Spencer was nominated and elected by his peers to be recognized for years of service and leadership in Rotary. He has served on the Board of Directors, the Scholarship Committee, and as club president.
After an acceptance speech that recalled the days of Revel’s Barbecue and a club “Tail Twister” - who kept Rotarians on time and well-behaved - Spencer humbly thanked the club for bestowing the “great honor” upon him.
“But they really need to recount the ballots,” he said, laughing. “Something must have gone wrong.”
Rockingham Rotary President Robert “Bob” Street introduced Spencer and outlined his achievements. Born in 1921, Spencer grew up and attended school in Hamlet before joining the Navy in 1942. As a airman, he flew submarine patrols in a Navy seaplane over the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and a stretch over the western coasts of Central and South American that reached as far as the Galapagos Islands.
After the war, Spencer went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he majored in accounting. He went on to open up a practice in Rockingham.
He retired in 2007 after working as an accountant for 59 years.
The luncheon’s keynote speaker, Rick Sago, spoke of the growth that he sees in Richmond County’s future. Spencer touched on the pride that Rotary could feel for the past and continued growth of its membership - and its scholarship fund.
During his many years on the scholarship committee, Spencer saw a single award of $50 grow to a $100,000 endowment that provides seven scholarships of $1,000 or more to select degree and GED-seeking candidates.
“College is expensive,” said Spencer. “And these scholarships mean a great deal to the students that go there.”
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