On Tuesday night, prior to adjournment of the Upper Gwynedd Township Board of Commissioners virtual business meeting, board President Liz McNaney announced the township has started an Upper Gwynedd Recognition Program.
“If you have a child, loved one, neighbor, friend that lives in Upper Gwynedd Township, that you would like to be recognized for achievements or doing something nice, send an email to (township Manager) Sandra (Brookley Zadell),” said McNaney, who chairs the board finance/personnel/administration committee.
McNaney said the township should recognize, as its first Recognition Program honorees, two residents who were inducted into the 2021 Nor-Gwyn Baseball & Softball Hall of Fame Monday night: Steve Cameron and Bob Hamlin.
“They went above and beyond and have done it for many, many years. Even when their kids were out of playing baseball at Nor-Gwyn, they were still able to attend,” McNaney said. “They definitely deserve to have their names inducted on the Hall of Fame board.”
Cameron has served the sports organization since 2000, and Hamlin since 2008. Cameron has had a seat on the board of directors since 2004, and Hamlin served on the board from 2011 to 2015, serving as vice president. They are the 18th and 19th inductees into the Hall of Fame.
According to the Nor-Gwyn website, Cameron, who was Nor-Gwyn Board treasurer for 12 years, is championed for standardizing and automating tasks of the treasurer through new accounting software. All in all, Cameron coached or managed 22 baseball teams from 2000 to 2013 at the T-Ball, Youth, and Bux-Mont Connie Mack levels. Hamlin, per the website, oversaw the Youth Baseball Tournament Team Program for seven years, cultivating “a significantly expanded program vision enabling exceptional baseball and friendship experiences for players and their families.” All in all, Hamlin, a stalwart fundraiser for the group, coached or managed 10 baseball teams from 2009 to 2014 at all levels. He also received the Greer Foundation’s Tarvalsky-Price Youth Leadership Award in 2011.
Other renowned inductees into the Nor-Gwyn Baseball & Softball Hall of Fame include 2015 inductee North Penn High School social studies teacher and boys baseball coach, and youngest inductee into the American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame, Kevin Manero (served 1998-2006); 2001 inductee Lewis Seblusky (1955-1970), who aided in incorporating the former Upper Gwynedd-North Wales Baseball Association; 2019 inductee John Clayton (1995 to present), who clinched two Bux-Mont Connie Mack League championships and four Youth League championships; and Hostelley Field namesake and 1984 Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame inductee Ben Hostelley (1947-1997), who was inducted in 1999 alongside Robert Bachman (1960s-1990s), Sam Dickey (1960-2005), David Hill (1974-1989), and James Sullivan (1964-2000). There are no female inductees yet.
Hostelley Field is located on Hancock Road, across from Gwyn-Nor Elementary School and next to Pennbrook Middle School.
Nor-Gwyn Baseball & Softball Organization was incorporated in 1986, merging North Wales American Legion Baseball, Gwyn-Nor Youth Baseball League, and the Upper Gwynedd-North Wales Baseball Association. It is an all-volunteer, community-based organization governed by a member-elected board of directors.
See also:
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