25th Anniversary – October Recap
We enjoyed celebrating our 25th anniversary in October with a variety of activities! October was our South Central Region Month. We participated in tours, promoted the region in the newsletter, and hosted our special AMBIEs celebration.
Tours
The GSAs participated in 2 tours throughout the month. The first tour was at the NH Sports Dome in Hooksett. This facility is owned and operated by the son of two of our GSAs, Joel Hatin. Joel gave a fantastic presentation and overview of the facility and how it was constructed. GSAs learned what types of sports take place there, how the dome can respond to certain weather situations, and how it works. Read more about this tour here.
Our second tour took place at the Lawrence L. Lee Scouting Museum. Our host, Dick Zeloski, showed us each exhibit and gave us the history of the museum and scouting. Many participants had close ties to scouting or knew family members who were scouts. It was interesting to hear everyone’s stories and to see so many fascinating artifacts. Read more about a volunteer’s summary of his tour experience.
Events
The very beginning of October wrapped up The Big E in West Springfield. We had close to 50 volunteers represent NH in West Springfield, MA, sharing with attendees how much they love NH!
We also hosted our AMBIEs award ceremony to honor and celebrate the accomplishments of our amazing GSAs. Our most prestigious award, 2021 GSA of the Year, was presented to Maureen Walsh of Bedford; the Hospitality of the Heart award was given to Pat Storm of Hooksett; the Judi Window – It’s Always Sunny in NH award recipient was Bruce Flegal of Bedford; and the Service Award was presented to Nick Wallner of Concord.
This year’s Special Merit Awards included The Rookie of the Year award, given to Dawn Brockett of Hampton; the Dynamic Duo award was presented to Kathie Rice Orshak and Mark Orshak of Manchester; the Industry Award recipient was Nicole Doolan of Bureau of Visitor Services; the Partnership Award was presented to Nigel Manley of The Rocks / Society of Protection of NH Forests; and the When Life Gives You Lemons recipients were Virginia Drew and Margaret Waterhouse of the NH Statehouse Visitor Center.
Read more about the AMBIEs award ceremony here.
Meetings
Our quarterly meeting with Manchester-Boston Regional Airport took place in late October. The GSAs heard from Airport management, as well as a TSA representative.
Organizations Featured in our Weekly Newsletter
Each month, we highlight several topics in our newsletter. In October, we featured NH Rail Trails Coalition, focused on Family-Friendly Rail Trails in Southern New Hampshire, as well as the NH Statehouse Visitor Center.
Upcoming Programs
November is Arts and Culture Month. We have a tour of Downtown Laconia in the beginning of the month, as well as other newsletter features.
About New Hampshire Granite State Ambassadors
New Hampshire Granite State Ambassadors add value to state agencies, local businesses, and individuals through a training and service support network that sustains and enhances the New Hampshire experience. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable organization, NHGSA serves hundreds of travel and tourism-related businesses.
Find out more about NHGSA, Inc. at https://nhgranitestateambassadors.org/ Our key partners are the NH Division of Travel and Tourism and the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.
