Scotty Nicholls (photo by Bill Giduz)

Scotty Nicholls, a World War II veteran and longtime Davidson volunteer, was honored in a Town Hall ceremony Tuesday morning as winner of the 2007 G. Jackson Burney Community Service Award. The award has been given annually since 2004 in memory of Mr. Burney and his contributions to the town.

Retiring Mayor Randy Kincaid emceed the event before more than 100 people in a packed Town Board meeting room. He recognized previous award winners as well as Mr. Burney’s widow, Anne Burney. Jerry Hancock, a veteran local TV host, offered a remembrance of Mr. Burney, whom he called his best friend.

In a citation recognizing Ms. Nicholls, local writer and Town Board member Margo Williams talked about Ms. Nicholls’ life of service, beginning with a career as a Marine Corps officer in Washington. (See text of the citation below).

“Most women of her generation, when called to national service, chose more traditional forms. But not our Scotty,” Ms. Williams said.

She also noted Ms. Nicholls’ many years of service here in Davidson, including work on various public boards commissions and the board of the Ada Jenkins Center, as well as her appearance in local theatrical productions. Ms. Nicholls also worked two decades as housing director at Davidson College.

Ms. Williams said, “Her representation of her town always reflected those qualities we have come to expect from town servants—integrity, good sense, and bringing light to difficult subjects.”

A tearful Ms. Nicholls thanked fellow citizens and friends.

“The honor of receiving this award in he name of such a fine man such as Jack Burney is almost overwhelming,” Ms. Nicholls said. “Everything I’ve given to Davidson has been returned to me many many times over.”

Ms. Nicholls and late husband Peter brought their family to “this wonderful village” than 40 years ago, she said.

“And for the support of that family over the years, and all my friends, my dear friends, and wonderful citizens of this little town, there’s not just not anything I can say expect thank you, thank you very much,” she said.

As part of the award, Mayor-elect John Woods presented a donation to a charity of Ms. Nicholls’ choice: the Davidson Lands Conservancy. Sterling Martin, president of the conservancy, thanked Ms. Nicholls and the town, and gave an outline of the conservancy’s activities.

The Rev. Jody Seymour, pastor of Davidson United Methodist Church, offered closing remarks that included words of wisdom about the spirit of community and a bit of humor.

“As we go from this place, I’ll offer you a dismissal and a greeting, which I guess the people of India are most famous for: You just put your hands together in front of your heart, and say namaste, which means the divine in me meets the divine in you,” Rev. Seymour said.

And after listening to the long list of accolades for Ms. Nicholls, he joked: “Scotty, as a pastor, isn’t it nice to hear your own funeral before you die?”

PREVIOUS BURNEY AWARDS

Bernice Houston (2004)
William B. Mayhew (2005)
Evelyn Carr (2006)
Baxter & John Fisher (2006)
Annie Mildred Lowery (2006)

PHOTO GALLERY

Take a look at photos from Wednesday’s event on the town website.

TEXT OF CITATION

On November 21, 2007, Scotty Nicholls received the G. Jackson Burney award for community service from the Town of Davidson. Here in part is the citation read to Mrs. Nicholls on behalf of the town by Commissioner Margo Williams.

The Great War was long and exceptionally hard, but the country came together in a way never seen in its history. When victory came in Europe, the country could relax just a bit, and there went up a collective sigh of relief, most especially in its capital, Washington DC. Standing on the mall in Washington, Lt. Scotty Hastie stood beside her new beau, Peter Nicholls, and watched as a city long used to war-time blackouts, began turning on the lights. Not only in homes, lights came up on the Washington Monument, the capital, the White House, the Smithsonian, the memorials to Lincoln and Jefferson. The sight, thrilling in itself, gave butterflies to the young couple and to the young nation. Hope came with light.

Most women of her generation, when called to national service, chose more traditional forms. But not our Scotty. Among the first women Marines, she trained as an airplane mechanic. Later sent to Officers Candidate School, she became a Marine Corps officer, and began dating Captain Nicholls, a relationship that would have been fraternizing if Scotty had remained a non-com.

Marriage quickly followed and the couple became part of Tom Brokaw’s greatest generation. They produced four children: Gail, Jane, Sandy, and, fittingly, Hope. Peter pursued a career in retail management, Scotty in home management. Arriving first in Charlotte in the early 1960s, they soon moved to Davidson for Peter’s work as owner of what would later be called the Village Store. Both moved to positions at the College, where they remained for the rest of their working years. During these years, the lessons from her mother concerning household management served Scotty well, as did her ability to roll with the punches, her sense of humor, and her non-judgmental dealings with all.

Working as housing director for Davidson College, Scotty paired freshmen as roommates, a task she did with her usual thoroughness, producing many sets of friends whose contacts would long exceed their student years.

Tragedy struck the family. First-born Gail was diagnosed with melanoma, a particularly difficult form of cancer. Gail’s subsequent death was softened just a bit by the outpourings of Davidsonians who brought casseroles, messages of love and hope, and funds to pay for Gail’s expenses—all showing the esteem the community has for the Nicholls family.

In addition to nursing Gail, Scotty also cared for Peter after coronary by-pass surgery in the days when the operation was far from common.

Scotty met Connie Welsh, irrepressible dramatist and founder of Davidson Community Players. As the lights came up on stage, Scotty delighted audiences with roles later to become talks of the town. Always appreciated by other cast members as an actor’s actor, Scotty raised the level of professionalism in the young company by quietly mentoring less gifted actors.

As Connie Welsh formed the Tarradiddle Players, a troupe of thespians bringing children’s plays to the schools, she counted on Scotty Nicholls to be the backbone of those actors. They entertained and instructed hundreds, perhaps thousands of school children throughout the area, producing plays that always had a moral of the story as a teaching moment. Scotty’s teaching moments, however, extended also to adults, as all could see her as a living model of the concentration it takes to play a successful role on stage.

And what did Scotty learn from drama? Humility. There is nothing like blowing a line in front of an audience, she tells us.

Never too busy to participate in other town activities, Scotty served on the Mecklenburg Park and Recreation commission, on various boards in the town including the Ada Jenkins center, and in her church. Her representation of her town always reflected those qualities we have come to expect from town servants—integrity, good sense, and bringing light to difficult subjects.

Scotty Nicholls, as you approach the ninetieth anniversary of your entering earth’s stage, your town thanks you for your service to Davidson. We acknowledge your partnering with Peter, your raising accomplished and gifted children, your delighting us with your stage presence, your bringing light to many town organizations. We thank you for the qualities of good humor, good sense, good management, total concentration, and your willingness to take us all as we are. We wish you many more happy birthdays in your retirement years and we know that you will carry well the honor we bestow on you as the 2007 recipient of the G. Jackson Burney community service award.