St. Davids' Parkinson recognized with Distinguished Service Award

By Fred Behringer

  Bruce Parkinson, a GAP volunteer for nearly four decades and a long-time leader of St. Davids Golf Club, is the 2009 recipient of the Golf Association of Philadelphia Distinguished Service Award.

BRUCE PARKINSON

  “I like being part of GAP,” he said. “I like the camaraderie with the members and the staff. I want to keep busy.”

  The Distinguished Service Award goes to individuals “from any golf-related disciplines who have exemplified the spirit of the game at its highest level and who have made a substantial contribution to the game at the Philadelphia, national or international level.”

  “Bruce truly exemplifies the spirit of the game,” Golf Association of Philadelphia President Richard Meehan said. “As a member of the Executive Committee, Bruce's suggestions were always for the good of the Association's members. Bruce continues to contribute to the Association as a volunteer, and he is easy to locate on the course with his classy, colorful golf attire.”

  Reacting to the honor, Parkinson said, “I was overwhelmed to have something like this happen to me, joining Bill Walsh, Victor Mauck and Stan Friedman as past recipients — that’s the big leagues. They were great role models. I’m very appreciative.”

  Parkinson has belonged to St. Davids for 45 years and to Moselem Springs Golf Club for more than 25. In all of his business and volunteer activities, he exemplifies the idea that to get an important job done, turn to a busy person.

  At St. Davids, he has served as president, as a board member for 12 years, as chairman of various committees, including golf and membership, and currently as intermediary between the club and local government. He was heavily involved in the planning and construction of the new clubhouse and maintenance building.

  Parkinson succeeded Victor Mauck, Jr. as St. Davids president in 1972 and now follows him as a winner of the GAP Distinguished Service Award.

  He credits Mauck with the development and stature of St. Davids.

  “I can tell you that if it wasn’t for Victor Mauck, none of this would have happened. He was the guy. He believed that St. Davids was special, and that we have the decorum and sportsmanship to make it a place where the members know they are appreciated. It’s a friendly club. I try to put myself in a position somewhat like Victor in that if I think something isn’t St. Davids, I’ll say so.”

  When he’s not at St. Davids, Parkinson may be working on scheduling outings for the Philadelphia Seniors Golf Association, a responsibility he also handled during his 40 years with the Philadelphia Rotary Club. Or he may be working in his role as a Republican area chairman in Chester County. Or in his position as chairman of the board of the Carr School Mount Pleasant Chapel, where disadvantaged children are tutored.

  Parkinson has also competed regularly in Golf Association of Philadelphia tournaments. He said his golfing highlight came in winning the Women’s Golf Association of Philadelphia Powell Cup with his wife of 56 years, Marianne, when they set a record, at the time, for total points.

  “I’ve always tried to get the clubs that I belong to to take GAP tournaments, and we have,” he said. “I think it’s incumbent upon the administration of the different clubs to allow GAP to have tournaments.”

  Parkinson annually reminds his fellow club members to join him as a steady supporter of GAP’s J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust.

  The DSA recipient learned golf at Aronimink Golf Club. He played basketball and studied journalism at Washington and Lee University, where he returned for a law degree after a stint in the Army during the Korean War.

  He did not practice law, however, because of an opportunity with E.J. Spangler, an envelope-manufacturing company owned by his future father-in-law. Parkinson sold that business in 1970, remained with it for five years and then joined a former competitor. Today he is retired, except for serving one long-time customer, but in retirement, he remains constantly on the move.

Fred Behringer is a member of the GAP Communications Committee.