Thomas B. Eklund embodies the word "service."

The 72-year-old Orangeburg native has served in a number of organizations and civic groups including the Elks Club, Edisto Young Farmers, Boy Scouts of America, Orangeburg National Fish Hatchery and various education-based organizations.

On Nov. 20, Eklund was recognized for a life of volunteering with the Order of the Silver Crescent, the state's highest honor for volunteer and community service.

The award was presented at the Rivelon Elementary School Parent-Teacher Association meeting. Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter presented Eklund with the award at the school he served as principal for many years.

Eklund, the executive director of the Orangeburg Area Boys and Girls Club, expressed his appreciation for the award. He said it is "One of the finest ... that I could have received."

"I have worked with kids all my life," Eklund said. "They do not have enough activities to keep them busy. Once they leave school, they have nothing to do. They go home to latch-key homes. It is really a sad situation."

Eklund said showing kids that somebody cares will help prevent them from joining less-than-desirable peer groups.

"We need to try to get something in the afternoon ... an after-school opportunity for all these kids. We need to tell them that they can be somebody," Eklund said.

Cobb-Hunter said Eklund is a treasure for Orangeburg County and the entire state.

"I have learned the real meaning that it is more blessed to give than to receive," she said. "He epitomizes that in so many ways."

She said Eklund has been instrumental in helping the Boys & Girls Club expand into the eastern part of the county.

"People in District 66 have been saying that recreational opportunities for young people just did not exist in the lower end of the county," she said. "He has followed through on everything I have asked him to do. The humility is there. I always feel blessed to be in the presence of people whose ego is in check."

Orangeburg Consolidated School District Five Superintendent Melvin Smoak said he first met Eklund in 1974 when he joined the school district.

"He would lend a helping hand to the young guys like me at the time," Smoak said. "He helped us to be successful."

Smoak said Eklund has always gone overboard to help make the community a better place for everyone.

"I don't believe I have ever seen him upset," Smoak said. "When things were down, he was always 'Come, let's go. We can do that. Don't worry about it and don't let the little things upset you.'"

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford praised Eklund's dedication in a personal letter sent to him dated Nov. 20.

"A life well-spent is a life that includes others," Sanford said. "You always found the time to include others in your life and, indeed, continue to do so. Your steadfast determination to make a positive difference in the lives of children in Orangeburg County is legend."

Eklund received his associate's degree in education from North Greenville College and bachelor's degree in education from Newberry College. He earned his master's in education and counseling from South Carolina State University.

Eklund's first job was to serve as a newspaper carrier for the Times and Democrat and The State newspaper in the 1940s. In the mid-1950s, he worked for then-Orangeburg School District Five for a summer.

He left Orangeburg in the early 1960s to serve the Jacksonville, Fla. school district before returning home to serve as a juvenile officer and probation counselor.

Eklund rejoined District 5 around 1971. He served as a counselor and principal for 21 years.

Others awards Eklund has received include the Alpha Phi Alpha Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award, Optimist of the Year Award for the State of South Carolina, Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award, S.C. Education Association Human Relations Award, S.C. Department of Education Outstanding Service Award in Education of Homeless Students, the Kiwanis Club of Orangeburg 2005 Orangeburg Citizen of the Year and the National Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Professional Service Award.

T&D Staff Writer Gene Zaleski can be reached by e-mail at gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5551.

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