CHESTERTOWN — James “Butch” Clark of Worton received the President’s Medal at Washington College’s winter convocation on Friday afternoon.
He was honored for his “significant contributions to the advancement” of his community.
Before we share the high praise Butch received from college President Mike Sosulski, we offer the following.
Many of us know Butch as the sound and lighting guru for the Garfield Center for the Arts in Chestertown and other theater outlets. He was a founding member of Actors Community Theatre.
He has assisted the League of Women Voters in their various candidate forums.
And for the last four years, Butch has helped to make sure the outdoor commencement ceremony at Kent County High School’s Trojan Stadium has come off without a hitch.
Many of us know Butch as the idealized “every man” captured in Norman Rockwell illustrations — dependable, helpful, honest, hardworking, kind, generous, easy to talk to and down to earth.
He’s the guy who never took a sick day and drove more than a million miles along the rural roads of Kent County without a mishap in 40 years as a carrier for the U.S. Postal Service.
At retirement in 2019 he had 534 customers in three ZIP codes — Worton, Betterton and Still Pond. His route covered 46.78 miles daily.
Others know Butch, the oldest of four siblings, as a fixture at the family-owned and operated Clark’s Store, which opened in 1954 and continued to serve the Worton area for nearly 60 years.
We’re going back in the archives, but there are still others who know Butch as the epitome of patience as coach and sponsor of a women’s softball team in Kent County until the league disbanded.
When we talk about Butch’s service to community, we cannot overlook his service to country. He fulfilled his two-year commitment to the Army (1972-74) as the Vietnam War was coming to an end. He was a forward observer stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he excelled as a member of the All-Army rifle team.
Printed below is what college President Mike Sosulski said Friday in recognizing Butch Clark.
For more than four decades, Butch has been an unsung hero of Chestertown’s festivals, celebrations of the arts, public music events, and indeed just about all the community events that make Chestertown such a special community. He has been one of the community’s hardest working and most dedicated volunteers, providing crucial technical and logistical support to the Chestertown Tea Party Festival, Music in the Park, the Garfield Center for the Arts, the Downtown Chestertown Association, Main Street Chestertown, Sumner Hall and any festival that takes place in downtown Chestertown.
Butch steps forward for any event or production that requires sound production and stage management.
He does all his work quietly, often behind the scenes.
He graciously shares his own equipment with any organization, and he comes with a wealth of knowledge that is unparalleled.
Butch knows exactly what is logistically possible and what isn’t. He knows by heart all the electrical access points throughout town.
Not only does Butch provide crucial information during the months of planning required for big events, but once the event takes place, you can count on him to work as many hours and days as necessary.
It would take a small army of people to replace Butch.
The President’s Medal is awarded to individuals who have an exemplary record of sustained contribution to the quality of life in our community, service to their fellow human beings, and a dedication to the fulfillment of the ideals represented in the Washington College mission statement.
Butch Clark is the perfect example of a citizen leader who serves as an example to younger generations to live a life of purpose and pursue one’s passion.
One Response
Congratulations are indeed in order for Butch’s untiring and cheerful contributions. He once helped me build an extension to the stage in Norman James Theater at the college in order to present Goucher College’s Choreographie Antique & Goucher’s Early Music Consort. He’s not only a master at building stages but also in taking them down and storing them.