33rd CALLERLAB Convention 
Milestone Award
Presented by Mike Jacobs
The five categories that must be earned in order to receive the CALLERLAB Milestone Award are as follows:
Category 1. The Recipient must show outstanding and significant contribution to the field of square dancing. The individual must have shown leadership in uncharted fields, which has resulted in the betterment of Square Dancing.
Category 2. The contribution must have stood the test of time.
Category 3. Relates to unselfish contribution, divorced from personal gain and monetary rewards. Requires attitudes that think of others first.
Category 4. The recipient must maintain and conduct self in professional leadership capacity, professionalism reflecting high standards of leadership to which we have dedicated ourselves in our day to day actions.
Category 5. The recipient must have exercised broad influence in the square dance activity although local geographic and highly specialized activity may lead to recognition.
Tonight’s recipient began dancing in 1952. This caller is a second-generation caller. The recipient first attended a National Square Dance Convention (NSDC) in 1961 and hasn’t missed one since then. This recipient called a first tip in 1957 at the Kentucky Dance Institute as a 10-year-old and was successful. After the tip this caller got off the stage and cried and said, “I’ll never do that again” (So much for idle threats). This recipient’s credentials include the following: Called at the 1963 NSDC and has called at every one since that time; has participated in clinics, panels and seminars for Legacy, CALLERLAB, and NSDC. In 2002 was honored in St Paul for calling the 40th consecutive NSDC. The recipient feels that all callers, especially the more popular and/or full time callers should try to call at as many NSDCs as possible to give back to the dancers some of the pleasure earned from them.
She joined CALLERLAB in 1974 and hasn’t missed a convention since. Yes, I am talking about a woman caller. She is a CALLERLAB Accredited Caller-Coach. Her credits include the following: the first American woman to be elected to the Board of Governors and has been on the Board for twelve years. She serves on the following Committees within CALLERLAB: Women in Calling, Caller Training, Challenge, Contra, Youth, Caller-Coach and responds to mailings from others; responds to all of her E-mails from CALLERLAB. Just recently she has spent more than 250 hours editing the Best of CALLERLAB Tapes. This last item certainly shows her qualification in categories one and three (outstanding & unselfish contribution.)
She was a member of LEGACY from 1981 through 2002 when it ceased its existence. She served on the Legacy Executive Committee. She has been a member of ROUNDALAB since 1985 and a long time member of CONTRALAB and of the Lloyd Shaw Foundation. She served as Vice Chair Square Dance Programming for the NSDC in 2002. She calls all recognized dance programs from Contra thru C3B.
She has called for one club, Rutgers Promenaders, for more than thirty-six years, one of the founders of the Callers Council of New Jersey, a Charter member of the Square Dance Council of New Jersey, a Member of Northern New Jersey Round Dance Leaders Council, New Jersey Square Dance Council Convention, serving in the capacities as Education Chairman, Program Book Chairman, Registration Chairman, Program Chairman, Vice Chairman and General Chairman.
She has taught more than fifty sets of beginner classes as well as numerous Plus, Advanced and Challenge classes. Since her retirement from her day job she has started two Intro to Square Dance programs for senior groups. In 2001 she was recognized at the International Association of Gay Square Dancers Convention (IAGSDC) with the Golden Boot Award, the highest award given to one person in any one year. She received this award for her efforts to help bridge the gap between the gay and straight square dance communities.
In 1987 she became a partner in a venture to produce a Square Dance Video instruction with the following stipulations: They would not be home movies; A Professional producer, Director, Cameraman, Make-up Artist, Editor and Studio would be hired. (They were all hired at a cost of $15,000 per video.) These videos would be designed as reference materials so as not to replace callers. Since becoming sole owner in 2002 she has deducted $5.00 from the sale of each video as a donation to the CALLERLAB FOUNDATION.
I truly believe that this recipient has more than met all of the requisite categories in her capacity over many years and is extremely well deserving of the 2006 Milestone Award.
It is my distinct honor and privilege to make this presentation to a most deserving person. Please join me now as we present, the coveted Milestone Award to BETSY GOTTA.