Longtime community activist Jerry McCullough has been selected by the Arlington-Mansfield Area YMCA as the newest recipient of the Bill and Shari Bowie Community Leader Award.
He is scheduled to be presented the honor at the YMCA’s annual meeting luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 24 at Sheraton Arlington Hotel (1500 Convention Center Drive). The meeting had been scheduled for this month but was postponed due to the coronavirus situation.
Plans call for the 2018 recipient of the award, Mission Arlington Metroplex Executive Director Tillie Burgin (pictured above with McCullough), to present him his award.
Even with a delay in the fanfare – most who know him would say “especially with a delay in fanfare” – McCullough says he is touched to receive such prestigious recognition.
“What an honor it is to me and my wife, Becky, that I was selected to receive the Bill and Shari Bowie Community Leader Award from the YMCA,” he says. “Knowing the standards that the YMCA set in establishing the award named for Bill and Shari, I was humbled to be named the recipient of the award.”
McCullough’s Arlington-area journey has led him to serve in many capacities over the years, not the least of which occurred during his tenure as an educator. When he retired after 43 years with Arlington Independent School District, he says he was not sure what the future held for him.
“After spending a summer reading retirement books, both Christian and secular, praying and thinking about where God was leading me, I felt very strongly that he wanted me to serve our community, both spiritually and physically,” McCullough says. “God has given me so many opportunities in our community through Mission Arlington, Salvation Army, Trinity Sports Foundation, Young Life, Tarrant County Child Protective Services, River Legacy, North Texas Higher Education Authority, Arlington Dental Health and Mended Hearts. The satisfaction and fulfillment that each organization has given me has been beyond my imagination of eight years ago.”
Even though the Bowie Award represents a high point for his service, McCullough says he has no immediate plans to “retire” from helping others.
“Several men and I are working to help other men feel the satisfaction and fulfillment [of service] through an organization called ‘A Night with Christian Men,’ which encourages all men, with emphasis on men in retirement or close to retirement, to volunteer in some way in our community,” he says. “There are so many wonderful nonprofit organizations and churches who need volunteers, especially men. I tell men that ‘retirement’ is not mentioned in the Bible.”
For more about McCullough and the Bill & Shari Bowie award, visit amaymca.org/about-us/community-awards.
