Plainview High Principal and fellow Lion Brandt Reagan brought our three guest speakers to Wednesday’s meeting of the Plainview Lions Club – this year’s Lavern Roach Award winner Tyler Rodriguez, Nelda Laney Award winner Jade Cardiel and Tut Tawwater Scholarship recipient Isaiah Garcia.
All three PHS seniors will graduate May 22 and plan to further their education with the help of $750 scholarships from the Lions Club.
The Nelda Laney Award honors the “First Lady of West Texas” and recognizes a senior girl exhibits traits of leadership and good citizenship and is involved in student organizations. Nelda Laney was a 1961 graduate of PHS and with honors from Texas Tech in 1965. She was married to former Texas House Speaker James A. “Pete” Laney for 53 years, and national president of the Texas Tech Alumni Association. Among her numerous honors, Laney was a Woman of the Year in Plainview and Hale Center, member of the Future Homemakers of America Texas Hall of Fame and Lifetime Member of the Girl Scouts. She died in 2016.
Selected by the student body, Jade Cardiel is the fourth recipient of the Nelda Laney Award. A member of the PHS Choir and the Chamber Singers, she plans to attend Texas Tech University and pursue a pre-dental degree.
Plainview Lions have been sponsoring the Lavern Roach Award and associated scholarship since the award was started in April 1950. It annually goes to the outstanding senior boy, as voted by the student body on the basis of clean living, good citizenship and sportsmanship. A Plainview native, Lavern Roach was a middleweight boxer considered a top championship contender when he died Feb. 23, 1950, from injuries he received in a nationally televised boxing match.
This year’s recipient, Tyler Rodriguez, participated in both Bulldog football and baseball. He plans to attend Texas Tech University seeking a degree in criminal justice for a career in forensic science.
The Tut Tawwater Scholarship honors the local civic leader who died in 2015. Milton Tawwater was dubbed “Tut” by his father as a newborn since King Tutankhamen’s tomb was discovered shortly before his birth in 1923. During World War II, Tawwater was a radio operator on a B-24 bomber that was shot down over Germany and spent 11 months as a POW. Long associated with KVOP Radio, Tawwater was the voice of Bulldog football for 36 years. He was a member of the Lions Club for 57 years, past chairman of the Texas Lions Council of Governors, member of the Texas Lions Hall of Fame and Plainview’s Man of the Year in 1958.
Isaiah Garcia, this year’s recipient, was active in PHS Student Council. He plans to attend Texas Tech as a pre-med student.
Lion Boss Stacie Hardage presided Wednesday. She was joined at the head table by Queen Kenzi Knippa, Princess Bella Becerra and First Vice President Landon Hugey. Larry McNutt was song leader, Mike Melcher led pledges to the American and Texas flags, Shayla Whalen offered the invocation and Chaplain Ray Rodriquez gave an inspirational message.
Beverly Dunlap collected member service hours to report to Lions Clubs International, Paul Drager volunteered his wife Cecilia to sew several award patches to our club banners, Ashley Mayberry had no trouble enlisting seven volunteers to cover open Meals on Wheels routes, and Stacie Hardage announced that Lions will participate in the Red, White and Moo celebration 6-8 p.m. Friday, July 2, at Kidsville prior to the annual community fireworks show. Lions will help the sponsoring Hale County dairy families by passing out free milk, cheese and ice cream.
Lions donated $117 to Plainview Paws through this week’s Tail Twister Raffle. Prize winners included Paul Drager, Chris Moore, Kathy Norris, Staci Hardage, Tonya Keesee, Deb Melcher and James Belk.
What do Lions do? We serve.
