Posted 9:36 pm Friday, September 25, 2009
Outstanding Women, Girl Scout Honored At Luncheon
By JOYCE TURNER
Community Editor
Dedicated Girl Scouts supporters turned out for the 2009 Tyler Real Girls Real Women Awards Luncheon and Auction at Marvin United Methodist Church on Friday afternoon.
Community Editor
Dedicated Girl Scouts supporters turned out for the 2009 Tyler Real Girls Real Women Awards Luncheon and Auction at Marvin United Methodist Church on Friday afternoon.
This year's honorees were Eleanor Cameron and the Rev. Orenthia Mason, Outstanding Community Volunteers; Kelly Jackman, Outstanding Girl Scout Volunteer; and Brittany Lozano, Outstanding Girl Scout.
Colleen Walker, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, said all of the honorees demonstrated the Girl Scout qualities of courage, confidence and character.
Mayor Barbara Bass gave the invocation, solemnly asking God to help the Tyler community and the families affected by Thursday's stabbing death of a Tyler Independent School District teacher. Dr. Randy Reid, TISD superintendent, was the scheduled keynote speaker, but could not attend. In light of the circumstances, Reid asked Ron Vickery, TISD School Board president, to stand in his place.
Vickery said he hoped Thursday's events would not change the community, but that the community would be restored and set on an even better path.
Vickery, who has two sons, said it was obvious that none of his children were in Girl Scouts. However, he brought along a paper sack and pulled out a Brownie uniform -- much to the delight of his audience -- and said it belonged to his wife, Leigh, who had been a Brownie as a young girl in Mississippi.
Girl Scouts "develops qualities that will serve girls throughout their entire lives," Vickery said.
The Rev. Mason said she "grew up a little poor girl in North Tyler," who joined Girl Scouts through the help and support of people in the community.
"I'm a living witness today, that it's not where you have come from, but what you do with your life that counts," she said. "Troup 65 lives on in my heart. It helped train me."
Gillian Sheridan was mistress of ceremonies. Luncheon Chair Alesha Williams gave the welcome, and Lynne Mabry, GSNT board chair, gave the recognitions.
