The 52nd Bruce Welge Citizenship Award was presented to Dawson Drake Williams at Trinity Methodist Church of Clio on Sunday, May 15, 2022.
Dawson is the son of the late Kevin Williams, Jennifer Polston Williams, and stepmother Lisa Williams. He is also the grandson of Drake and Marilyn Rogers of Clio.
Dawson is a 2022 graduate of Marlboro Academy and took college credit courses at Northeastern Technical College where he made President’s List.
Throughout his high school career he was active in school, church, and community activities.In sports he played soccer, basketball, and baseball and served as captain of all three sports his senior year. He also played on several travel baseball leagues and community teams.
In addition to sports, Dawson served on student council and was treasurer of his senior class. He also obtained honor roll and was a Beta Club member.
He received several athletic and academic awards during his high school years.
Dawson is a member of Christ United Methodist Church in Bennettsville and participated in many youth activities. He also worked summer jobs including lifeguard, grass cutting, and assisting with local construction jobs.
Dawson is following in his father’s footsteps attending Clemson University in the fall majoring in Forestry.
Trinity sponsors this award annually in honor and memory of the life and friendship of Lt. Bruce Welge, classmate at The Citadel of D.G. McIntyre originally of Clio. Bruce would visit the McIntyre home and Trinity Methodist Church. He was assigned to the Green Berets of Fort Bragg and was killed while in Vietnam serving his country. His parents of Chester, Illinois started the memorial fund to honor Bruce’s love of the McIntyre family and Trinity. It is given as a scholarship to a deserving student who exemplifies the attributes of patriotism and good citizenship.
The guest speaker was Major General Jeffrey Jones, originally from Bennettsville, who now resides in Lexington with his wife Amanda, and their three children: Houston, Lydia, and Isobel. Major Jones serves as the 29th Deputy Adjutant General of South Carolina. He is Second in Command of the SC Military Department, which includes the Army National Guard, Air National Guard, SC State Guard, and the SC Emergency Management Division. He also serves as Deputy Joint Force Land Component Commander during defense support to civilian authorities (DSCA) missions.
Jones is a graduate of The Citadel and holds Masters’ degrees from USC and the US Army War College. Among his military awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Iraq Campaign Medal, and the NATO Medal.