The Bayer Annual Service Award
Our Clubs’ Annual Service Award is named for Ernest Henry Bayer, and is awarded to a Club member, or non-Member, whose contributions are notable for advancing the interests of the Club, and honoring the values and spirit of Ernest Bayer. The most recent award recipient is Eugene Gallagher, for his excellent organization and execution of the Philadelphia Frostbite Regatta.
The Max Schmitt Award for Excellence in Competition
This award was established by the Board of Directors in 2018, to recognize and celebrate outstanding performance in competition. The award is named in honor of Max Schmitt, the 6-time Schuylkill Navy Singles Champion of the 1860-1870 era. Schmitt was an extremely popular athletic figure in Philadelphia, and his presence on the race course drew thousands of fans for cheering him on in his races. He was also a close friend of Thomas Eakins, and he is the central figure in Eakins masterpiece: The Champion Single Sculler in 1871.
This award has only been granted once thus far: to Mark Malone, for his performance at the 2018 Schuylkill navy Regatta, Independence Day Regatta, US Masters Nationals, Head of the Charles and Head of the Schuylkill. In this same year, Mark was also honored by the Schuylkill Navy, and was named Schuylkill Navy Mens Masters Athlete of the Year.
The Heidere Award
The Max H. Heidere Award was established by the US Rowing Society (one of the predecessor organizations of the revived Pennsylvania Barge Club) in the early 1970’s to recognize notable accomplishments by men and women of the Schuylkill Navy clubs; for their significant achievements in advancing our sport as athletes, coaches and ambassadors of Philadelphia rowing. Since then, Heidere Award winners have included:
Fred Duling
Bill Belden
Lois Trench-Hines
Mike Teti
Gavin White
and Sarah Sargent, to name just a few.
Prior to 2016, the award was last presented in 2003. During this entire period, Pennsylvania Barge was not operating as a competitive rowing club; instead it was operating as an administrative entity that sponsored the US Rowing Society, the Schuylkill Navy and USRA.
Then in 2008, Pennsylvania Barge was revived as a rowing club, and reopened for new members in 2009.
In 2016 the award was presented to Club members Mark Malone, Marc Daemen and Chuck Windeknecht for decades of competitive excellence and athletic achievement
Our standing as a competitive rowing club has been greatly enhanced because of them.
They were recognized not for winning one big race, or one great season, but for a long and enduring partnership spanning many years and many seasons. Their partnership is founded on teamwork, self-reliance, mutual respect and dedication. Enduring partnerships like this are rare in athletes, and rarer still in adult athletes sharing a common bond of deep friendship, in the strong personal attachments that only sports can bind.