Bart Vanderveen Award 2020 - Jan Thompson

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Jan’s husband Troy shared these pictures of Jan Thompson and her Bart Vanderveen Distinguished Service Award for 2020:

Well deserved - congrats, Jan!

[Tony Smith]

Congratulations, Jan!

Of course, the award is not just for 2020, I'm sure it also recognises your involvement for well over 20 years in leading, co-ordinating and helping many, many Military Vehicle enthusiasts throughout Australia and internationally.

Well deserved!

[Richard Farrant]

Congratulations Jan,
You now join other well known people on the MVPA Bart Vanderveen award list who have all made an important contribution to the world of military vehicle collecting and preservation. Well deserved !!

Best regards,
Richard

[Mike Cecil]

Mike

[Jan Thompson]

Thanks for the messages. I join you Mike! I remember reading up on how prestigious this award is when I saw that you had been the 2019 award winner.

I was unaware that I had been nominated and really appreciate those people who made this happen. Some people may think it is a strange award for a female. I look back at my associations with military vehicle clubs and the organising I have done to make Corowa the largest gathering of military vehicles in the southern hemisphere.

I initially must thank my parents. Unfortunately my father passed away in November 2019 and he was the cause of this affiliation with military vehicles. My mother was so delighted to have heard from me about the award and she knows how much work I have put in over the years. I do have fond memories going back to the early 1970's of events I participated in while living in Victoria. When I was 18 I moved to Sydney and started a career working with children aged 0 to 5 years. I have held positions as an educator, Assistant Director and Director and while working fulltime I also have been on club committees and have held the position of Secretary and Public Relations Officer of the Corowa Swim-In and Military Vehicle Gathering since 2005.

When Troy and I decided to get married in 2016 we chose Corowa as I felt it was a good half way point from Sydney to Point Lonsdale and of course I wanted to have our military vehicle friends apart of our special day.

I know Keith Webb has some photos he has shared of my brother and I when he started his military vehicle journey and with this hobby I have met thousands of people. Troy and I now have a 1988 110 Landrover, a 1939 Swiss Pushbike and my father's WW2 folding pushbike.

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Jan,

The award is well deserved - about time you received some international recognition for all your hard work over many years. According to the MVPA website, the reason for the award, and the previous recipients were:

MVPA’s Bart Vanderveen Memorial Distinguished Service Award

The MVPA Awards Committee will select this recipient using the same criteria as The Roll of Honor award (below), focusing on an individual who has contributed the most to the historic preservation of military vehicles worldwide. Only (1) one award will be given a year yet it is not to be considered as an annual requirement of the MVPA. The winner will be announced at the MVPA Convention Awards Banquet at which time a plaque will be presented. The winner will be listed in SUPPLY LINE as part of the convention coverage following the event.

• 2018 Lloyd White
• 2017 Ian Young
• 2016: David Cadorette
• 2015: David Doyle
• 2014: HMV Italia
• 2013: David Fletcher
• 2012: Kevin Kronlund
• 2011: Brent Mullins
• 2010: Richard P. Hunnicutt
• 2009: Allan Cors
• 2008: G503.com
• 2007: Reg Hodgson
• 2006: Henry Venetta
• 2005: Jacques Littlefield
• 2004: Tony Budge
• 2003: Fred N. Ropkey
• 2002: Jaap DeGroot
• 2001: Bart Vanderveen

The list needs to be updated (I'll remind MVPA HQ of that!) and the reference to Supply Line removed, as that publication has been rolled together with Army Motors into the History in Motion magazine.

Looking at the list, you are the first women to receive the award, and are one of only two Australians.

Mike

[Jan Thompson]

Would i be the youngest person to have received this award?

The reporter from the Corowa Free Press is going to do a story next week.

[Mike Cecil]

Possibly Jan ... you'd have to check with Ian Young in the UK and David Doyle in the US. I don't know about all the others, but Ian and David are younger than others I recognise on the list.

Mike