NORWICH – It’s not often that an organization has the privilege of working with the long-standing leadership of individuals so focused on quality, continuous improvement, community collaboration, and, most importantly, our students ... individuals who absolutely epitomize the vision, beliefs and quality standards of the BOCES organization.
Dan Marshman and Bob Hall, both former members of the BOCES Board of Education, served their communities and our BOCES in an exemplary fashion. They believed deeply in the power of education. They were convinced that our work at BOCES prepares our youth and our adults to make this area a better place. They gave unselfishly of their time, their ideas, their support, and of themselves. We miss them for what they gave us as Board Members, but more importantly for what they gave to us as people. The DCMO BOCES Board of Education is commemorating their service through The Marshman-Hall Commitment to Education Award to both memorialize their contributions to our area and to serve as a vehicle for BOCES to annually recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to education in our BOCES region.
The purpose of this award is to recognize, annually, an individual who exemplifies the ideals of former BOCES Board Members Dan Marshman and Bob Hall. These ideals include:
• a commitment to what is in the best interest of students,
• an orientation of service to the community, and
• a focus on the continuous improvement of the educational enterprise.
The recipient of the fifth annual Marshman-Hall Commitment to Education Award is Margery Secrest.
Secrest has dedicated over 50 years of service to her community and her school. She came to Afton in 1952 to teach Civics. She started teaching English in 1960, and continued in that capacity until her retirement in 1983. While a teacher in Afton, Marge directed the Senior Play every year and held various offices in the P.T.A. As a teacher, she took an active role in the Afton Teachers’ Association and the NEA. She was President of the A.T.A. for many years and currently serves on the NYSUT Retirement Committee.
Marge became an Afton Central School Board member in 1985 when she was appointed to fill a two year term. She served as Vice President of the Board from 1988-1995 and has had the position of President ever since.
She is an active participant on the Teel and Chamberlin Scholarship Committee and a trustee of the Jane Schenck Fund. Mrs. Secrest was named the Chenango County Board Member of the Year in 1996.
In 2001, she became a Board member of the DCMO BOCES Board of Education. During her tenure on the BOCES Board, Marge has served on the Finance Committee and the Chenango County School Board’s Executive Committee. Marge has recently served on a number of external review committees for the CTE program.
Mrs. Secrest’s participation in the community includes active membership and various offices in her church, the Grange and the Farm Bureau. She also was honored with the SERTOMA Service to Mankind Award.
She played a very large role in the Indian Hills Girl Scout Council during the last 1960s and early 70s serving as Executive Director for several years.
Marge is an active member of the First Baptist Church in Bainbridge. She is active in the women’s group and is involved in many fund raisers – assisting families in need and supporting youth projects.
Marge has been a founding member of the Afton Community Theater group, most recently directing “Tiptoe through the Tombstones” and “Tomb with a View.”
Marge’s baking reputation has spread throughout Chenango County. She personally provided all of the home baked cookies to the Red Cross Blood Mobile when it visits Afton and refreshments for all of our Board of Education meetings.
For over 50 years, Margery Secrest has devoted her time, talents, and efforts in service to the Afton Central School and the wider community – with an overriding commitment to the improvement of the lives of children and is truly deserving of this special honor.
Margery was presented with her award on September 8, 2009, at the Opening Day Ceremony at the Robert W. Harrold Campus. In addition, her name was added to wall plaques, hung at the Chenango Campus, the Robert W. Harrold Campus, and in the BOCES Support Services Center, which identify all Marshman-Hall Commitment to Education Award winners.
Marge spoke to over 400 BOCES employees, and upon receiving the award had this to say, “Someone asked me not long ago how long I had been in education, my reply was, all my life.” She spoke about the way she lived her life similar to the beginning of the Girl Scout pledge…”On my honor…”
She went on to discuss the involvement of BOCES staff in the education of students at the BOCES…“Each one of you is involved in the education of our students, whether you drive a bus, clean, keep the grounds in order, teach in a classroom, administer or aid the daily process in some other way.” Marge then shared four simple letters of the alphabet to use as a guide to live by ….
S – Share your enthusiasm for the value of education wherever you are and to all those around you;
U – Use every opportunity to inspire;
C – Choose to make the most of each day regardless of negative situations which may arise;
C – Commit to excellence in everything you do;
E – Expect the best from everyone – students and co-workers (George Halas said “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.”)
And then back to the first letter…
S – Show that you respect students, co-workers, the vision and mission. And finally…
S – Strive to do your best and be a team member.
“Success…if I have been a success it’s because I tried to do all of these.” She thanked those present for the award.