The Russ Simpson Award

About the Award

The Russ Simpson Award recognizes annually distinct and extraordinary accomplishments of members, officers and directors of the BMW Motorcycle Club of Alabama who have served the Club and communities with superb contributions outside the realm of their membership, jobs and duties. Award recipients enhance both the success and the reputation of our Club through their extraordinary actions. The Membership Director will be responsible for taking the votes each year from the general membership for the recipient of the Award with a plaque to be presented by the Rally Chairperson at the annual rally. The next plate on the Club's historical display plaque will be engraved and installed with that recipient’s name.

Criteria

• The nominee must be a a Primary or Associate member of the BMW Motorcycle Club of Alabama.
• The nominee should have demonstrated one of the following:
  • Extraordinary behavior well beyond the scope of his/her membership, officer or director role and responsibilities.
  • An act that had a significant positive impact upon fellow members and the community.
  • A superior contribution of time/effort to the success of a project.
  • Exceptional participation or leadership in a regular or special assignment or in responding to an emergency situation.
• Former award recipients may be nominated again if above criteria met.

Past recipients are listed below.

Year	Name	Comments
2016	Jim Kalahan	Our 2016 recipient Jim Kalahan has served our club as President for two terms as well as other officer and director positions. He has been instrumental in the planning and hosting many monthly meetings and rides as well as an integral part of our annual Rally planning. Jim has a can do attitude and is always available when called upon for any club task. Thanks for all you have done Jim. The club applauds and appreciates your hard work! Keep it up!
2015	Martha Warren	Member since 1996. Membership Director 2010-2016. Responsible for maintaining up to date membership hard copy and now online directory, compiling Club Blue Book directory and mailing annually up until it became online. She did extensive research and drafting of new Club by-Laws revision for the By-Law Committee presentation. She worked tirelessly on the updating of BMW Club Articles of Incorporation and Change of Registered Agent and filing with Secretary of State.
2013	Sheila Kalahan	As Rally Chairperson for 2013, Sheila Kalahan has contributed months of coordination and organization including enthusiasm towards the success of the 2013 Chicken Rally for members' and guests’ enjoyment which is our last rally at Ditto Landing location.
2012	Darlene Massey	Darlene has contributed considerable time and enthusiasm towards the success of this Club’s 40th Anniversary Celebration October, 2011 at Nauvoo, Alabama; for coordinating and organizing several years of successful Club Christmas parties; volunteering for many years with food preparation and serving of hundreds of participants at the Chicken Rally, and exceptional participation for several years now as the highest seller of the raffle tickets for the motorcycle raffled at the Chicken Rally. Darlene, you are a great asset to this Club.
2011	Martin Benson	Martin has worked tirelessly in the development of rides and events for our club. In addition he has plotted the entire ABEES book in GPS format that can easily be downloaded from our web site! Martin received this award by a majority vote of the club members, an honor indeed. Thanks Martin for all you do and keep up the good work!
2010	Bob Steber	Preparation, printing and distributing the ABEES (Alabama Beemers' Exploring and Epicurean Society) Touring Guide providing Alabama points of interest including rides to best eating places in the State and All Around Alabama Challenge.
2009	Jamie Jackson	Outstanding job as Club's Newsletter Editor for many years, compiling, printing and mailing to members monthly. He also wrote articles included in these newsletters during those years that were of great interest to the Club members.
2008	Vance Harrelson	Our Vice-President, Vance Harrelson has indeed demonstrated all the qualities for the award and also is the calming voice when resolving any issues that may arise involving the club. In addition to all his other duties, this year Vance enthusiastically served as co-chair of the Rally Committee. Congratulations to Vance as this years recipient of this prestigious award.
2007	Connie Reaves
2006	Marty Simpson & Larry Camp	Marty Simpson - Treasurer and now CFO for 30 years. Larry Camp - 27 years service to the club and Head of the kitchen at the rallies all these years.