Mary Ernestine Butler, Texana choir director, was awarded the Frank M. Adams Award at the Texas Council of Community Centers 26th Annual Conference held at the Westin Galleria recently. She was selected from applications made by community centers, like Texana, from all over Texas.
Shown are Gladdie Fowler, Texas Council Board Member, and Frank M. Adams Award Winner Mary Ernestine Butler.
Butler first began volunteering with Texana Center in 2002 with one mission, to put together and direct a choir at the Texana Learning Center at Missouri City.
Butler spent many years teaching music in public high schools after receiving her Bachelor’s degree from Florida A&M University; her Master’s from Columbia Teachers College in New York and an Honorary Doctorate degree from Sacred Music Mount Hope Bible College.
Since she first started the Texana Choir nine years ago, she has grown the choir to more than 30 members strong. She works with the choir once a week and does not limit her directing to just singing; she works with the group to teach them everything about music. They have learned how to read the notes and what the different notes mean; just as she did when she taught music to high schools students.
“The were close to 700 people in the audience when the award was presented to Ms. Butler, Texana Center was extremely proud of her, she was most deserving of this honor,” said George Patterson, CEO.
The Frank M. Adams Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service is presented annually during the Texas Council Conference to individuals, and organizations who volunteer in the Community Center system and enhance and enrich the quality of life for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental illness and substance addictions in Texas.
