The 2008 Awards and Recognition Dinner achieved its intended purpose on May 17, 2008, when employers and volunteers were publicly acknowledged for their contributions in support of the men and women who serve Massachusetts and America in the National Guard and Reserve. Staged at the Sheraton Milford Hotel, this gathering of 100 plus guests was treated to an evening of special moments as nine employers and eight committee members accepted awards, that in some cases were the highest that could be presented in an event such as this.  

Acting State Chairman Thomas P. Boyle provided opening remarks prior to dinner and later introduced the keynote speaker, MG Joseph C. Carter, Adjutant General for the Massachusetts National Guard.  In his remarks, MG Carter stressed the importance of employer support for Guard and Reserve employees and the critical role ESGR volunteers play in acquiring and maintaining that support.  

The awards portion of the evening began with the always special and moving presentation of the Rev. David P. Mahn Spirit of Volunteerism Award by Joyce Mahn, her daughters Laura and Kristin and brother-in-law Ed Mahn to Tom Boyle for his fifteen years of selfless and dedicated service to ESGR.  

Employer awards were comprised of two categories, The Above and Beyond Award and the Pro Patria Award.  Recipients of the Above and Beyond Award were The Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank, St. Anne’s Hospital, The Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District, and Middlesex Sheriff James DiPaola.  

The Pro Patria Award, which is the highest form of state recognition, was presented to TJX Companies, Inc., The Massachusetts Water Resource Authority, The Framingham Fire Department, and Carpenters Local 535.  

Next was the presentation of the Seven Seals Award, so named for the seven Reserve Components, to volunteers Edward Bryant, Gerald Clark, Gerard Hayes, and Elizabeth O’Sullivan.   

Finally, in what proved to be the high point of the evening, MG Carter pinned the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Medal on Joachim-Ingo Borowski, Thomas Boyle, Leo Lazo, and Joseph Pentowski.