Lake Murray Members Honored
For Exemplary Service
Past Commander Mike Kirk presented the squadron's three most
prestigious awards during this year's Christmas Party on 8 December at Saluda
Shoals.
The
Golden Anchor Award, Lake Murray's highest award to a long-time member in
recognition of extended and outstanding service, was presented to Past District
Commander Archie Trawick, Jr., SN. Archie, also a past commander of Lake Murray,
joined the squadron in 1986 and has been active since his days as a new member.
In presenting the award, Kirk said, "The Golden Anchor Award is
the highest award our local squadron can bestow upon one of our own. This year's
recipient is someone who continues to come up with fresh ideas that work, one
who still finds the time to be a class instructor as well as an interviewer of
prospective new members, one who has pulled our bacon out of the fire on more
than one occasion and provided a classroom for the boating course, one who has
represented our squadron well with dignity and a lot of class in service to D/26
and one who was a major influence on me to join this organization 16 years ago."
The
Commander's Award "represents an individual who richly deserves the gratitude
and respect of our entire membership," Kirk said, in announcing the recipient Lt
Charlie Bruce, AP.
"This year's winner is everyone's friend," Kirk said. "A quiet
man and unassuming, never one to rock the boat. But you just wait until there's
a job to be done and he is the first one there. The first one to volunteer and
say, 'Let me do that!' The first one to use contacts and friendships to the
advantage of our squadron bringing in heavy equipment to trench, tearing
it up on a buried tire, then making the guy bring in another machine to finish
the job. Supplying wire, boxes, pipe and material along with the expertise to
run it according to code for everyone's safety. I have never seen any Billy Bob
work done on any of these projects, only first class, high quality all the way.
I do not exaggerate in telling you that our various projects have saved
thousands of dollars in money NOT spent.
"There are only a few people in this room who are very aware of
all these things I am talking about but that is enough for this year's award
winner. It finally dawned on me one day that the reason we were getting all this
high quality, first class work done was simple; we were dealing with a high
quality, first class individual."
Beginning
their career with Lake Murray Power Squadron with a real SPARK, is how Kirk
described the basis for selecting the recipient of the Spark Plug Award who also
must be a member of less than two years.
"The recipient this year has raised the level of spark from a
six-volt battery coil all the way up to 85 Kilo Volt H.E.I. He has set goals
that were sky high and has not missed one yet! He has attracted the right kind
of help to get the job done in the past and to outline an even more aggressive
plan for the future. He is someone who I am VERY proud to call my personal
friend as I know many of your in this room are as well," Kirk said.
The Spark Plug Award was presented to Lt/C Andy Hyman, AP.
