By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
Retired dentist Dr. Bob Sittason was honored as a 50-year member of Hartselle Rotary Club at a noon meeting of members and guests on Tuesday.
To commemorate the occasion, he was awarded an engraved trophy by District Governor Dennis Books of Pell City. He also received a Rotary tie from Scott Stone, a fellow Rotarian and a former district governor.
David Burleson, secretary-treasurer, gave the honoree a detailed introduction by reading excepts from articles published in the Hartselle Enquirer shortly after he arrived in town as a newcomer dentist in the summer of 1957. They touted Sittason as a bright young family man with a promising future and also gave an accounting of his many achievements in college and dental school.
With tongue in cheek, Burleson also produced a copy of the club’s roster from 50 years ago and called attention to the fact that shortly after Sittason joined two local ministers added their memberships to the club roll.
Burleson said it is much to Sittason’s credit that only five members before him had a membership of 50 or more years.
They were Jack Stone (57), Dr. Roland King (55), Robert Street (54), Cooper McClanahan (53) and Ernest Maddox (50).
In accepting the award, Sittason said: “I’ll have to say that you were stretching the blanket in your introduction. In the year I served as president, we had a district governor come from out of Birmingham to help pass the torch to my successor, the Rev. W. P. Maxwell. He informed me that based on my performance in the prior year he was recommending that the Hartselle Rotary Club be disbanded.”
President Francis concluded the award ceremony by thanking Sittason for his many contributions and dedicated service to the Rotary Club and his community.
“I can’t think of anyone who lives our motto “Service Above Self” better than he does,” he said.