Youth golf guru
Call him the Pied Piper of youth golf: Daniel Derito of Brockton has a lot of kids following him around the golf course, and for his efforts in introducing golf to young people, he has earned the Greater Boston Association of Realtors' first Good Neighbor Award.
A lifelong golfer, Derito wanted to get kids involved in his sport. So in 2006, Derito, who works at Keller Williams Realty in Easton, created the D.W. Field Golf Association for youths ages 12 to 16. The free program is held at the D.W. Field Golf Course in Brockton.
"I noticed that there weren't many kids playing golf at my club, nor did they know what the game was all about," Derito said. "I decided to put on some clinics and see how it went. It turns out the kids very much did like it - especially the shyer kids who were afraid to play rougher sports like hockey or football."
In its two-year existence, the program has earned the endorsement of Brockton Mayor James Harrington, Brockton Youth Sports, and the Brockton Recreation Department.
"Dan came to me with this idea to create the league, and clearly anything we can do to keep the kids busy is a good thing," Harrington said. "Golf teaches kids about courtesy and respect, and we're proud of Dan for what he's done."
Throughout the summer, Derito teaches kids the basics of golf while stressing the fun aspect of the game and how to enjoy the natural surroundings of the course.
He credits much of the program's success to John Mason of Brockton, who caddied with Derito in the early 1960s; the two hadn't seen each other for nearly 30 years until Mason brought his son Michael to D.W. Field to the program. Now John Mason helps Derito run it, and Mason's son has earned his own junior membership at the club.
Anywhere from 30 to 40 young golfers participate in the program. A dozen or so have become members of the D.W. Field course as well, Derito said.
The award is modeled after one given by the National Association of Realtors and recognizes real estate professionals for their community activism.
ACADEMIC NOTES: Justin Elliott, a native of Bridgewater and 2008 graduate of Brown University, has been named the CampusProgress.org Contributor of the Year. Elliott is an online senior fellow at Mother Jones magazine and lives in San Francisco. His contributions to Campus Progress, an online publication that is part of the Center for American Progress, have covered higher education and the Israel lobby to an in-depth analysis of the racial composition of college newspapers. Elliott received the award at Campus Progress' 2008 National Conference in Washington, D.C., on July 8.
BUSINESS BRIEFS: Denise Brouilette Nichols of Plymouth has been named manager of volunteers and internship at Plimoth Plantation. Most recently Nichols served as the emergency department patient liaison at Jordan Hospital in Plymouth. She is also a board member for the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless, and has served with the March of Dimes and the South Shore Women's Center.
Amy A. Geogan of Norwell has been hired as chief credit officer at Bank of Canton. She is a 30-year veteran in the banking trade, and has held a variety of lending and management positions at Rockland Trust, the former BankBoston, and Sovereign Bank.
Brian J. Paglia of Plymouth has been promoted to assistant vice president at Scituate Federal Savings Bank. Paglia has been with the bank for more than seven years serving as branch manager of the Marshfield office. He currently has management and business development responsibilities for the Marshfield and Hingham branch offices.
Lawrence E. Sauer of Stoughton has returned to the position of executive director of Cardinal Cushing Centers in Hanover after two years as an administrator at North River Collaborative in Rockland. Sauer resumes a 17-year history with the special needs school where he served as executive director and director of student services. He will oversee daily program operations of the organization's Hanover campus, supervise program directors, ensure regulatory compliance, and work with licensing agencies.
Robert G. O'Brien of Milton was elected to the board of directors of Massachusetts Citizens for Life Inc., a statewide anti-abortion organization headquartered in Boston. O'Brien, a longtime activist and former director of development for the organization, was elected by members of the group to a three-year term on the board. This was O'Brien's first run for director.
Edward Roster of Raynham has been appointed as chairman of the board of directors at Morton Hospital in Taunton. Roster has a long-standing association of service to the hospital spanning 30 years, hospital officials said, and was most recently the vice chairman of the board.
Paul E. Kandarian can be reached at Kandarian@globe.com.
Correction: Because of a reporting error, the July 17 People column misstated the year Justin Elliott, a Bridgewater native who was named CampusProgress.org Contributor of the Year, graduated from Brown University. It was 2007.
