It took our congregation 14 years of renting space before we were able to purchase our own church home. We moved into our home in September 2011 and spent the next year cleaning, dumping, washing, painting, ripping out walls, replacing leaky plumbing, etc. The Board of Trustees realized that in a lay-led congregation it is vitally important to appreciate the work done. So often the results are seen, but we don’t take time to tell one another how much we appreciate what was accomplished. The Annual Appreciation Dinner was created to appreciate and honor the efforts of so many people, starting with Bruce Cameron. Bruce spent hundreds and hundreds of hours leading the effort and doing the bulk of the work.
In February 2012 at the first Appreciation Dinner, the board introduced the Bruce Cameron Distinguished Service Award. The award reads:
The Bruce Cameron Distinguished Service Award
named in honor of an individual who has performed exceptional service
on behalf of Red River Unitarian Universalists members and this facility.
The award is established to honor individuals
who through their continued efforts
have made outstanding contributions
to the welfare and progress of this church community.
This year’s Appreciation Dinner is Thursday, February 21, 2019 and the entire community – members, friends, newcomers, visitors – is warmly invited to bring a dish to share as together we gather to offer celebrate the work we each made to the support of our community. The highlight of the evening is the giving of the Bruce Cameron Distinguished Service Award to the 2019 recipient. This lighthearted celebration includes a shared supper (thanks for each of us bringing a dish), some entertainment and words of appreciation to those whose labors have assured that we have a liberal religious presence in Texoma – not only for ourselves, but for the larger community as well.
Do come.
Past recipients of the Bruce Cameron Distinguished Service Award:
- 2012: Carolyn Cameron
- 2013: Marla Loturco
- 2014: Marilyn Alexander, Carole Harner, and Doug Strong
- 2015: Marion and Elbert Hill
- 2016: Dan Althoff
- 2017: Robert Shehan
- 2018: Kelly Cofield-Dyer