American Go E-Journal

The AGA has successfully applied to become a certifying organization for the Presidential Volunteer Service Awards, according to AGA President Andy Okun.  “It is a chance for our volunteers to receive recognition from the wider community for the hours they put in,” said Okun.  The award is given based on unpaid hours logged as a volunteer, with bronze medals for 100 or more hours in a calendar year, silver over 250 hours, and gold over 500 hours.  For teens and children the hours are less.  A volunteer who has logged more than 4,000 hours in total qualifies for a lifetime award.  The awards program has existed under several names since the 1980s, and includes a certificate, a signed letter from US president Donald Trump, and the choice of a pin, coin, or medallion.  The first recipient of an award, a bronze medal, will be Wenguang Wang, of Santa Clara, California, who teaches weekly go classes for school children, runs several tournaments, and organized and ran last year’s Go Camp.  Wang was 2017’s AGF Teacher of the Year as well.  AGA volunteers interested in being considered for the award should contact Volunteer Coordinator Bob Gilman at bobgilman.aga@gmail.com or Okun at president@usgo.org.