Members of the Batesville Exchange Club recently presented longtime minister and community volunteer Robert Rawson with the Book of Golden Deeds Award  – the highest honor the national civic organization bestows upon citizens.

Rawson preached at Batesville Church of Christ for 35 years, serving both as associate and main minister. He and his wife Jane moved to Tate County 10 years ago, where he now preaches at Crockett Church of Christ.

During his tenure in Batesville, Rawson was a volunteer and advisor on many civic projects, and took an active role in community events. 

In more than three decades of membership in the local club, Rawson served thousands of pancakes at fundraiser breakfast events, and helped with golf tournaments, Veterans Day programs, the selection of scholarship winners each school year, and countless other Exchange endeavors.

The Batesville club awards a Book of GoldenDeeds periodically. Recipients in the past decade have included Belinda Morris, Tony Jones, and Scootie Murphree.

The Book of Golden Deeds Award recognizes dedicated community members who contribute countless hours of their time and talents toward improving the lives of people they touch, making their communities better places to live.

The presentation of the award was a surprise to Rawson, who thought he was only attending the club’s annual Christmas dinner. He accepted the award and spoke briefly about the privilege of serving with Exchange and the opportunities for good deeds.

A special treat for the club, Rawson noted, was the attendance of charter member Billy Downs at the dinner and part of the presentation. Downs, no longer able to attend weekly breakfast meetings, is occasionally able to take part in special events and dinners, entertaining members with stories from the club’s beginnings.