Nominations invited for pair of Wayland awards

The Wayland Public Ceremonies Committee is seeking nominations for the 2026 Lydia Maria Child and the Peter R. Gossels Good Government Awards. The winners will be listed in Talk of the Town in a future issue of the Wayland Post.
The Lydia Maria Child Award is bestowed annually upon a Wayland resident, local group, local volunteer organization, or employee of the Town of Wayland in recognition of their active volunteer leadership in the betterment of the community’s quality of life or in serving the important needs of residents. This award may also be bestowed posthumously.
The C. Peter R. Gossels Good Government Award recognizes an individual who exemplifies Gossels’s passion for justice, civility, and high standards of conduct, and will be bestowed upon a Wayland resident who has served as a volunteer for 20 years or more with generosity of spirit to improve and support the operation of good town government. This award honors unpaid secular service that promotes positive citizen engagement with town government; provides information to voters and officials to enhance fairness and well-informed decisions; and may include innovative initiatives that enhance the town.
The Wayland Public Ceremonies Committee invites all Wayland residents to offer nominations for either or both of the Awards. The deadline for consideration is March 27. Each submission is limited to 500 words and must include your contact information. The winners will be announced at Wayland’s Annual Town Meeting.
For the 2026 Lydia Maria Child Award nomination, submit by mail to: Joseph Berkowitz, Public Ceremonies Committee, 20 Highgate Road, Wayland MA 01778.
For the Gossels nomination: mail or email to Rodrick Mclean, Wayland Public Ceremonies Committee, 15 Wheelock Road, Wayland MA 01778, rmclean@wayland.ma.us.