A&V Brown Award Application / Recipients

2023 Notification Form

(note the form is 2 pages in length)

2023 FILLABLE A_B Brown Nomination form_1_ copy

CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT FORM, SAVE TO YOUR DESKTOP TO PRINT AND/OR EMAIL 

Send the completed form to the following PDG

PDG Tom Westerman                     PDG Stan Hall                                     PDG Tom Hayford

308 Oak Valley                                  6229 Cimmaron Trail                      2848 London Lane

Colleyville, TX 76034                       Colleyville, TX 76034                       Flower Mound, TX 75028

twesterman1@att.net                   shall10593@verizon.net                liontomh2e2@gmail.com

 

 

HISTORY OF ALBERT W.  AND VIOLA BROWN HUMANITARIAN AWARD

 

To give a history of this award we must begin with why the award is named for Albert and Viola Brown.

Albert was District Governor of 2-E2 in 1972-73.  He was a very active and generous Lion before he was DG and continued to be that same person for the many years following.  He was a member of the Denison Lions Club for over 50 years and very active in all that it did.  He was the original Treasurer of the USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum and served in that role for its first 17 years.

Albert was one of three candidates for International Director in the campaign that elected Mike Butler to represent Texas. He withdrew from the race in favor of Mike Butler.  He was dedicated to the Texas Lions Camp, serving as its President in the early 1990’s.  He never hesitated to be generous with his time, energy and financial resources to support Lions service projects—-not just the Camp but also every project in which the district was involved.  In the early 1990’s, when Lions Clubs International Foundation began the original CAMPAIGN SIGHTFIRST, because of his known dedication and support, Albert was asked to be the Area Coordinator for our area of Texas.

Believing that you had to “put your money where your mouth is” and that you “never ask anyone to do something you were not willing to do yourself”, he and Viola donated over $125,000 to CSF.  They were truly a team. She was a Lioness who became a Lion when the Denison Lioness Club converted in 1991-1992 and became  the Denison Texoma Lions Club. She was the mother and homemaker of the family.  BUT never believe that she was a quiet, never giving her opinion type person.  She was quiet—-I never recall hearing her raise her voice about anything.  But she could give Albert a piece of her mind if she did not agree with what he did.  She was his supporter and his companion in all of his Lionistic involvement.  That is why the award has both of their names on it.

In about 2001 or 2002, as Albert’s health began to decline, it was suggested to the 2-E2 PDG/ PCS Association that we should consider creating an annual Humanitarian Award to be named in honor of Albert and Viola.  After consideration discussion within the group, a committee was formed to survey the PDGs on what they thought should be the criteria for the award and other details. This took some time to fine tune ideas and then fine tune again after the group had thought about the details.  One item on which all PDGs agreed was that PDGs would be EXCLUDED from consideration for the award.  It was also agreed that service at the district level would be one of the criteria; therefore, five years of service at the district level is one of the requirements.  Another item of agreement was that the clubs be involved in both the nomination of candidates and the presentation of the award.

It was decided that the first award would be presented to the Lions whose names are on the award—-Albert and Viola.  The first award was presented to them at a luncheon that was coordinated by the clubs of the Denison Sherman area.  That was in the 2003-2004 Lions year.  In the years following the award has been presented each year based on nominations from PDGS and clubs within our district.  The PDGs have been continuing to fine tune the details in our efforts to be sure that worthy Lions are nominated and recognized.

Year Recipient Lions Club
2003 – 2004 Albert And Viola Brown Dennison
Dennison Texoma
2004 – 2005 Woody Woodall Fort Worth Founder
2005 – 2006 Hugh McClendon Keller
2006 – 2007 Ernest “Rocky” Rothfelder Haltom Watauga Noon
2007 – 2008 David “Doc” Petrash Sherman Noon
2008 – 2009 Robert “Bob” Parker Fort Worth Trinity
2009 – 2010 Suzi Schneider
Mike McKown
Denton Triangle
River Oaks
2010 – 2011 Jack Parkin III Little Elm
2011 – 2012 Fran Higginbotham Dennison Texoma
2012 – 2013 Jim Bob Bruce Grapevine
2013 – 2014 Al Claros Pantego
2014015 Tony Blauvelt Fort Worth Handley Meadowbrook
2015-16 Mary Alice Layland Cleburne
2016-17 Don Noblit Colleyville
2017-18 David Bailey Pantego
2018-19 Jon Niemczyk Colleyville
2019-20 Dr. Juneria Berges Colleyville
2020-2021 Charles Brown Sherman Evening
2021-2022 Mary Green Azle
2022-2023 Jim Byrom River Oaks