Rotary Ramblings

Elliesecondtime@aol.com Elliesecondtime@aol.com
Tue, 29 Oct 2002 20:47:38 EST


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ROTARY RAMBLINGS
ROTARY CLUB OF DELRAY BEACH
October 29, 2002

Today was a very special day for Delray Beach Rotary Club.  We paid tribute 
to one of Delray's finest citizens, Mr. Leon Weekes.  Our club gave him the 
coveted Service Above Self Award.  The ceremony began at 11:45 a.m., on the 
front walk of Old School Square.  Ernie Simon, serving as emcee, began the 
ceremony, paying tribute to Mr. Weekes.  Then, President Pat Archer presented 
Mr. Weekes with the Service Above Self Award Plaque.  Mr. Weekes thanked them 
graciously, then, refrained from continuing his acceptance speech until we 
went indoors, in the gym for lunch.  It was a record warm (hot) day for 
October 29.  

The ceremony and luncheon was well attended, with approximately seventy-seven 
attendees.  Among the guests were the lovely family of Mr. Weekes, and also 
the former recipients of the coveted award, or their families, representing 
all six years our club has presented this award.  We also had members of the 
press, as well as local dignitaries, including City Commissioner Alberta 
McCarthy (a member of Delray Sunrise Rotary Club).

 A plaque with the recipients' name is embedded in the brick walkway, in 
front of the statue of the boy with the folded American flag.  This is a ten 
year commitment from our club to Old School Square, for the Arts.  Once 
inside the gym, President Archer continued the ceremony, while the rest of us 
stuffed our faces with a wonderful buffet from Ellie's Diner.  She and Ernie 
Simon presented our check for $1,000.00 to Joe Gillie, Director of Old School 
Square.

Leon Weekes was born in Atlanta, Georgia.  He graduated from Emory 
University; moved to Palm Beach County in 1953.  He and his wife Harriet have 
four adult children, and seven grandchildren; all residing in Palm Beach 
County.

Mr. Weekes is Chairman of Weekes and Callaway, Inc., a general insurance 
agency founded in 1954, in Delray Beach.  The agency employs forty people and 
is in the top 5 percent of independently owned and operated agencies in the 
state in gross premium volume.

Some of Mr. Weekes appointments are: Charter Director of Equity Bank; 
Governing Board of Delray Medical Center; Board of Directors Delray Beach 
Council of 100; Past President, Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce; Past 
President, Delray Beach Board of Realtors; Board of Directors Economic 
Council of Palm Beach County; Board of Directors Florida Association of 
Insurance Agents.

His public service includes: City Commissioner, City of Delray Beach, from 
1970-1974 and 1975-1978; Mayor of Delray Beach 1978 to 1982.  He was Director 
and member of Executive Committee Florida League of Cities 1980; active as 
legislative liaison for the League of Cities in 1980 to 1982.  During term of 
Public Service, he was on the original Board of Directors of the Solid Waste 
Authority in Palm Beach County and the Board of the South Central Regional 
Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Authority.  He also served as President of 
the Palm Beach County Municipal League.  Since retiring from elective office, 
Mr. Weekes has served the City of Delray Beach as Vice Chair of the Community 
Redevelopment Agency and a member of its Police and Fire Pension Board.  He 
also served on the selection committee for the present City Manager (who 
happens to be our own fellow Rotarian, David Harden).

Among some of Mr. Weekes' nonprofit charitable services are: Past President 
and current Director, United Way of Florida, and Palm Beach County; Past 
Chairman and current Director, Mae Volen Senior Center; President, Gulfstream 
Council Boy Scouts of America; Life Director, Drug Abuse Foundation of Palm 
Beach County; Advisory Board member "I Have a Dream" Foundation (Delray 
Beach); Past President of Delray Beach Lions Club; Vestry, St. Paul's 
Episcopal Church, three terms, two years as Senior Warden.

In April 1999, the City of Delray Beach and Palm Beach County, by joint 
action, dedicated the "Leon M. Weekes Environmental Preserve," a passive 
park, in recognition of his service to the community.  This beautiful nature 
park is located on the west side of the railroad, along Dixie Highway, at 
Lindell Boulevard; entrance at the north end of Albatross (south Delray 
Beach).

Next Week: Back to our "normal" schedule; 12:00 noon, Ellie's Diner.  Our 
guest speaker will be an informed Rotary speaker, speaking to the club about 
Polio Plus!  Our scheduled Greeter will be Jim Blocker.  Jim is one of our 
newer members, but has already contributed invaluable time and effort to 
Delray Beach Rotary Club.







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<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"><P ALIGN=CENTER><FONT  style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=6 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"><B><I>ROTARY RAMBLINGS<BR>
</FONT><FONT  COLOR="#000000" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=5 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"></I>ROTARY CLUB OF DELRAY BEACH<BR>
</FONT><FONT  COLOR="#000000" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"></B>October 29, 2002<BR>
<BR>
<P ALIGN=LEFT>Today was a very special day for Delray Beach Rotary Club.&nbsp; We paid tribute to one of Delray's finest citizens, Mr. Leon Weekes.&nbsp; Our club gave him the coveted <I>Service Above Self Award.</I>&nbsp; The ceremony began at 11:45 a.m., on the front walk of Old School Square.&nbsp; Ernie Simon, serving as emcee, began the ceremony, paying tribute to Mr. Weekes.&nbsp; Then, President Pat Archer presented Mr. Weekes with the Service Above Self Award Plaque.&nbsp; Mr. Weekes thanked them graciously, then, refrained from continuing his acceptance speech until we went indoors, in the gym for lunch.&nbsp; It was a record warm (hot) day for October 29.&nbsp; <BR>
<BR>
The ceremony and luncheon was well attended, with approximately seventy-seven attendees.&nbsp; Among the guests were the lovely family of Mr. Weekes, and also the former recipients of the coveted award, or their families, representing all six years our club has presented this award.&nbsp; We also had members of the press, as well as local dignitaries, including City Commissioner Alberta McCarthy (a member of Delray Sunrise Rotary Club).<BR>
<BR>
 A plaque with the recipients' name is embedded in the brick walkway, in front of the statue of the boy with the folded American flag.&nbsp; This is a ten year commitment from our club to Old School Square, for the Arts.&nbsp; Once inside the gym, President Archer continued the ceremony, while the rest of us stuffed our faces with a wonderful buffet from Ellie's Diner.&nbsp; She and Ernie Simon presented our check for $1,000.00 to Joe Gillie, Director of Old School Square.<BR>
<BR>
Leon Weekes was born in Atlanta, Georgia.&nbsp; He graduated from Emory University; moved to Palm Beach County in 1953.&nbsp; He and his wife Harriet have four adult children, and seven grandchildren; all residing in Palm Beach County.<BR>
<BR>
Mr. Weekes is Chairman of Weekes and Callaway, Inc., a general insurance agency founded in 1954, in Delray Beach.&nbsp; The agency employs forty people and is in the top 5 percent of independently owned and operated agencies in the state in gross premium volume.<BR>
<BR>
Some of Mr. Weekes appointments are: Charter Director of Equity Bank; Governing Board of Delray Medical Center; Board of Directors Delray Beach Council of 100; Past President, Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce; Past President, Delray Beach Board of Realtors; Board of Directors Economic Council of Palm Beach County; Board of Directors Florida Association of Insurance Agents.<BR>
<BR>
His public service includes: City Commissioner, City of Delray Beach, from 1970-1974 and 1975-1978; Mayor of Delray Beach 1978 to 1982.&nbsp; He was Director and member of Executive Committee Florida League of Cities 1980; active as legislative liaison for the League of Cities in 1980 to 1982.&nbsp; During term of Public Service, he was on the original Board of Directors of the Solid Waste Authority in Palm Beach County and the Board of the South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Authority.&nbsp; He also served as President of the Palm Beach County Municipal League.&nbsp; Since retiring from elective office, Mr. Weekes has served the City of Delray Beach as Vice Chair of the Community Redevelopment Agency and a member of its Police and Fire Pension Board.&nbsp; He also served on the selection committee for the present City Manager (who happens to be our own fellow Rotarian, David Harden).<BR>
<BR>
Among some of Mr. Weekes' nonprofit charitable services are: Past President and current Director, United Way of Florida, and Palm Beach County; Past Chairman and current Director, Mae Volen Senior Center; President, Gulfstream Council Boy Scouts of America; Life Director, Drug Abuse Foundation of Palm Beach County; Advisory Board member "I Have a Dream" Foundation (Delray Beach); Past President of Delray Beach Lions Club; Vestry, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, three terms, two years as Senior Warden.<BR>
<BR>
In April 1999, the City of Delray Beach and Palm Beach County, by joint action, dedicated the "<I>Leon M. Weekes Environmental Preserve</I>," a passive park, in recognition of his service to the community.&nbsp; This beautiful nature park is located on the west side of the railroad, along Dixie Highway, at Lindell Boulevard; entrance at the north end of Albatross (south Delray Beach).<BR>
<BR>
<B>Next Week: </B>Back to our "normal" schedule; 12:00 noon, Ellie's Diner.&nbsp; Our guest speaker will be an informed Rotary speaker, speaking to the club about Polio Plus!&nbsp; Our scheduled <I>Greeter </I>will be Jim Blocker.&nbsp; Jim is one of our newer members, but has already contributed invaluable time and effort to Delray Beach Rotary Club.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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