Presenter: Mike Olivieri
The Gold Card, “Life Membership” in CALLERLAB may be given in recognition of
service to CALLERLAB. It may be presented to long term CALLERLAB Members
who have provided outstanding service to CALLERLAB, and been selected by
representatives of the membership (the EC) to be honored in this way. It may be
given to callers who have retired from active calling. Under special circumstances,
as determined by the EC, the Gold Card may also be given to CALLERLAB
Members who are still actively calling. The list of those who have been given this
recognition is short. It includes people who have worked very hard and very
selflessly to enhance CALLERLAB. This organization has many ways of recognizing
its Members, and in some cases even non-members, for their contributions to the
square dance activity. The Gold Card is reserved for those who have worked to
make CALLERLAB a more valuable and successful leadership organization. The
service that our Gold Card members have given has come in many forms.
There have been 26 Gold Card Lifetime Awards given out previously with the first
one being in 1978.
Daryl Clendenin, Ed Foote, Betsy Gotta, Jon Jones, Melton Luttrell, Mike
Seastrom. Congratulations to you all but now let’s talk about this year’s award
winner.
This year’s recipient started his senior year of high school in the fall of 1965 where
he learned to square dance with his parents. The caller was one of the teachers in
the school. In the spring of 1966 the caller began teaching our recipient to call
singing calls. During the summer, the caller worked with him on learning to call
patter, which our recipient admits he struggled with. Our award winner called
throughout his years in college and while he was in the Army and continues to call
today. In fact, the only time he has not called regularly since 1986 is the eight
weeks he was in basic training and during the COVID pandemic. In the mid-1970’s,
he met the love of his life and they were married in 1977. She did not square dance
when they met but she took lessons with our recipient as her class angel. They have
been married for 46 (2023) years and though she does not often travel with him, she
is very supportive in all he does with the square dance activity.
He has called in over 46 states and three provinces in Canada. He has appeared in
television and radio interviews about square dancing and has been a part of a
television show produced in Nashville, TN. He has called at over 27 National
Conventions and numerous state and local festivals and conventions around the
country. He has been the featured caller at over 10 state conventions and has been
a staff caller for multiple annual weekends, too many to count.
He began recording square dance songs in 1985 and has recorded over 28 songs on
six different labels, including being one of the CALLERLAB members who recorded
“God Bless the USA” in 1999 and “God Bless America” in 2009.
But what about his contributions to CALLERLAB?
Our caller was invited to join CALLERLAB in 1976 when membership was by
invitation only. He accepted and became an accredited member of CALLERLAB at
that time.
In 1991 he became a CALLERLAB Accredited Caller coach. That same year he
began teaching at callers schools and has conducted caller’s seminars and
workshops throughout the United State and Canada. He firmly believes in the
development of new callers and the continuing education of established callers. In
addition to his teaching dancer classes, conducting caller schools, and holding
leadership and training seminars, he and Jim Mayo co-authored a book on
choreography called “Standard Choreography”, which was published in 1997.
Designed with the newer caller in mind, it provides examples of danceable
choreography from standard concept.
In 1991 he was also elected to the CALLERLAB Board of Governor’s where he
would serve for 12 years, retiring from the board in 2004. Six of those years were
on the Executive Committee and for 2 years, from 1996-1998, he served as
Chairman of CALLERLAB.
Our recipient has also chaired and participated in numerous committees at
CALLERLAB conventions. As The Foundation Committee Chairman he raised over
$100,000 for the Foundation. He has shared his expertise at CALLERLAB by also
serving as a panelist and moderator on many panels.
However, his leadership is not limited to his CALLERLAB experience. In addition
to being a huge part of the CALLERLAB organization, our recipient has been a
presenter at over 8 dancer leadership seminars, 16 CALLERLAB National
Convention Training Seminars, and 26 callers’ seminars. He has also conducted
over 42 full 40-hour caller schools and seminars.
His love and passion for the square dance activity expands beyond the dance floor.
He is honored and respected by the dancing community. It started in 1986 when he
started calling, continues today, and extends far beyond the dance floor. His
dedication to grow and improve all square dance clubs, dancers, and callers is still
ongoing. He has started numerous clubs, brought in and taught an uncountable
number of dancers, and coached and mentored hundreds of callers. I was fortunate
enough to attend one of those schools and learn from him. One of the first
statements made at his caller’s school was, “If you’re in this for the money, there’s
the door. If you’re in it for the love of the sport, you’re in the right place.” His
mentoring did not stop after graduation from caller’s school. To this day I still ask
for his advice and help with problems or situations I encounter as a caller. His
philosophy is that “Square Dancing Should be Fun”. He truly cares about the
dancer, his fellow callers whether new or having been around for a long time, and
the square dance activity as a whole. Since he started calling, he has always
represented CALLERLAB and the best CALLERLAB has to offer whether it be as a
dancer, a caller, a leader, or just himself. He takes pride in his membership and
promotes CALLERLAB to all the new callers he helps to teach and mentor.
As I stated before, the Gold Card award started as a way to recognize retired callers
but exceptions have been made over the years. This is one of those exceptions.
With that in mind it is my honor and privilege to present the CALLERLAB Life
Membership Gold Card to a still very active caller, Mr. Jerry Junck.