Paying It Forward: How a Father and Daughter Give the Golden Rule Marble™ to Inspire Others
Golden Rule Gift Set
For Denny Bonner and his daughter, Tracey Bonner, the Golden Rule is not just something they believe in and practice, it’s also part of a special way they recognize and reinforce excellence in others … and keep the appreciation going forward. The father and daughter, one retired and one current educator, have each chosen to give the Golden Rule Marble, a memento first created a century ago by Jesse Shwayder, co-founder of the Samsonite Corporation, and redesigned for a new generation by Vallmar & Co. of Akron, Ohio.
Denny Bonner, former executive director of the Kentucky Association of High School Student Councils and retired language arts teacher at Lafayette High School in Lexington, Ky., began to give the Golden Rule Marble over 40 years ago to recognize the achievements of the college-level student counselors at the state leadership training conferences he conducted for high school student council members each summer. In a ceremony at the end of each conference, he would award a Golden Rule Marble to his top leaders by telling a personal anecdote about their leadership qualities and how they had impressed him—but the gift came with a special caveat. Mr. Bonner said, “I would present each marble with the charge that the recipient must eventually pass it on to someone who made an impact on their lives, much as they had made an impact on the lives of the student delegates during the conference.”
The Golden Rule Marble has now become a father-daughter tradition.
Tracey Bonner, dancer, actor, choreographer, professor, and now director of the dance program at Northern Kentucky University, is looking to follow her father’s lead and present the new Golden Rule Marble to the graduating senior dancers in her NKU Dance Ensemble, which is the university’s touring dance company. Ms. Bonner said, “As a high school student, I was a delegate to one of my father’s leadership conferences. When I was in college, he hired me as a counselor. At the conference-ending ceremony, he presented me with a beautiful blue Golden Rule Marble (signifying my love for the Kentucky Wildcats). I was so thrilled to be receiving the honor and touched that it was from my dad.”
While Denny Bonner had handed out a version of the original plastic marbles, Tracey Bonner will use the newly redesigned Golden Rule Marble, available exclusively from Vallmar & Co. And she, too, will tell recipients that the marble is theirs to keep “until someone changes your life the way you have changed mine.”
About the New Golden Rule Marble
Vallmar’s patented and trademarked Golden Rule Marble is an updated version of the treasured memento. A one-inch, one-ounce sphere of tiger-eye acrylic, the new Golden Rule Marble is encircled by a hand-finished brass band inscribed with the Golden Rule. The custom-blended polymer of the outer layer was designed to look as if light were coming from within. A core of stainless steel gives the marble its substantial feel in the hand. It comes in 10 luminescent colors: the original charcoal, white, translucent blue, red, and green, and new pearl blue, pearl green, pearl pink, crystal clear, and orange. Each Golden Rule Marble comes nestled in a clear acrylic box with an enclosure explaining its origin. The enclosure pamphlets may be customized to include a personal or corporate message.
A simple and beautiful idea—to give a tangible reminder of the Golden Rule—has been reborn in this updated version of the Golden Rule Marble. It is truly “a gift to live by.”
Vall Iliev, Vallmar’s co-founder and president, says, “The Golden Rule Marble is more than a keepsake—it’s a daily inspiration and reminder of one of the most fundamental of civilization’s values, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ We believe in that so strongly that we wanted to extend to others the opportunity to find meaning and satisfaction in every day.”
To see what others are saying about Vallmar & Co. and the new Golden Rule Marble, click here.
About Vallmar & Co.
The professional team at Vallmar & Co. has nearly 30 years of experience bringing hundreds of products to market. For more information about Vallmar and the Golden Rule Marble, please contact our Office/Engineering: 4319 Lorwood Drive #101, PO Box 1393, Stow, OH 44224 USA. Web: www.vallmar.com | Toll-Free: 800-986-0795 | Office: +1-330-686-0020, M/F 9:00 to 5:00 EST | Customer Service: +1-330-686-2472 | Fax: +1-330-686-0922.
www.vallmar.com
###
vall iliev
Vallmar & Co
3303383226
email us here
