branch in her two years as president and then as vice president and program chair. This biannual award is presented by Tri-Valley Writers in even-numbered years.

 

2012 Recipient – Annette Langer

On May 19, 2012, Tri-Valley Branch honored Annette Langer with the Sue Tasker Memorial Service Award. Annette is a charter member who joined in 2005 during the organizational year. As the reservations contact, Annette was often the first contact with visitors by email, telephone, or as greeter at monthly meetings at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel. Annette volunteered to be the branch historian in 2010, and expanded her role from collecting information about branch events to encouraging members to submit photos, biographies and publishing successes.

Annette has published two books: Healing through Humor: Change Your Focus, Change Your Life! and A Funny Thing Happened on My Way to the World: Diary of a Fearless Travel Agent. She is a frequent contributor to the Tri-Valley website blog and serves on the new member accreditation committee.

Annette’s volunteerism reaches beyond CWC Tri-Valley Branch. She has been a volunteer with the Pleasanton Police Department since 2004. Her activities there have gained her global recognition and inspired her current work-in-progress, a collection of stories about the experiences she and her fellow police volunteers have had while on duty. Annette also volunteers at the Pleasanton Senior Center Peddler Shop where she displays her books.

2010 Recipient – Maureen Boyd-Biro

On June 19, 2010, Tri-Valley Writers honored Maureen Boyd-Biro with the Sue Tasker Memorial Service Award. Maureen has been involved with the club since its beginning and served as Program chair. Maureen’s many contacts in the writing and publishing world enabled her to bring exciting, informative speakers to our fledgling chapter, helping us to attract new members and establish the branch as a vital part of the local arts community. Maureen is a charter member of both Tri-Valley and Mt. Diablo. She has a long and varied career in writing and publishing, including being a columnist, children’s book author and memoirist.

 

 2008 Recipient – Fred Norman

In June 2008 the CWC Tri-Valley Branch honored Fred Norman with the Sue Tasker Memorial Service Award in recognition of his outstanding service to the CWC Tri-Valley Branch.

Fred has been a dedicated member of the branch since its inception. A charter member, he has filled numerous roles throughout the years, beginning with treasurer. Fred has been the meeting reservationist, greeter and door prize coordinator. He has been the master of ceremonies for Literary Evening where he educated attendees with tidbits of writing information sprinkled throughout the event and charms attendees with his humor. Fred’s poetry and prose has been published in several anthologies and newspapers.